President Smt. Pratibha Patil to give away Lokmat Maharashtrian of Year 2011 awards in Mumbai

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Republic of (Free-Press-Release.com) December 16, 2011 -- The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil, will be Chief Guest at the prestigious Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year 2011 Awards, to felicitate outstanding contributions of Maharashtrians to the state.

Smt. Patil will give away the awards at a grand function in Mumbai on the 21st of December. Eight individuals will receive awards for significant work and service in the fields of Social Service & Public Service, Science & Technology, Politics, Business, Arts, Literature, Sports and Entertainment.

Mr Vijay Darda, Chairman, Lokmat Media Ltd., said, “We are deeply honoured that Her Excellency, Smt. Pratibha Patil, the Hon’ble President of India, has kindly consented to grace the awards function. Her august presence will be a source of great inspiration to everyone.”

Lokmat Media has instituted the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year awards to recognize and felicitate Maharashtrians whose exemplary work has done the state proud. “The awards are also an expression of our gratitude to these individuals. We are happy that their outstanding contribution at the grassroots level will receive nationwide acclaim. We hope their felicitation would inspire others to emulate them,” Mr Darda said, adding, “As a responsible media house, we view this initiative as our solemn duty to the state.”

The final shortlist has 39 nominees who have done great work and service across the length and breadth of Maharashtra. From these, one winner from each field will be chosen through a robust process that has involved senior editors and the editorial board of Lokmat and IBN Lokmat, and a stellar independent jury of eminent Maharashtrians. Also, in the true spirit of inclusiveness, they will be helped by citizen’s votes cast by SMS and at Facebook.com/Lokmat.

This independent jury comprises well known and respected Maharashtrians (in alphabetical order of first names) Dr. Achyut Godbole, Mr. Ashutosh Gowarikar, Mr. Dhanraj Pillay, Mr. Julio Ribeiro, Ms. Medha Patkar, Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai and Ms. Shobha De.

The tag line ‘Jai Maharashtrian’ epitomises the spirit of the awards, which are now in their second year. “We have used it to broaden the scope of the awards from the state to the people of the state who are responsible for progress. These are individuals who have not only shaped the destiny of this state, but also are inspirational icons for future generations of Maharashtrians,” Mr Darda said.

Come 21st December, the eight proud winners who will step up to receive the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year awards from the President of the Nation will truly deserve to be saluted with: Jai Maharashtrian!

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