Jamnalal Bajaj Award to Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi

Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation has given its prestigious award for the use of science and technology in rural development for the year 2001 to Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi. This is one of the most prestigious awards in India for rural development. The past awardees have included Baba Amte, Sunderlal Bahuguna and Manibhai Desai among others. In the International category it has been given to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu among others. The award was presented on 6 November 2001 at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai by Dr. Manmohan Singh the former Finance Minister of India.

Dr. Rajvanshi has been the director of the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) at Phaltan, Maharashtra since 1981. NARI is a private non-profit NGO working in rural India. It is a registered trust and does pioneering work in the areas of agriculture, renewable energy, animal husbandry and sustainable development. Dr. Rajvanshi is also the trustee and honorary secretary of NARI. He has concentrated his efforts for last 20 years on how to use modern science and technology to achieve rural development. Dr. Rajvanshi's research has therefore spanned a whole spectrum of areas affecting the lives of rural population. These have included water purification, cooking and lighting, small power generation, and effluent treatment among others. After obtaining B.Tech. and M.Tech. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from I.I.T. Kanpur, Dr. Rajvanshi obtained a scholarship from the government of India for doing research towards a Ph.D. degree in the University of Florida at Gainesville, U.S.A. After receiving his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with specialization in solar energy, he taught at the University of Florida for two years before returning to India in 1981 to join NARI.

      (L-R). Dr. Rajvanshi, Dr. H.N.Sethna, Shri Rahul Bajaj and Dr. Manmohan Singh

Detailed biodata of Dr. Anil K Rajvanshi

Bajaj Award speech of Dr. Rajvanshi

Video of awards acceptance speech.

Times of India story on Dr. Rajvanshi's award winning