The International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I), working for the cause of the aged, will be awarding those who enhance the lives of elders in various ways with four annual national and state-level awards.
The first award distribution is likely to be held by the end of this year. The awards have been constituted through donations by ILC president Raghunath Mashelkar, ILC founder Sharadchandra Gokhale, and ILC vice-president BG Deshmukh.
The ILC-I awards include Anjani Mashelkar award for inclusive innovation (national), SD Gokhale award (qualitative journalism in ageing); BG Deshmukh award (excellence in promoting qualitative ageing), and the Jeevan Gaurav Puraskars.
The Anjani Mashelkar award of Rs1 lakh and a citation has been instituted by Mashelkar in the name of his mother. Solutions are the result of innovations like creating a hearing-aid that is 10 times cheaper or cataract surgery that is 10 times cheaper. The award is meant to honour such innovations.
A high-level committee constituted for the selection includes vice-chairman of the National Innovation Foundation in Ahmedabad, Anil Gupta; director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Delhi, SK Brahmachari; scientist Vijay Bhatkar and others.
The SD Gokhale award will be given to a young journalist for promoting the cause of the aged population through the media. It would carry Rs5,000 and a citation. This year the award is restricted to the print media. Electronic media may be included from next year.
The BG Deshmukh awards, comprising Rs10,000 each, will recognise the efforts of three senior citizens' organisations in the state. The Jeevan Gaurav award will be given to three senior citizens (above 70 years) for work in culture, arts, music, education, sports and literature. It carries Rs5,000 each and a citation.
