Rajiv Gandhi awards presented to achievers

Mumbai, Aug 12 (UNI) The 10th Rajiv Gandhi Awards were given here today to personalities from different fields for their achievements in their area of expertise.

Salman Khan (actor), Shilpa Shetty (actress), Kapil Dev (Sports), Padmashri D Y Patil (Education), Shekhar Gupta (Journalism), Tulsi Tanti (Industrialist), Swati Piramal (Woman achiever), Sir Gulam K Hoon (Global Indian), Kaushal Bajaj (Young Entrepreneur), Pooja Bhagire (Child Prodigy) were among those who were presented with the award.

The Rajiv Gandhi awards are organised every year to commemorate the memory of the former Prime Minister of India.

Maharahstra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said, ''The award function is one of the ways to remember our former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, who was a role model for the youth.'' Elaborating about the awards, Rajiv Gandhi Awards Reception Committee Chairman Vijay Kalantri said, ''The awards are given to encourage the artists from various fields and to keep the memory of Rajiv Gandhi alive in our own small way.'' He said all awardees except Sunita Williams, American Astronaut of Indian origin and Navin Ram Gulam, Prime Minister of Mauritius could not make it to the awards function due to other committments.

The award function organised by Mumbai Congress Vice President Charan Singh Sapra, was attended by many Congress leaders including Union Minister of Power Sushil Kumar Shinde, General Secretary of Maharashtra Congress Margaret Alva among others.

UNI