Lifetime achievement awards presented

Madras High Court Judge presents lifetime achievement awards to distinguished personalities in printing, health, and space research.

Madras High Court Judge D. Bharatha Chakravarthy presented lifetime achievement awards to N. Ravi, Director of Kasturi and Sons; Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist of World Health Organization; and V. Narayanan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), at a function organised by the Rotary District 3233 here on Sunday.

Presenting the awards at the annual Navaratna conference, Mr. Justice Chakravarthy congratulated the office-bearers of the Rotary District 3233 for selecting the three distinguished personalities who had made a mark in printing and publishing, health, and space research. Accepting the award, Mr. Ravi said he was a familiar person of the Rotary movement as he had covered the Pulse Polio campaign launched by Rotary International as a beat reporter, and had been extending help for various social activities.

He further said that the award was in recognition of The Hindu, which has been at the forefront of nation building by upholding the values of truth-telling and presenting news by separating facts from opinion. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said that though polio was yet to be fully eradicated as it was still prevalent in Pakistan and Afghanistan owing to conflicts and displacement of population, the Rotary International was active in India and other countries to eradicate it.

She also highlighted the various social welfare activities undertaken by the Rotary International during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Narayanan, who received a standing ovation for his presentation on the ISRO’s achievements, said the country had come a long way from transporting equipment on bullock carts and bicycles to sending rockets to the Moon and Mars.