The most prestigious award, the Venu Menon Lifetime Achievement Award, is given for a lifetime of compassion and care in the service of animals. The award is open to people who have worked for any animal, be it domestic or wild, and is based on the magnitude of work, its national impact and the length of service. The award carries a specially designed statuette by eminent artist Bulbul Sharma and a citation.
1999
Maneka Gandhi
Founder and chairperson of India's largest animal welfare organisation, People for Animals, Maneka Gandhi has been at the forefront of the animal welfare movement in India. She has been a minister in charge of various portfolios but has always held that of animal welfare close to herself. In the past two decades, she has initiated legislative action for reforming slaughterhouses, banning mini-zoos, banning the killing of stray dogs by municipal authorities and establishing many animal shelters and hospitals across India. She has become a source of inspiration for young and old wanting to work for animals.
2000
Prakash Amte
Prakash Amte's extraordinary work in the field of animal welfare goes hand in hand with his work for human welfare. The animal shelter that he runs at Hemalkasa accepts wild and domestic animals. Instead of continuing at his comfortable family settlement in Waror, he opted for the challenge of working with the most primitive tribals in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. Many orphaned animals found in the forest by tribal people are brought to the animal shelter he runs. Hemalkasa also serves as an educational centre cum hospital for the Madiya tribals. The medical clinic treats up to 150 people a day for tuberculosis, accidental injuries, malaria and scabies.
2001
Dr V. Krishnamurthy
Dr V. Krishnamurthy worked tirelessly for captive and wild elephant welfare in southern India. A legend in elephant veterinary care, for three decades he used his veterinary skills for the welfare of captive and wild elephants in southern India. Working out of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, he has played a sterling role in the animal welfare standards set by the Mudumalai Elephant Camp. Several Indian state governments and neighbouring Asian countries have called on him to help in wild elephant tranquilisation and captive elephant care. His work has inspired a whole generation of elephant lovers, conservationists and veterinarians.
2002
Dr S. Chinny Krishna
Dr S. Chinny Krishna is known for his tireless work for the welfare of stray animals. He has been involved with animal welfare since childhood and he was one of the founder members of the Blue Cross of India in Chennai. An engineer by profession, he manufactures and donates equipment to shelters. He has developed 'Compufrog', an interactive software programme which he distributes free of cost, as an alternative to the dissection of animals in schools.
2003
Dashrathbhai Thaker
Octogenarian Dashrathbhai Thaker has devoted more than 50 years of his life to "sub-humans". He runs shelters in various places in Gujarat where stray animals such as donkeys, horses, goats and cows saved from the clutches of slaughter houses can find a new home. On an average, he has rescued not less than 300 animals every year. He has also been single-handedly responsible for the setting up of a number of animal hospitals in his state.
2004
Lavkumar Khacher
If there is one name that stands out for long term contribution to spreading awareness about nature, especially ornithology, it is that of Lavkumar Khacher. Lavkumar Khacher has spent his life studying nature and teaching people to understand and love it. Born into the royal family of Jasdan in Saurashtra, Mr. Kacher started his career teaching Bio Sciences and Geography at Rajkumar College , Rajkot in 1956. His creative implementation of the nature studies programme so impressed the Board of World Wildlife Fund-India that he was given the responsibility of conceiving and initiating its Education and Youth Movement in 1976. In 1984 he took charge as Director of the Nature Discovery Centre of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE). Today state governments and NGOs are following the model created by him across India . He was instrumental in declaring the Gulf of Kachch Islands as the first marine national park in India.
2005
Surabathula Sree Ramakrishna Guruprasad
If you were to pick a single strand that runs through Surabathula Sree Ramakrishna Guruprasad's 53 years on this planet, it would be the single-minded pursuit of the welfare of animals. From fighting against animal sacrifices in temples, prosecuting offenders for cruelty against animals, rescuing wildlife in distress to organising Dog, Cattle and Pet shows and running awareness campaigns, Mr Guruprasad defies any kind of label. He has been a senior official of the SPCA, an Animal Welfare Education officer, acted as an effective fund raiser, wrote acted and directed award winning plays on animal welfare and edited and published the magazine "Animal Welfare" for the past 10 years. Mr Guruprasad's devotion to his cause has been an enduring inspiration for the youth.
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