In a world often fixated on glamour, the Ample Missiion Awards of Inspiration, honouring the unsung heroes of India who embody the values of compassion, dedication, and service, stand as a poignant reminder of the extraordinary potential inherent within ordinary individuals of our society. Established in 2014, conceptualised by the visionary philanthropist and industrialist Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka, the award takes its name from the social enterprise Ample Missiion that has dedicated over three decades to fostering social welfare and upliftment in the areas of education, environmental protection, cleanliness, inclusiveness for marginalised communities, the construction of public utilities, crematoriums, temples, and road safety projects, et al.
The 2024 edition of the award function, held at Sanjeevani World School, honoured individuals across a spectrum of extraordinary categories, encompassing army and defence; transgender empowerment; police and fire brigade; exemplary bravery showcased by common men and women who have put their own lives at risk to save others; 26/11 heroes; inspiring disabled athletes from the world of sports, among others. Surekha Yadav – India’s first female loco pilot; Anjali Kulthe - a nurse who heroically saved the lives of 20 pregnant women amidst the chaos of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai; Mayur Shelke - a courageous individual who risked his life to rescue a six-year-old child stranded on railway tracks; Dr Santosh Gaikwad - dedicated wildlife taxidermist; Madhusudan Surve – brave army commando; Subhash Pujari – a cop who is also a bodybuilding champion; Navya Singh – a transgender supermodel and dancer; Ramesh Sartape – Captain of the Indian Wheelchair Cricket Team; Mahendra Pitale - a resilient survivor of the Mumbai train blasts turned Paralympic hopeful in archery; Geeta Chouhan – Captain of the Indian Women Wheelchair Basketball Team; Dr Aarti Agarwal – a social worker who undertakes free eye surgeries in underprivileged areas; Shreyaan Daga – a 19 year young entrepreneur; Mumbai Fire Brigade Officers Santosh Sawant, Anil Parab, Harishchandra Girkar and Vinayak M Mainkar who saved people during a major fire mishap during the Covid-19 pandemic; Sultan Singh and Saran R Vijayan – Indian Coast Guards who risked their own lives to rescue people stranded in a flood-hit village and rescue fishermen stranded mid-sea - each of these remarkable individuals were honoured for their extraordinary acts of bravery and resilience.
The event, graced by the presence of school children, served as an inspiring platform to encourage and motivate them. Besides the awardees, the event saw the presence of philanthropist and host Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka, Kiranjeet Singh – the nephew of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Manjeet Kaur, actors Sooraj Thapar, Rakesh Srivastava, Bobby Khan and Dr.Seema Negi - Principal of Sanjeevani World School, among others.
“From its inception, we envisioned The Ample Missiion Awards of Inspiration to serve as a catalyst for societal transformation, inspiring countless others to strive for excellence and make a positive impact on the world around them. It gives me immense pleasure that many of our past awardees have later gone on to receive national acclaim. As we conclude yet another successful edition this year, I am deeply grateful to witness the radiant smiles on the faces of our awardees,” enthused Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka.
