Amruta Soni was born in a Roman Catholic family of Solapur in Maharashtra as Paul. She has been working as advocacy officer for the Vihaan project in Chhattisgarh since 2013. Economically, she had no support from her family after class ten and was forced to leave home.

At the age of 16, she had her sex change. She managed to continue studying somehow and met a man whom she calls ‘Agarwal Bhaiya’ in who motivated her and enrolled her in the Indira Gandhi Open University. She fought all odds in the society and graduated with flying colours! She further completed her MBA in HR and Marketing from Symbiosis College, Pune.

Soon after her studies, she was diagnosed to be HIV Positive. The reason she decided to come out as HIV+ was because she felt that if she keeps her situation under wraps with her sexual partner and he ends up having sex with someone else, the virus would spread.

Amruta Soni has embraced her transgender identity as well as her status as an HIV positive person to ensure a better life for others. Since past few years she is been working in Chhattisgarh as an advocacy officer for HLFPPT (Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust), under “Project Vihaan” targeted at improving the survival and quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and especially working with High-Risk Groups.

In the year 2016, She had been awarded as The Powerful Women Of The Year.

In the year 2017, She had been recognized by the Health Minister for her work in Delhi.

Amruta Soni has battled daunting odds to give herself an education and a life of dignity. Her Journey from a beggar to a sex worker to a bar dancer to a Regional Program Head at National Coalition of People living with HIV/AIDS in India is really an inspiration.

Popularly known as the Clothing Man, Anshu has done his Mass communications twice and masters in Economics. Starting as a freelance journalist, Anshu left a corporate job in 1998 and founded GOONJ with a mission to make clothing a matter of concern and to bring it among the list of subjects for the development sector. Anshu’s work with GOONJ goes to a core challenge of our times; the growing gap between the urban prosperity & rural poverty. His work has a game changing element in many ways; he has taken the menacing growth of urban waste and used it effectively and efficiently as a tool to trigger large scale development work on diverse issues; roads, water, environment, education, health etc. in some of the most backward and remote pockets of India. Not only is the so called urban waste addressing ignored basic needs it’s turning out to be a valuable asset for income generation. Bridging the massive gap of social and economic inequities between urban and rural India in an innovative way, Anshu has created a new dynamic focused on the receiver’s dignity rather than the donor’s pride.

With Goonj, Anshu has made the mostly passive urban and rural masses, prime stakeholders and actors in addressing their own needs, solving their own problems. He has woven together a beautiful pipeline system for the channeling of resources to create empowerment and development rural India.

Arvind Kejriwal (born 16 August 1968) is an Indian politician who is the Chief Minister of Delhi since February 2015. He previously served as Chief Minister from December 2013 to February 2014, stepping down after 49 days. He is the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Kejriwal is a mechanical engineering graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and worked for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a joint commissioner in the Income Tax Department.

In 2006, Kejriwal was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership recognising his involvement in the grassroots movement Parivartan using right-to-information legislation in a campaign against corruption. The same year, after resigning from the IRS, he donated his Magsaysay award money as a corpus fund to found the Public Cause Research Foundation

On 14 February 2015, he was sworn in as Chief Minister for a second term after his party's victory in the Delhi Assembly election

Ashish Vidyarthi is an Indian film actor known who works in multiple language films, predominantly in Bollywood, and Telugu cinema. He is noted for his antagonist characters. In 1995, he received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Drohkaal. He moved to Delhi in 1969 and joined the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Mehta Vidyalaya, where he won acclaim for his performances as an actor in dramatic and comedic roles.

Ashok Rathod is the Founder and Director of OSCAR India Foundation, an organization which aims to prevent school drop-outs and encourage children to become responsible citizens.

Using the medium of football, Ashok, when he was 18 years old, began encouraging children in his community to complete their education, discover meaningful vocations for themselves and quit unhealthy habits. Till today, he has reached out to more than 500 children and youths in his community. He has also been invited across India to train other organizations on using the medium of sports for development, through that training he has reached out more than 1700 children and youth.

When Ashok addressed us from the MRA platform, everyone listened spellbound. The feeling of inspiration filled us as we saw how a simple boy from the slums had elevated himself and others around him to great heights. It inspired and challenged us to go out there, and reach greater heights in our own lives." 

Atul Kulkarni is an Indian Actor born in Belgaum, Karnataka, India on 10th Sept 1965. He has worked in more than 60 films in 7 languages. An alumni of National School of Drama (N.S.D.), New Delhi, Atul has won many awards including 2 national awards. He enjoys the public and critical acclaim for his work not only nationally but also internationally. He is one of the very few actors who are also known for their articles, interviews and comments on social and political views.

Kulkarni won the National Award for the best supporting actor for the films Hey Ram and Chandni Bar. He is also the president of Quest, a research-action organization concentrating on enhancing quality of education.

Mr. Bindumadhav Khire is an LGBTQ+ activist and also the founder and President of Samapathik Trust. He did his B.E in Computer Science in 1990. He has 10 years of IT experience of which around quarter to 4 years in USA. Came back to India for good in early 2000 and gave up his career in 2001. With the help of Ashok Rao Kavi and Humsafar Trust, formed his NGO - Samapathik Trust in September 2002. For the past 15 years Samapathik Trust has worked on issues of advocacy and health of LGBTHI (stands for, Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Hijra-Intersex) communities.

Mr. Khire 's vision is - To create an India in which LGBTHI communities live a life of dignity, free of stigma and discrimination.To accomplish this, he provides legal, medical, and social empowerment services to the LGBTHI community through education, training, advocacy, and partnership with the greater Pune community.

He runs a helpline, has written books on sexuality, made a film, written 3 plays and has organised Pune LGBT Pride walks. He has been project director for HIV intervention projects, and has done a couple of surveys regarding these issues.

During his time at Asia Plateau, he made the participants aware about the basic meaning of the LGBT community, the people included in this community, and he even explained basic definition of words such as "Intersex", "Transgender", etc.Further, he talked about the difficulties and problems faced by people in the LGBT community in different aspects of life.

He continues to work towards achieving his vision of creating the India in which LGBTHI communities live a life of dignity, free of stigma and discrimination.

CA Ramnath Iyer, popularly known amongst students as Iyer Sir, entered the profession of teaching in the year 1985. He taught in Podar College for a year before teaching in various coaching classes across Mumbai. After teaching for more than 10 years at various educational institutions, he launched Iyer Commerce Classes as his own venture to provide his students an edge and expertise in the field of Commerce. His unique teaching style laced with humour and anecdotes, takes away the monotony of learning. He believes in keeping it Simple and that sets him apart from the rest.

He is also the chief speaker of “THE IYERS Leadership Programme” and has won several awards for his motivating sessions across various forums and organisations. IYERS Leadership Programme has a clientele of several organizations across India including TATA AIG, Mumbai Police, Punjab National Bank, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and many more.

At Let's Make A Difference-YC Mr.Iyer spoke about Mind Power wherein he beautifully explained the youth that how our thoughts are responsible for whatever we are. He inculcated through various examples that everyone has some issues in life but it is important to look at the positive aspects of life. In short he also explained the meaning of the word ‘TATHASTHU’ which means BE IT. So if we keep on telling negative sentences the God will say TATHASTHU and negativity will increase more in our surrounding. During his session he made it clear that how one’s life is connected to various thoughts, words and actions. The entire crowd applauded the way he motivated them and his sense of humour combined with wittiness.

Colonel Lalit Rai, is a former officer of the Indian Army who was decorated in the Kargil War. As the commanding officer (CO) of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles, he was tasked with capturing the strategic heights of Khalubar in the Batalik sub-sector during the Kargil War.

Lalit Rai was born in Dehradun on 24 January in a Nepali family. He attended the Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Bangalore. He graduated with a Bachelors of Science from Sri Sathya Sai College of Arts, Commerce and Science, which was affiliated to Bangalore University at the time. He has a postgraduate degree in Management from the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, India and Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA.

In May 1999, he was asked by the Colonel Of The Regiment, Lt. Gen. J B S Yadava AVSM VrC VSM, to take command of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles.

The first unit deployed during Operation Vijay was 1/11 GR (1st battalion, 11 Gorkha Rifles), who were specialists in high-altitude warfare

During the advance, Indian troops were pinned down by effective and heavy volume of enemy fire. Realising the danger of getting day lighted in this vulnerable position, Colonel Rai ordered 5 Platoon to clear the interfering enemy positions while he himself led a handful of troops, available in front, to reach the top. The enemy, sensing the danger, counter-attacked these troops from three sides with 30-40 personnel. During this counterattack, Colonel Rai was injured in the knee. Despite his injury, he exhorted and encouraged his troops to fight courageously by setting a very high standard of bravery. He refused to be evacuated till such time the objective was captured. This act boosted the morale of his troops who regrouped and captured the objective in one charge. This capture turned out to be the turning point in the battle of the Batalik sub-sector. This operation accounted for killing of 25 enemy soldiers and capture of large amount of arms and ammunition including a Stinger missile, air defence guns and important documents.

For his inspirational leadership and conspicuous bravery of a very high order, he was awarded the Vir Chakraon 15 August 1999, by the President of India.

Mr. Dhaval Patel is a founder of Vidyanagar Nature Club, a grass root NGOs working for the cause of environment. Mr. Patel is associated with many organizations like Friends of the Earth, World Wildlife Fund, and Green Peace among others. He is also Co-opted Member of Animal Welfare Board of India of Government of India. Mr. Patel working areas are inclusive of community based environmental programs, wildlife conservation through research, sustainable education programs at grass root levels and schools, close to nature hobby development efforts and programs for reducing pollution, eco-friendly drives, tree plantation programs and much more.

Through his nature club, Mr. Patel has done tremendous work for protection of environment in & around Vidyanagar. Through his dedication, he has saved many trees, educated a lot of people about snakes & snakes bites and also helped in preservation of crocodiles. He is a true inspiration, who teaches us that one man can make a difference!

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. A career scientist turned politician, Kalam was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space program and military missile development efforts.

Kalam received honorary doctorates from 40 universities. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government in 1997, Kalam received India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for his contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of defence technology in India. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Von Braun Award from the National Space Society "to recognize excellence in the management and leadership of a space-related project

 Doctor-turned-IAS officer E. Ramesh Kumar is a workaholic. In charge of Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, he feels that his job is a godsend to help people. ‘'I feel bad if somebody goes unhappy after meeting me; I try to help him in every possible manner,” says Ramesh, who gifted a sapling each to all petitioners who met him during the monsoon season when he was district collector of Khargone. 

Ramesh was born in a middle class family of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. His father worked for the Railways and his mother was a Port Trust employee. He studied in Korukonda Sainik School and Andhra Medical College. Says Ramesh: “There was no other option before me. As my elder brother chose to become an engineer, my father asked me to become a doctor in order to guarantee a secure future before going in for the civil services exam.”

A strict disciplinarian, Ramesh does not claim to be an extraordinary bureaucrat. Instead, he believes in implementing routine development schemes extraordinarily. “It is in the implementation that the crux of all development scheme lies,” he says. He was first posted in the tribal-dominated Dindori district in MP and then in Khargone. He devised strategies to converge differentgovernment schemes for deprived people to bring a change to their lives.

When he was collector of Chhatarpur in the Bundelkhand region, he realised that young men were migrating as construction labourers because they were unskilled. With support from Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (ILFS) he started a residential coaching school where the youth were taught basic skills to find jobs in the textile industry. “In order to make boys straightaway employable, we got people from the industry to train them in specific jobs in a simulative atmosphere,” says Ramesh. “While we got them three months' training [free for poor and heavily subsidised for others], our people tied up with industries around Indore to arrange for their jobs. Since the manpower we offered them was specifically trained as per their requirement, they readily offered jobs.'' So far, 865 boys have landed jobs.

In May this year, when Ramesh was transferred to Sagar district, he replicated the initiative with some improvisation. He noticed that though Sagar was the headquarters of an infantry division, very few local people had Army jobs. “One of the reasons for the development of Punjab and Haryana was that people joined the Army and paramilitary forces. Those jobs gave a fixed income to their families while others freely engaged in agricultural activities.... Over the years, Punjab, which used to supply jawans, has taken a back seat and I feel that regions like Bundelkhand can substitute it if a proper environment is created among the youth.” In order to train the youth for the armed forces, he started the Shourya Sankalp project. Says Ramesh: “We take youth in the age group of 17 - 23. Those belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and below poverty line segments get free training while others have to pay for the food, which roughly comes around Rs:1,500 per month.”

During the three-month course, they are trained in English, mathematics, general knowledge and reasoning. Plus, they have weekly tests, and two hours each of physical training and games every day. “I have specially introduced a capsule of personality development which these boys severely need, as most of them come from a rural background,” says Ramesh, who used his clout to persuade the municipal corporation, health, education and tribal departments to contribute their expertise and share the expenses of the training programme.

Out of 124 youth who were trained, 69 participated in an Army recruitment camp and 42 cleared the physical test. “One of them was selected as a cook when he prepared a good omelette and gajar halwa,"says Ramesh. “After this we have decided to introduce training for various categories like barber, cook, driver and sweeper, where chances of getting selected are much higher.” According to Ramesh, “One poverty alleviation scheme cannot change lives of the poor. It has to be in a complete sense. I always target a few families instead of going after the whole village and then saturate them with all schemes in order to pull them out of the poverty web." 

Ramesh knows how to make use of his clout as district collector. When he was in Khargone, the local Rotary Club invited him for an investiture ceremony. He told them that he would oblige provided they sponsored the surgeries of a dozen poor children with congenital heart defects. “I sponsored their stay and travel while the hospital expenses were borne by the Rotary Club and the wealthy people of the district,” he says. “I always do things from the available government resources so that these initiatives have sustainability and are institutionalised. That is why I believe in bringing all government schemes together,” says Ramesh. “I have learnt a lot from the field experience as an administrator.'' Probably, that was why he was invited to give a talk at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, where IAS officers are trained.

Nagabhairava Jaya Prakash Narayana (born 14 January 1956), also known as J.P., is an Indian politician. A former physician, J.P. is a political reformer and columnist. He is the founder and the President of Lok Satta Party, and was a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kukatpally constituency Andhra Pradesh in south India.[In May 2014, he contested from Malkajgiri as an Member of Parliament and lost to TDP candidate Ch Malla Reddy.

A former Indian public administrator, well known for his role in electoral reforms and the Right to Information (RTI) act. He has also written columns in Indian newspapers, such as Times of India, The Economic Times, Financial Express, The Hindu and Eenadu, and hosted television shows covering elections and politics such as "Pratidhwani

Narayan is the founder of Lok Satta Party, and is also the founder and General Secretary of Foundation for Democratic Reforms, an independent public-policy think-tank and research-resource centre.

Videos

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 1

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 1

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 2

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 2

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 3

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 3

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 4

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan at IofC LMAD Youth Conference 2011 - Part 4

Dr. Lusito D’Souza is one of the leading Oncologists with several years of experience and distinguished achievements. He received the Karmayogi Puraskar Award for 2009, from the Bombay Medical Aid Foundation. He was the Secretary of the Clinical Research Committee at the Tata Memorial Hospital for several years and was Associated with several Clinical trials as Principal/Co-investigator  at the Tata Memorial Hospital and the Shanti Avedna Sadan, Mumbai. He has contributed more than seventy publications in the field of Oncology in national and international journals and is the Associate Editor of the Indian Journal of Cancer.

Dr. M B Athreya holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the Harvard University. He was a Ford Fellow at Harvard; and a Hoover Fellow at the Stanford Business School. Before going to the US, Dr. Athreya had worked with a British MNC, in India, as a qualified Cost Accountant. He was a Gold Medallist in the Costing Examinations – Intermediate and Final. His first degree is in Mathematical Statistics. With this blend of Strategy and HR from his Harvard training, and Finance & QM from his earlier experiences, Dr. Athreya has been a sought after consultant to MNCs, especially those focussing on the fast growing emerging markets of Asia Pacific. He has been advising clients on Vision, Mission, Strategy, Values, HRD and OD.

Prior to embarking on Consulting, Dr. Athreya taught at the Business Schools of Kolkata, India; London, England; and Strathclyde, Scotland, UK. Dr. Athreya has also been an advisor to Governments; Business Chambers; Professional Associations; and NGOs. He has been on Corporate Boards. He is a renowned speaker in the national and international forums.

Dr Nand Kumar Moghe, a retired Forest Officer is a Mumbai based environmentalist.

In 1997, with the use of Organic Farming Dr. Moghe has converted the Mahim Dump site into Mahim Nature Park. He is an advent nature lover and has been part of many such environmental programmes in many parts of the nation. Over the years he has developed many methods and technology which has decreased the growth time for a fully matured tree, maintaining the nutrient content of the plant. He is very passionate and has dedicated his life to serving the nature.

Dr. Moghe also actively takes part in spreading awareness about taking care of the environment and the ecosystem. He regularly conducts sessions for school children and lecturer for students of Master’s in Architecture for Environmental Architecture.

Dr. Moghe is also an avid animal lover. He started a marine zoo at Dadar in 1985. The marine zoo, houses almost 250 rare species of marine life. A person with lot of stories to share, he urges the young generation to participate in nurturing and being sensitive to the nature. He was a wildlife advisor to the state government who founded a charitable public trust named Wildlife Wanderers Nature Foundation (WWNF) in 1979.

Faud Lokhandwala, born in Dhauraji, Gujarat, and later resident of Junagadh, was a man driven by a passion for hygiene and a desire to contribute to his homeland. Living in America for over 25 years, he was struck by a sarcastic news report mocking India's nuclear capabilities while highlighting its lack of basic amenities like public toilets. This sparked a fire within him and he returned to India determined to make a difference.

Mr. Faud believed that one must contribute to solving a problem before criticizing it. With his wife Mehru Ji, an accomplished designer, he embarked on a mission to build public toilets in Bombay (now Mumbai) and Delhi. Their company, FUMES (an acronym of their names), aimed to provide clean, accessible sanitation facilities.

Collaborating with BMC and MCD, Faud and Mehru Ji built 60-70 public toilets, despite facing corruption. Their innovative model charged users ₹1 for urination and ₹2 for defecation and generating revenue through advertisements. Initially, building each toilet cost ₹20-25 lacs, with a return on investment within 18 months. The cost later increased to ₹50 lacs.

His wife Mehru Ji is a descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer Dargah, and her father, Mr. Chisti, was an IAS officer and secretary to CM Govind Vallabh Pant. Mr. Lokhandwala's work is a testament to his commitment to improving India's sanitation infrastructure.

Mr.Gour Hari Das has been a part of freedom struggle against the Biritish Raj. His childhood was spent as a part of Gandhiji’s vanar sena, for which he was jailed in Balasore, Orrisa, his hometown. Blessed by Mahatma Gandhi himself, Mr. Das has followed and lived a life on the Gandhiyan teachings and values.

A man of simple and silent persona, fought a long and silent battle with the government. His fight of 32 years, for the freedom fighter’s identity, a recognition, in the form of “FreedomFighter’s Certificate” (Tamrapatra). He was branded ‘fraud’ and instead of getting the benefits of being a freedom fighter, he had to run from one government office to another to prove he was not a fraud. Finally, at the age of 84, the much sought-after certificate, when it was ultimately awarded, was a bitter sweet victory.

Inspired by his story, a movie was picturized on Mr. Das’s life. “Gour Hari Dastaan” directed by Anant Mahdevan, the film starred actor Vinay Pathak, playing the role of Mr. Das. Along with Mr. Gour Hari Das, Mr. Vinay Pathak and Ms.Tannishtha Chatterjee were part of the evening at Let's Make A Difference conference in Asia Plateau. An inpirational and motivating interactive session enfolded with the participants.

Mr. Das is also strongly against Corruption and bribery. He is a life member of an NGO - National Anti-Corruption and Crime Prevention Control (NACCPC). He also believes the future of our nation is in the hands of the youth of the country. This story of Gour Hari Das, tells us that the privelage of Freedom the Nation has now, was fought for. That fight and sacrifice of many such freedom fighters should be respected and remembered.

Padma Shri Jadav "Molai" Payeng born in 1963 is a Mishing tribe environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat, India. Over the course of several decades, he planted and tended trees on a sandbar of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve. The forest, called Molai forest after him, is located near Kokilamukh of Jorhat, Assam, India and encompasses an area of about 1,360 acres / 550 hectares. In 2015, he was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.

Mr. Jaideep Verma is an Indian writer, screenwriter and filmmaker who has made 3 feature films. The most prominent one being “Leaving Home - The Life and music of Indian Ocean”

Between 1989 and 2000, he worked in advertising as a copywriter in agencies like Mudra Communications, Ogilvy & Mather, Everest Saatchi & Saatchi, Nexus Equity and Cornerstone. He also wrote for various publications primarily on music, most notably for the magazine Gentleman between 1998 and 2001.

He is currently working on his 3rd full-length documentary film, on stand-up comedy in India and the larger context of contemporary Indian humour. The film is called "I Am Offended".

 Mr Jasmine Shah has been the Vice Chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission, a position holding the rank of a Minister in the Government of NCT of Delhi, since November 2018. Mr Shah has broad experience working on urban governance and policy issues and has been advising the Government of NCT of Delhi since 2016 on environment, transport, education, and budget transparency reforms.

Mr Shah was the architect of Delhi’s first comprehensive Outcome Budget for 2017-18, a first-of-its-kind initiative in India to bring in complete transparency and accountability in public spending.

He has also worked on several crucial transport reforms of the Delhi government, such as the Electric Vehicle Policy, Common Mobility Card, bus route rationalization and last mile connectivity initiative, large-scale induction of electric buses, among other projects.  Mr Shah has previously worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) where he was the Deputy Director of its South Asia office, and, prior to that, at the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy.

Ketan Mehta is an Indian film director, who has also directed documentaries and television serials since many years. During his career he has made ten feature films, seven documentaries and two television serials – Captain Vyom and Mr. Yogi. His repertoire of themes includes comedy, satire, romance, violence and rebellion

After graduating from the Film and Television Institute of India, Mehta joined the Indian Space Research Organisation as a television producer. There, he was given almost total freedom in what to create.

His movies have been selected for various international film festivals such as Nantes (France) and the Moscow Film Festival, where they have won numerous awards over the years. Mirch Masala was one of Mehta's notable efforts, and won him the Best Film Award at Hawaii.[5] It was released to 52 cinemas in the United States. Mehta has also had the honour of serving as a member of the jury in various national and international film festivals.

He directed a biopic Sardar, on the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1993. His latest two films are Rang Rasiya, 2014 and Manjhi the Mountain Man, 2015.

Kiran Bedi is an Indian politician, social activist, former tennis player and a retired police officer. Bedi joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972, becoming its first woman officer.

As a teenager, Bedi became the national junior tennis champion in 1966. Between 1965 and 1978, she won several titles at national and state-level championships. After joining IPS, Bedi served in Delhi, Goa and Mizoram. She started her career as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, and won the President's Police Medal in 1979. Next, she moved to West Delhi, where she brought a reduction in crimes against women. Subsequently, as a traffic police officer, she oversaw traffic arrangements for the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the 1983 CHOGM meet in Goa. As DGP of North Delhi, she launched a campaign against drug abuse, which evolved into the Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation

She has written several books, and runs the India Vision Foundation. During 2008–11, she also hosted a court show Aap Ki Kachehri. She was one of the key leaders of the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2015

Madhu Dandavate was an Indian politician. During 1970-71 he was member of Maharashtra Legislative Council. From 1971 to 1990 he was an M.P., elected to the Lok Sabha for 5 times consecutively from Rajapur in Konkan, Maharashtra. He was one of the prominent opposition leaders when Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were the Prime Ministers.

He was the Minister for Railways in the Morarji Desai Ministry. He initiated improvements in second-class railway travel for passengers by replacing the wooden berths with berths consisting of two inches foam. He was also the Finance minister in the cabinet of V. P. Singh. He actively campaigned for the Konkan Railway and is considered one of its founders. He was also the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission in 1990 and again from 1996 to 1998. He was associated with the Janata Dal (Secular), a party led by H. D. Deve Gowda. He was known for his probity in public life.

Mrs. Madhuri Sarode Sharma is a rebel, a change maker and someone who stood against the odds and set an example for the entire transgender community.

She made space for herself in the books of history when she decided to have an open marriage with a common man. What courage, what determination! She is the first ever transgender who went for an open marriage and by doing so, opened ways for many others too.

Mrs. Madhuri Sarode Sharma has still held on to her paternal last name ‘Sarode’. When asked about the reason, she says that she is proud of the struggles that she faced during the time when she was still unmarried. After getting married, she chose to keep it so as to wear it as a symbol of pride and honor.

Since the age of 18, she has been relentlessly working for the awareness of Transgender Community and has been fighting against stigma and discrimination. Throughout her journey which has been full of challenges and struggles, she has set examples for her counterparts so as to uplift and motivate them. She is a proud owner of her own thread jewelry business and is financially independent. She is now working towards empowering others from her own community.

Mrs. Madhuri believed in fighting the odds and never settling for a compromise. And that’s what she shared with the audience at the 24th Let's Make A Difference which created a surreal atmosphere wherein each one sitting there was inspired to break free from their comfort zones and do something that hasn’t been done before.

She continues to fight for her rights and support others in their journey of setting things straight.

Mr. Mahesh M. Bhagwat is an IPS Officer of 1995 batch and currently he is the commissioner of police, Rachakonda commisionerate Telangana.

{EARLY DAYS} 

Commissioner Bhagwat who is attributed for his honesty hails from Pathardi village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. 

He has completed his B.E in civil engineering and has also studied Law.

He has worked as a social worker and took an active part in supporting activist Medha Patkar in her Narmada Bachao Movement . He has also worked remarkably with late Mr Narendra Dabolkar to eradicate superstitious practices and beliefs in villages. 

In his journey of life he once attended a felicitation ceremony of the top rankers of the civil services examination at Tilak Smarak Mandir, Pune. The impact of their speech was so great that it changed the course of his life by making him dream of joining civil services. 

He scored 360 marks in his IPS exam, thus securing a second position in the 1995 batch. 

He firmly believes that our triumph and defeats are in us. 

ACHIEVEMENTS

Mr Bhagwat's journey as an IPS Officer. He has championed the cause of Anti-trafficking. He rescued more than 1000 women and children from organised trafficking network and recently rescued 500 child labours from hazardous industries. He has closed down 50 brothels and places of commercial exploitation. Mr Bhagwat has done an exemplary work while leading from front in checkmating Naxalite activities not by violence but by understanding their needs and requirements. 

Through the Police Mekosam model, he carried out several development activities like road formation, drinking water supply and electricity to villagers, youth excursion tours and employment programmes.  In just 3 years, he could control 90 percent of the Naxal activities without losing any officer on duty which is commendable. 

Mr Bhagwat has launched an initiative called 'SHE' team in Andhra Pradesh which involves protecting women from eve teasing. 

AWARDS

For his tireless services to the country commissioner Bhagwat has been honoured with several awards. The highest being the Presidential award for Gallantry and Indian Police Medal for meritorious service and other four international awards in community policing in Naxalite area and anti-trafficking in 2004 and 2006.

LEARN – TEACH – REPEAT

Mr Bhagwat follows his passion of teaching. He holds coaching classes for civil service aspirants.

The upright officer believes that putting his heart and soul into his work gives him immense satisfaction.

In the 2016 civil services list, there were around 50 candidates for IAS/ IPS and other services, for which he conducted mock interviews and also mentored, he says with a sense of pride.

Major Devender Pal Singh is a Kargil war veteran popularly known as India’s Blade Runner. He hails from a village near Ambala, Punjab. He was commission from IMA (Indian Military Academy) Dehradun in December 1997 and joined the unit, 7 Dogra which was already deployed at LOC when Operation Vijay, commonly known as Kargil war started in May 1999. It was during this operation he was deployed on one of the forward post located bang on the LOC.

He was injured badly when he was hit by a mortar bomb during the war to the tune that he was declared dead. The Surgeons declared him dead in the army hospital on his arrival and sent his wrecked body to a makeshift mortuary. It was at the mortuary on the mountains that another doctor from the army hospital spotted life in him. He was embedded with shrapnel all over and his stomach was split wide open. The doctors had no choice but to remove some of his intestines. His leg had to be amputated too. But at the end it was his will that helped him survive that horrifying near-death experience.

Major D.P. Singh is a four time LIMCA record holder, latest being LIMCA People of the year, 2016, the only Indian to run on artificial limb in spite of so many under mentioned severe disabilities:

Mittal Patel, a young gold medallist in journalism from Gujarat University, has been trying to give a voice to nomadic tribes for the last six years.

Running an NGO, Vicharata Samuday Samarthan Manch, Patel has aided thousands with fading livelihoods, whose existence was hardly recognised or acknowledged by the state or the central government.

Mittal has been striving to find alternative employment for men and women and is working towards providing educational facilities for the children. She has been instrumental in helping them claim land rights, getting voter ID cards and fighting with bureaucrats to extend welfare schemes for them.

“The real self of an artise lies is art, so when an artist performs, all the pain, trauma, and tensiongets released through art, be it dancing, painting, singing, writing or even martial arts”

Mrinalini Sarabhai was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. She was the founder of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry, in the city of Ahmedabad. She received many awards and citations in recognitions of her contribution to art. She trained over 18,000 students in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali.

Besides choreographing more than three hundred dance dramas,she has also written many novels, poetry, plays and stories for children. She was the chairperson of the Gujarat State Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd. She is also one of the trustees of the Sarvodaya International Trust, an organisation for promotion of Gandhian ideals, and is also the chairperson of the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD). Her autobiography is titled Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Voice of the Heart.

Mrinalini Sarabhai has been awarded by the Indian Government with the national civilian awards Padma Bhushan in 1992 and the Padma Shri in 1965.[7] She was honoured with the Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa (LittD) by the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK in 1997. She was also the first Indian to receive the medal and Diploma of the French Archives Internationales de la Danse. She was presented with a gold medal by the Mexican Government for her choreography for the Ballet Folklorico of Mexic

A figure of resilience, determination, and unyielding spirit. His life story is a testimony to the power of overcoming adversity through sheer willpower and dedication. Born on December 15th, 1979, Nitin’s journey from a modest background to becoming an icon in the world of endurance sports is nothing short of remarkable.

Though his formal education concluded after the 12th standard, he is aiming to graduate and is currently pursuing real education at the University of Life. His early years were marked by challenges, including battling addiction, but these hardships only served to strengthen his resolve. He found success in business, but it was in the realm of physical endurance that Nitin truly found his calling.

Nitin’s athletic achievements are staggering. He has not only completed but excelled in some of the most grueling endurance events worldwide: Ironman Triumphs (The Ironman, a daunting combination of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and 42.195 km run), Ultra Running Feats (100-mile run), and Randonneur Recognition (cycling 200km, 300km, 400km, 600km)

Overcoming Addiction and Inspiring Others - Nitin’s journey is not just about physical achievements; it’s a story of personal triumph. Overcoming his addiction, he has dedicated himself to helping others do the same. He actively participates in de-addiction workshops and seminars, sharing his experiences to inspire and guide others on the path to recovery.

The first IAS officer from Chhattisgarh, Mr. Om Prakash Chaudhary is the collector of Raipur. Mr. Chaudhary, a man attributed for his modesty belongs to a conventional background. At a very early age of 8, he lost his father. Grandfather being a farmer and mother being a teacher had worked tirelessly to make him study.  As a child Mr. Chaudhary always used to look at the collector office and think of being there in future. He dreamt of it and he achieved it. Hence he believes, dream big and give all of yourself to it.

For an individual to grow the most important role is played by the exposure he gets, says Mr. Chaudhary.

Mr. Chaudhary’s works towards Dantewada district has been an extraordinary tale. Dantewada district, one of the most underdeveloped areas of the country is majorly affected by Naxal crisis. He beautifully channelized the minds and energies of youth of Dantewada into a very constructive way by focussing their minds on education rather than violence. He drew many lives away from the evil of Naxalism towards the bright light of education. He aimed to transform Dantewada into an education hub at par with international standards.

He started an initiative called Choolo Aasmaan, where the brightest students were taught by teachers from Kota. Today the Dantewada Education City at Jawanga has around 15 institutes, including an engineering college, an Industrial Training Institute, a sports school, a tribal girls’ school, as well as a residential school for children.

Under another initiative called Tamanna, he set up a science museum, district library, and a state-of-the-art audio-visual theatre which is helping change lives of many.

For his outstanding contribution in the development of Naxal affected areas through education, Mr. Chaudhary was honoured with the Prime Minister's award for excellence in public administration for the year 2011-12.

Mr.Chaudhary strongly believes, Education is not a weapon instead a tool to empower people and with the right amount of exposure, one can go places.

Palagummi Sainath is an Indian journalist and photojournalist who focuses on social problems, rural affairs, poverty and the aftermath of globalization in India He was the Rural Affairs Editor at The Hindu before resigning in 2014, and the website India Together has been archiving some of his work in The Hindu daily for the past six years. He is also the founding editor of the People's Archive of Rural India.

Amartya Sen has called him "one of the world's great experts on famine and hunger" Since late 2011, he has been working on People's Archive of Rural India, PARI for which he is the Founding Editor. In June 2011, Sainath was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree (DLitt) by the University of Alberta, the university's highest honor. He is one of few Indians to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, which he accepted in 2007 in the category of Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.

Pawan Sarda is third generation village bred entrepreneur cum creativity coach. Brought up in a house with 25 others of the 'giant' joint-family. MICA enabled the creativity & family business provided the wisdom in entrepreneurship. Breeding a dual life of an entrepreneur-teacher for last 10 years. Being mentored by my 8 year old monk-like daughter Lipi. Books, cricket, gazals, carrom, music & farming punctuate his routine. A holistic mix of Laxmi (Wealth) & Saraswati (Wisdom). The 'maarwari' in him brings the quality of value based wealth creation. The 'intellectual' in him brings the practical/creative wisdom needed to thrive in this 'tech doped & attention spilled age' where 'everyone knows everything & everyone'. He is a thinker, writer and speaker on subjects such as relationships, life skills, personal-philosophy & public discourse. He lives in Nagpur & can be reached on seventhsense@gmail.com and facebook.com/pawan.sarda

Shri Prabhat Kumar is a former governor of Jharkhand and a former Cabinet secretary in the Government of India. This is the highest position in Civil Services He was born and brought up in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. He is topper of the IAS batch of 1963.

Mr Prabhat Kumar is now the President of the IC Centre of Governance. He has done three MAs in Physics, Mathematics & Economics from the prestigious London School of Economics. He is presently involved with several initiatives for ‘Better Governance and Ethics in Public Life’. He is contemplating to write a book based on his exposure to the people who have changed and who can change the destiny of India.

He is presently Ambassador of India to Colombia has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Introduction

Prithviraj Chavan (born 17 March 1946) is an Indian Politician who was the 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a state in Western India. Chavan is a graduate of Birla Institute of Technology and Science and University of California in mechanical engineering. He spent time working in the field of aircraft instrumentation and designing audio recorders for anti-submarine warfare in the US before returning to India and becoming an entrepreneur in 1974. Referred to in the media as a technocrat with a clean, non-controversial image, a low-profile leader. Chavan served as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions. Chavan was also General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), in-charge of many states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Chavan was drawn into politics after meeting with Rajiv Gandhi. He has been involved in the Indian National Congress bureaucracy for most of his adult life, notably as a member of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the India's Parliament) and later architect of the civil nuclear liability bill. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and followed it up in subsequent elections. Chavan held five portfolios in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that includes the ministry of science and technology. He became chief minister of Maharashtra in 2010 at the instance of Congress President Sonia Gandhi succeeding Ashok Chavan. He resigned as the chief minister of Maharashtra after the ruling NCP-Congress alliance split in the state.

Early life

Chavan was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 17 March 1946.[1] His parents were Dajisaheb Chavan and Premalakaki Chavan. He is the eldest of three siblings. His younger sisters are Nirupama Ajitrao Yadav-Deshmukh and Vidyulata Venkatrao Ghorpade. Dajisaheb was a member of the Lok Sabha from the Karad constituency from 1957 to 1973 & served as a Minister in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. Upon Dajisaheb's death in 1973, Chavan's mother Premalakaki contested from her late husband's constituency and was elected in the by election in 1973 and in the general elections of 1977, 1984, and 1989 serving till her death in 1991.

Chavan began his schooling at a local Municipal Marathi-medium school in Karad. After his father moved to Delhi, Chavan joined Nutan Marathi School (a Hindi-medium school) in Delhi. Chavan graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. After graduation in 1967, he won a UNESCO scholarship in Germany and later moved to pursue a Master of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He wrote articles on computer science; engineering design; and also contributed to research in computerization. He also worked briefly in the USA as a design engineer, working on defence electronics, anti-submarine warfare, and computer storage systems.

Political career

Chavan started his political career in 1991; his name was proposed by Mr. Hindurao Sakharam Jagtap (President of the Karad Taluka Youth Congress Committee) as the Congress party nominee in place of his late mother, and went on to win the family seat of Karad thrice, in 1991, 1996 and 1998 but lost in 1999. He was a Minister of State for the ministries of Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and in charge of Prime Minister's Office. Earlier he was also the Minister of State in charge of the Department of Atomic Energy. Chavan replaced Ashok Chavan as chief minister after the latter's involvement in the Adarsh Housing Society scam forced him to resign. Reasons for his choice reported by the media included the perception that he had a "clean image" and that he did not have his own faction of political supporters within the state.

Mr Raja Nayak Born in a poor Dalit migrated family from a village of Karnataka, Raja Nayak and his four siblings were deprived of minimum needs of childhood as his father was an aloof person who never bothered to take care of the needs of his offspring. His mother who was a housewife fought throughout her life to fund her children’s school needs by pawning whatever jewellery she had at her disposal. At the age of 16, he dropped out from school and was wandering with his Punjabi friend Deepak in the streets of the city of Bengaluru without having any focus on what is his life’s purpose. Both of them were like birds of the same feather as they had flunked in X exams and were confused about future.

It was during this period one of the well-wishers of Deepak’s family advised them to do some constructive work and build a better future. Both managed to accumulate 10000 rupees (Rs. 5000 each) and escapade to a place called Tirupur, in Tamil Nadu renowned for textiles with an idea of doing a garments business. They managed to purchase Export Rejected shirts and trousers from Tirupur and brought it to Bengaluru to sell it off by footpath stalls.

The export rejected surplus shirts bought for Rs. 50 each from Tirupur in Tamil Nadu proved to be a lucrative one for the duo. They set up a footpath stall near Bosch office of Bengaluru, and all these shirts got sold like hot cakes at a price of Rs. 100 each. During the lunch break of Bosch, its employees thronged to purchase these goods. Raja Nayak and his friend for the first time in life managed to make Rs. 5000 profit, and both of them developed this business aptly by adding new goods to their inventory. From footpath, they grew the business to be operated on a cart and later on started selling the garments in Textile exhibitions by hiring sales boys. They even started selling Kholapuri sandals/footwear by bringing them from wholesales dealers in Kholapur and sell them on posh streets of M.G Road and Brigade Road of Bengaluru in three years they had a well-equipped business in place. But the risk-taking ability of this duo prompted them to take up other ventures too.

Raja Nayak, frankly admits that his caste has not come in his way of becoming a successful entrepreneur. But he privately admits many people have cheated him in his journey of building his business set up. He also recalls that his sister was denied admission to a school and this motivated him to start up his own school. The school named as K J High School was started in the year 1976 in the form of a Nursery of underprivileged children and has today grown up into nursing and B. Ed school with 600 student strength.

Majority of educated lower caste youth try to get into some sort of govt. Jobs by using reservation. Raja Nayak who is also President of DICCI- Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, is trying his level best create a mindset among Dalit youths to become entrepreneurs and not look out just for some govt jobs. He even emphasized the fact that he has never utilized so-called Reservation policy of Govt. in his path of setting up the business.

Please meet MR Raja Nayak who got inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 movie ‘Trishul’, where his onscreen hero succeeds in becoming a real estate baron by starting with a single penny in his pocket to start a venture of his own and get identified as big real estate icon. His ability to take calculative risks has made him a business tycoon of 60cr worth with dexterity in handling logistics, water packaging, beauty & health care, Food Products and Educational Institutes. He has identified himself in society by holding key positions in social organizations like DICCI- Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries. His story is a mimic of the on-screen magic of rag-to-riches witnessed in Indian movies.

>Mr. Rajendra Dinkarrao Pawar born & brought up in Baramati (Pune) in Agrarian family under the parentship of father Late Padamashree Dr. Appasaheb Pawar who had spent his entire life in strengthening and empowering rural farming community and their families by all means.

Mr. Pawar followed footsteps of great legendary father and has completed his education in Agricultural Technology from Michigan State University USA. He spent ten years dedicatedly toPress Room study the ground realities in agriculture and visited Australia, Israel, UK etc. and studied the advances in agriculture and allied business.

Under his chairmanship Agricultural Development Trust Baramati has closely established links with VHL Netherlands, Asian Institute of Technology Bangkok, UC Davis California, Yunam Agriculture University China and National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management India.

He is also associated with ICAR – KVK, College of Agriculture through which he has made commendable work for changing the face of agriculture and agriculture education. He had leaded the organizations like Baramati Agro Co-operative Society, Baramati Taluka Co-operative Fruit Marketing and Processing Federation, Champagne Vine Yards Ltds., Sharad Agro processors Ltd., Grape Growers Association of Maharashtra etc. in various administrative and honorary capacities.

Presently he is working as a Chairman of Agricultural Development Trust Baramati, Baramati Agro Ltd. and Vice President of Grape Growers Association of Maharashtra. He has made noteworthy contribution in different fields by devoting his fulltime in inculcation of concept of contact farming, awareness about judicious use of water and pesticides-chemicals, beneficial farming, organic farming, environmental awareness etc.

Rajit Kapur is an Indian film and theatre actor as well as director. He is known for his award-winning portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1996 film, The Making of the Mahatma, of the protagonist Unni in the Malayalam film Agnisakshi, and of the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi in the eponymous television series directed by Basu Chatterjee and broadcast on Doordarshan.

Rajmohan Gandhi (born 1935) in New Delhi, is a biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, and a research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is also a Scholar in residence at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar.

Associated from 1956 with Initiatives of Change (formerly known as Moral Re-Armament), Rajmohan Gandhi has been engaged for half a century in efforts for trust-building, reconciliation and democracy and in battles against corruption and inequalities

In the 1960s and early 1970s, he played a leading role in establishing Asia Plateau, the 68-acre (280,000 m2) conference centre of Initiatives of Change in Panchgani, in the mountains of western India. Asia Plateau has been recognized in the Indian subcontinent for its ecological contribution. During the 1975-77 Emergency in India, he was active for democratic rights personally and through his weekly journal Himmat, published in Bombay from 1964 to 1981

In 2001 he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his Rajaji: A Life, a biography of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1878-1972), his maternal grandfather and a leading figure in India’s freedom movement, who became the first Indian Governor General, 1948-50.

A former Taekwondo instructor, Ravi Kalra dedicated his life to serving the downtrodden, the poor, the mentally disabled and other people who have been rejected and left to fend for themselves. Having founded the Earth Saviours Foundation in the year 2008, he provides these people with free food, shelter, clothes, medicines and access to basic amenities. It is an internationally recognised NGO located in Delhi. A well known Karma Yogi, social activist and environmentalist, he was awarded the ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Prestigious Award’ in the year 2012 for Excellence in selfless humanitarian Service. In addition to attending to the needy, he has also conducted campaigns for "No honking" and strongly advocates the use of electric crematoriums in place of a funeral pyre.

A Pune based Chemical Engineer by profession chose the path of social entrepreneurship marrying her aspirations for building a business with providing employment to thousands of farmers in Maharashtra. After working for seven years in the food and beverage industry, there came a point in Mrs. Reema’s career where she had an inner calling to work for and with the rural communities.

Her venture “Happy Roots” sells its healthy and preservative-free, ready-to-eat, snacks across India and in the process gives marginal farming communities sustainable income. They also empower women in villages by teaching them skills in processing these chemical free foods.

Mrs. Reema Sathe's intent to build a health food company that not only encourages people to eat healthy but also secure the future of so many farming families is a fine example of Power of One.

AWARDS

Mrs. Reema Sathe received Nari Shakti Puraskar Presidential Award in 2016 for empowering rural communities. She is also the winner of Pheonix Leading Lady Award 2017 (Social Innovation)

Ritu Biyani is the best example of an extraordinary journey made by an ordinary woman in a successful manner. Her journey to every corner of India had a strong message related to Breast cancer awareness among women.  Her passion for traveling helped her to complete this particular mission in a successful manner. Her effort was an eye opener for women who are illiterate and never have heard about cancer in general. She also rightly spread her message among the urban and rural women who were actually suffering in silence without any medical assistance. She teaches people how to fight cancer with preventive measures in the right direction.

Ritu Biyani is an outstanding woman for a special reason. She came under the spot light with her own personal pain and suffering with breast cancer. This made her wholeheartedly take it up as her significant life’s mission to spread an important message among women in general and the society at large. Her mission was the need of the hour for all those women who are unaware of this type of particular cancer or suffering from it silently without any medical assistance.

Ritu is a record holder in her own special category.  She holds the Limca Book of Records, India for being the first woman to indulge in a solo drive to the four corners of India. S also holds the record related to the first mother-daughter duo expedition on a successful cancer awareness trip across the nation. Most doctors acknowledge that her mission was the need of the hour for women at large and society in general. Most VIP’s and concerned government departments of central and state government extended their support and assistance.

It is to be noted that she never requested for cancer funds during her mission. On the other hand, witnessing her wholehearted efforts related to breast cancer awareness, people have extended their assistance and support through funds that is needed to help patients who are suffering from different types of cancer. Many clubs and associations came forward supporting her initiative.

Ritu Biyani created history by indulging in breast cancer awareness in a special manner. It is a project of its kind undertaken in India. It is to be noted that by profession, she is a dental surgeon. Her keen interest made her as a paratrooper, skydiver and mountaineer. She is a loving mother for her daughter. She is termed by public as a wonderful person to chat. She is good at sharing her personal and professional experience with others. She is ready to talk in length regarding her completed, on-going and forthcoming missions. All these indicate her active participation to fulfill her goals in life and witness happiness in others lives to a great extent.

Riyaaz Amlani is a Mumbai based restaurateur, recognised for having imagined and realised some of India's most famous food and beverage brands. With a Masters in Entertainment Management from UCLA in America, Riyaaz created the iconic coffee house brand Mocha more than 14 years ago, followed by Smoke House Deli, Salt Water Cafe, Smoke House Grill, Salt Water Grill and Smoke House Room. Today, he is the  CEO and MD of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, the company, he founded and he recently found more success with a casual dining brand, Social. Riyaaz is also the first restareteur to create a casual working space within his restaurants, of which Social is the finest example.

Riyaaz has won several awards including ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by ‘Franchise India’s Indian Restaurant Awards 2015’, ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by ‘Top Chef Awards’, ‘Best Restaurateur’ by 'Time Out Food Awards’ and the ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by the Times Food and Nightlife Awards 2016s a young and responsible entrepreneur, Riyaaz has created opportunity and employment for hundreds of youth across the country as well as empowered them through learning on the job and the freedom to experiment and innovate. Riyaaz is also the present president of the National Restaurant Association of India, championing the cause of the entire industry and lobbying with the state and central government for important reforms. Riyaaz has proven the power of vision and imagination and is far from done with this remarkable journey.

Russi M. Lala is the author known for his chronicles of the Tatas. He graduated with History Honours from Bombay University. Journalism was his passion from his childhood. “The urge for expression marks the beginning of writing” says Mr Lala in his autobiography. And it was this urge that made him write letters to newspapers during his teens – about topics ranging from cruelty to animals, to Gandhi and Roosevelt. Establishing and heading the first Indian book publishing house in London was a turning point for Mr. Lala. It was here that he got a deeper understanding of Moral Re-Armament (MRA), subsequently renamed as Initiatives of Change, besides life and human nature. The discipline of an early morning ‘quiet time’ that the author calls ‘the secret of life’ was shaped during this period.

S. Sankara Raman, born 19-05-1962. Studied Bachelor of Commerce, from Ranchi University - June 1983 and become Gold medallist Chartered Accountant in August 1985. He is social entrepreneur Secretary - Amar Seva Sangam and Auditor.

Sankara Raman is affected by muscular dystrophy and has been a wheel-chair user since the age of 12. With the support of his parents, he completed his education at home and was awarded a merit scholarship to become a Chartered Accountant (CA). He was a Gold Medallist in the CA final exams.

Sankara Raman set up his consultancy in partnership with another FCA in August 1985. He specialized in institutional audits, tax consultancy, and portfolio management. Some of the audits and other services completed include:

1. Indian Bank Statutory Audits, 1986 - 88
2. State Bank Statutory Audits, 1989 - 1990
3. Indian Bank Current Audits, 1987 - 1990
4. Oriental Insurance Audits, 1987 - 1991
5. Tax and Management Consultant to Stanford Software Ltd., India Sino Exports Ltd., NDT Aids Ltd. and Ultrasonic Appliances Ltd., 1986 - Current
6. Visiting Lecturer at the Institute for Charter Accountants of India (ICAI) - Madras for Taxation and Costing, 1992 - Current
7. Examiner at ICAI, 1992 - Current
8. Founder Member and Treasurer of TAMIL NADU HANDICAPPED ASSOCIATION, 1985 - 1991
9. Advisory Board Member and Auditor of Gandhigram Trust Dindigul, 2002 - Current

A turning point in the life of Sankara Raman occurred in 1990 when he decided to leave his lucrative CA practice in order to be a full-time social entrepreneur and advocate for those with disabilities. In 1990, he joined an NGO called Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA) as the volunteer Honorary Secretary. ASSA is dedicated to providing education and rehabilitation services for disabled people in rural India at an affordable rate or for free. He has been the main driving force behind this institution, turning it into a premier rehabilitation and educational facility for people with disabilities in rural India. He has also worked closely with government partners at the local, state, and federal levels to advocate for the needs of disabled people. Sankara Raman has won many awards, has been featured extensively in the media in India, and internationally on CNN and is considered a leading humanitarian and social entrepreneur in India for his work.

Sharad Govindrao Pawar is an Indian politician who serves as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress. He previously served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on three separate occasions and held the posts of Minister of Defence and Minister of Agriculture in the Government of India. Pawar hails from the town of Baramati in the Pune district of Maharashtra. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha where he leads the NCP delegation. He holds a position of prominence in national politics as well as the regional politics of Maharashtra.

Pawar has served as the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 2005 to 2008 and as the president of the International Cricket Council from 2010 to 2012. On 17 June 2015, he was re-elected as president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, a position he held from 2001 to 2010 and in 2012.

Shital Mahajan also known as Queen of Sky, Jump Queen, Flying Bird is an Indian extreme sportsperson, skydiver and the holder of Six World records and 19 National records in the sport.

 She is known to be the first woman also the youngest to have done her first ever parachute jump without any training over the North pole in -37 degree Celsius from 2400 feet, and first accelerated free fall jump without any trials over the Antarctica - South pole from 11,600 feet, in -38 degree Celsius.

Ms. Mahajan became First Woman in the World to skydive on 7 continents. She became the first Indian woman to be nominated for The FAI Sabiha Gökçen Medal for completion of skydiving over all 7 continents.

The Government of India honored Mahajan in 2011, with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri.

In 2016, Ms. Mahajan was invited by Prime Minister of India for Republic day pared at Raj path in Delhi, as a part of 100 woman achievers of India group.

She also participated in many International Skydiving Championships and camps.

Following are some of the awards received by Ms. Shital Mahajan:

1. Kusumagraj Pratisthan's Godavary Gaurav Puraskar in March 2005
2. Shiv Chatrapati Maharashtra State Sports Special Award 2004 - 2005 by Chief Minister of Maharashtra
3. "Venutai Chavan Yuva Puraskar" by Padma Bhushan Anna Hajare in 2005
4. Tensing Norgay National Adventure Award by Honorable President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2006.

Ms. Mahajan always wanted to do something different. Many women players have performed well in other sports, but none in para jumping. The way she was inspired by Rachal Thomas India’s first woman skydiver (Retired) achievements, she hopes her achievement will inspire other girls to take up the sport.

She has made many records for herself now she wants to create more 100 Shital Mahajan’s from society to increase performance in the skydiving sport.

To further promote the sport of parachuting she started the first of its kind Skydiving Academy of India in Pune, Phoenix Skydiving Academy, so that this unknown sport gets recognition in our country.

Balancing career and family, and making new world records she is an inspiration for all.

Sudheendra Kulkarni is an Indian politician and columnist and head of Observer Research Foundation.

A former member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Kulkarni joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1996. Of this ideological switch he said, "People like me were living in an illusory land. I realised very late in my life that the Marxist ideology is not suitable in India - in fact, I would say it is unsuitable for any corner of the world.”

As a member of the BJP, he was associated with the India Shining campaign and rode on the inaugural Delhi–Lahore Bus. He helped former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee write his speeches and in 2008 was acting as a strategist for Lal Krishna Advani, who had influenced his rise within the party

Mrs. Sunanda Rajendra Pawar popularly known as Sunandatai, working in the field of girls education and women empowerment.

Mrs. Pawar has completed her primary education in a very small village near Baramati and secondary, graduate and post graduate education in Baramati (Pune). Since last 20 years she is looking after the Agricultural Development Trust’s educational campus at Shardanagar imparting education to more than seven thousand girls from under graduate to post graduate study in various discipline, areas and streams.

2200 girls coming from 18 districts of Maharashtra & from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Goa State are residing in the safe, secured and well maintained campus.

Under her leadership education campus of Shardanagar has initiated and developed the innovative schemes and activities to impart skill based, quality oriented, knowledge centre education such has orientation programme, Day School pattern, Water conservation practices, Tutor ward system, Mentor mentee scheme, Personality development, Quality circles, Google classroom, Smart classrooms, Competitive exam forum, Free health camps, World women’s day etc.

She has initiative Karmaveer scheme through which every year about 200 girls who can not afford their education are selected from their native areas and brought in the campus, and are provided with free lodging boarding and education.

She has remarkably put an impression of her work during her tenure as Member of Management Council, Member of Senate and Academic Council, Chairman of Board of Studies in Home Science of Savitribai Phule Pune University. Presently she is holding the position such as President of Liones Club of Baramati, President of Bhagini Mandal Baramati, Secretary Agricultural Development Trust Baramati.

She has initiated and taken up Self Help Groups movement from Baramati including 300 SHGs to national level. This has created greater positive impact on the livelihood of 3600 families in the area. All these groups are linked with annual market, cultural and food festival popularly known as ‘Bhimthadi Jatra’. Many of these associated SHGs have established their market brands under her motivation. These SHGs has done a business of more than 35 Crores Rupees last ten years.

Free Police recruitment training is another activity which in brain child of Mrs. Pawar has helped the dropout girls students to make their career as Police. Through this free training to date 542 girls are selected and are posted throughout Maharashtra Police stations.

She has also initiated programmes like Parivartan lecture series, Squint removal camps for school children and Chala Samruddha Gaon Ghadwuya which has got significant social acclaim.

Mr. Sunil D. Mathur born in New Delhi, India is an Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, Executive Director of Siemens Limited. He has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director of the Company with effective January 1, 2014. He is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has been working with Siemens for over 20 years and has held various senior level positions in Siemens group and was the CFO of Siemens Electrium Ltd., UK. He is experience in Finance , Merger & Acquisition, Business Management and Treasury & Accounts.

Mr Mathur joined SIEMENS as its internal auditor and has worked across various departments and roles - in India, Europe and even in Germany. Among the various finance-related responsibilities he held, includes being the cluster CFO. and director of business administration of Siemen's power generation services in Germany.

Sunil Yadav's story is as universally inspiring as it is real. A BMC scavenger by profession, Mr Sunil Yadav is also a widely acclaimed academic, having successfully achieved a BA in Journalism, an MA in Globalisation and Labour, and an  MPhil-PhD in Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy  from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Hailing from an extreme humble background and having grown up in a hostile environment in Central Mumbai slums, nothing deterred Mr Yadav, not even failing to clear his 10th standard exams and having to take up the scavenging profession with the BMC to support his family, could stop him from achieving his goal of studying and completing multiple degrees.

Mr Yadav has also completed a stint as research student in South Africa, conducting a comparative study of security guards as served as a research investigator for TISS.  Even today, as he wakes up early morning to report as a BMC scavenger in Central Mumbai, he is simultaneously pursuing his PHD at TISS. Mr Yadav's continuing journey of empowerment through education is an shining inspiration, not just for his peers or fellow students but an entire generation and Let's Make A Difference was privileged to have hosted him in 2016.

Supriya Sule is an Indian politician from the Nationalist Congress Party and currently a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 16th Lok Sabha (India's house of elected representatives). She is the daughter of the President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar. In 2009, she contested the elections for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency and won. This constituency was previously represented by her father. She was a Member of Parliament, representing Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha.

In 2011, she launched a statewide campaign against female foeticide, Recently, she has been honored with Mumbai Women of the Decade Achievers Award by ALL Ladies League for her outstanding contribution to social service

Tannishtha Chatterjee is a nationally rewarded actress for her performance in Dekh Indian Circus. She was a supporting actress in the movie Gaur Hari Dastaan representing a reporter who helped Mr. Das to get the Justice. She has played the role of a strong independent woman with a clear mindset about the world and a kind person from the heart in the movie but she seems to be pretty much the same in real life too. Ms. Tannishtha has always been captivated by the role of youth in improving the environment and she also has abundance of knowledge about the ways to take steps for a better environment. She has a very good sense of current environmental situations and tries her best to keep it clean and safe. She loves to interact with the young people and she is always curious to know their opinions on various topics. She has always loved to travel alone and take on the new adventures. Ms. Tannishtha is also fond of reading and loves to be with the nature than to be in the concrete jungle. She has done her majors in chemistry and has studied at the National school of Drama. She has been quite famous for her work in the west. She prefers to work on challenging roles.

Thomas Beach Alter is an Indian actor of American descent. He is a television actor, is best known for his work in Bollywood, and has also worked in the theatre.

In 2008, he was awarded Padma Shri by the Indian government.

Alter has written such books as The Longest Race, Rerun at Rialto, The Best in the world, and is also a sports journalist with a special interest in cricket, a game on which he has written extensively in publications such as Sportsweek, Outlook, Cricket talk, Sunday Observer and Debonair.

Alter is also a theater actor. In 1977 he along with Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani formed a theatre group called Motley Productions.

Dr. Vasudha Prakash is a social entrepreneur, special educator, counselor, traditional healer, hypnotherapist and most importantly a catalyst of change. Her professional experience spans about 30 years. She is the Founder-Director of V-Excel Educational Trust in Chennai, India, a successful NGO dedicated to providing education and resources for children with special needs. Through the various activities of V-Excel, now in its 11th year of operations, She have been able to positively influence individuals with special needs, their families, their communities and society as a whole.

An extremely talented actor who took on this very challenging and diverse role which no one in the industry could have given justice to . Vinay Pathak is a bollywood actor working in this industry for more than 15 years. A graduate from the Allahbad university and then the university of New York at stony brook he started with acting in plays and then landed on TV shows and then his legendry movies.

Mr. Vinay had always worked in many of the stage dramas than the movies as that is something he prefers to work on. He works more in English plays though he has a strong base in Hindi language too. His contribution to the movie Gaur Hari Daastaan has made a huge impact as his performance as Mr. Gaur Hari Das was so much intense that it made us feel all the difficulties Mr. Das has gone through.

Mr. Pathak has revolutionised the concept of comedy and VJ anchoring on television. He has anchored in several shows where his amazing command on language and explicitly awesome personality was showcased. His wittiness and great knowledge about the language was also seen in the serial Hip Hip Hurray where he wrote the dialogues as well as acted in the serial.

Vinay Pathak being a celebrity is very humble for his popularity. He happened to be a very Jolly man who played a pivotal role in keeping the environment light and fun. He has never agreed to take the ways to promote his work which included lying to the audience he works for. He has been honest with his work all his life.

Yogender Chaudhry (IRS), a prominent name, in the youth development, is an Indian Revenue Service Officer of 1989 batch presently working as an Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Delhi. He also worked in Delhi Police in Narcotic Control Bureau as Assistant Director handling co-ordination of various national & international agencies on drug enforcement matters. His chief Achievement was the youth development in rural and urban areas by promoting education and empowerment, while working as an Executive Director in NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra) from January 2004 to 2007.

During this period he had started several initiatives like organization strengthening, capacity buildup of the youth club networks, developing Youths from the grassroots level & establishing Regional Adventure Centres in 15 different states that are run by the youth clubs. Besides that, his unique programs like Village Tourism & Rural Marketing have shown excellent results in Rural Youth Employment in states like Kerala, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.

Mr Chaudhry, was the guest of honor for the 18th national youth conference “Let’s Make A Difference”.

His simple, crisp and articulate message was appealing and instantly the young participants connected well to his talk. He highlighted his favorite project of rejuvenating the Nehru Yuva Kendra all across the country and he sees real hope in the rural youth. The true potential of India lies in the hands of rural youth and if this energy is channelized the country will benefit immensely and if not then the loss will be colossal. The role of today’s youth is to behave more responsible towards self and society and not let negativity affect them; hard work and positivity should be an integral part of the youth’s character which is not at all difficult. 

He also cautioned them against getting influenced by all forms of media. He advised that everything that is being projected by the media need not necessarily always be true, but one needs to apply own logic and reasoning. His own journey from a village to a successful IRS officer connected well with the participants and in his closing sentence was an appeal to the gathering to contribute towards the country from where ever one can.