Bhubaneswar, Mar 14: The Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) celebrated 15 years of its journey in social development while presenting the 13th edition of the Shambhavi Puraskar, an annual award recognising excellence and innovation in grassroots social work in Odisha. The ceremony was held at Mayfair Convention.
The event was attended by Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida as the Chief Guest, while Jayant Rastogi, Global CEO of Magic Bus India Foundation, joined as the Guest of Honour.
Over the past 15 years, BIPF has made significant contributions to community development across six districts in Odisha, reaching 690 villages and impacting more than 2.7 million people through various community-led initiatives. To mark the milestone, a coffee table book documenting the foundation’s journey was unveiled by Pravati Parida.
Instituted in 2013, the Shambhavi Puraskar honours individuals and organisations working at the grassroots to create transformative change. This year, two organisations — Sathee Parivar and Balangir Gramodyog Samiti — received the Shambhavi Puraskar 2026. Each award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, along with a citation and a crest.
Sathee Parivar was recognised for its efforts to prevent snakebite fatalities in Angul district through community awareness, partnerships with government agencies, and village-level response teams. The organisation has trained over 9,800 volunteers and helped save 490 lives in the past three years.
Balangir Gramodyog Samiti was honoured for empowering marginalised communities through agricultural transformation in 29 villages of Tureikela block. Since 2020, it has supported 3,612 farmers with training, agricultural inputs, and market linkages in collaboration with Odisha’s Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture. The initiative strengthened 39 Farmer Producer Groups comprising 2,812 women farmers and benefited 2,533 farmers through crop diversification.
The Jury Commendation Certification, carrying a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, was awarded to Dr. Sasmita Meher of Bargarh for promoting Odisha’s textile heritage and enabling sustainable livelihoods for nearly 100 marginalised women.
In addition, the Shambhavi Youth Icon Award was presented to sisters Sarmilata Pradhan and Yamuna Pradhan from Kandhamal district for empowering local girls through football and spreading awareness against child marriage.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said that BIPF’s support for grassroots changemakers would inspire more individuals and organisations while strengthening government initiatives aimed at community transformation.
BIPF Founder and CEO Shaifalika Panda said the foundation’s 15-year journey has been shaped by strong relationships with communities and a shared commitment to development.
Jayant Rastogi noted that sustained development work requires conviction and patience, adding that empowering grassroots leadership helps even the most marginalised citizens believe in their future.
Over the years, the Shambhavi Puraskar has emerged as one of Odisha’s most respected recognitions in the social development sector, honouring individuals and organisations driving meaningful and sustainable change at the grassroots level.
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