WINNERS OF THE NCPEDP-MINDTREE HELEN KELLER AWARDS 2016 ANNOUNCED
The winners of the NCPEDP-Mindtree Helen Keller Awards 2016 have been announced. In their eighteenth year now, the Awards have not only led to a recognition of the exceptional work being done by corporates, NGOs and individuals, but have also emerged as a credible way to map the progress being made year by year towards greater dignity and empowerment of India’s 70 million disabled citizens.
Twelve awards have been announced under three different categories.
Among the exceptional individuals and organizations selected this year for having established themselves as role models in furthering employment opportunities for persons with disabilities are:
CATEGORY A: Role Model Disabled Person: Disabled persons from within the disability sector and outside who have been active as ambassadors of the cause of employment for disabled people and are a positive role model for others.
1. Cegeo Thekkal, Peer Director, AMBA
2. Deepa Narasimhan, Head, Diversity & Inclusion APJ, EMC DELL
3. Pratik Rajiv Jindal, Assistant Manager: Human Resources-Global Strategic Hiring, Wipro Ltd.
CATEGORY B: Role Model Supporter of Increased Employment Opportunities for Disabled People: Individuals from within the disability sector or outside who have contributed substantially to the cause of promoting employment opportunities for disabled people over an extended period of time.
1. Dr. Jasmer Singh Saini, Professor, Rural Development, National Institute of Technical Training and Research
2. Pankajam Sridevi, Managing Director, ANZ
3. Prof. Sanjeev Sonawane, Professor, Department of Education and Extension, Savitribai Phule Pune University.
CATEGORY C: Role Model Companies/NGOs/Institutions: Organisations from the disability sector or outside who have shown their commitment towards promoting equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
1. Accenture Services Private Limited
2. Aegis Limited
3. CISCO Limited
4. EMC Software and Services India Pvt.
5. State Bank of India
6. Synchrony Financials
The winners were decided after intense deliberations by a jury comprising of eminent personalities. Chaired by Mr. P. M. Sinha, Executive Trustee, NCPEDP, the jury included Mr. Abraham Moses, General Manager and Good Samaritan, Mindtree Foundation, Mr. Garimella Subramaniam, Deputy Editor, The Hindu, Mr. R. N. Mohanty, CEO, Sightsavers India and Ms. Rema Nagarajan, Senior Assistant Editor, Times of India.