National Award for Deepika Kundaji
Deepika Kundaji, a fellow Aurovilian received the Nari Shakti Puraskar (Women Power Award), a national award - among the highest civilian honors for women in India -- from the President of India on March 8th, 2018, at a ceremony held in New Delhi
At the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President's Residence - Deepika received the award for 24 years of work as a Seed Conservationist.
This award is among the highest civilian honors for women in the country. Here are some photos: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=10tiOlhDirJJ15e39TXWXvFgkH798KP6l
Link to the award ceremony as it was telecast live on DD National TV (watch from 15:00 mins for Deepika's part):
Deepika Kundaji is a conservationist who has worked since 1994 to save and revive more than 90 traditional varieties of vegetables. Tending them herself in an organic garden of 2000 sq meters, she shares seeds of these rare varieties with organic farmers all over the country. Through workshops, she encourages vegetable seed production as a livelihood option, especially for women in rural areas. This work is based in Pebble Garden, Auroville, Tamil Nadu where she and Bernard have regenerated 8 acres of severely eroded land, without the use of external inputs and no hired labor, into a vibrant forest of indigenous species and a seed & food garden.
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