In a press release, the GITAM University in Visakhapatnam has announced that it will be honouring Indian social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi as a part of its 42nd Foundation Day celebrations. The event will take place on 13 August 2022, during which the awardee will be presented with the GITAM Foundation Award, a plaque and a cheque for ₹10 lakhs in recognition of his services to humanity, particularly those working against child labour.
The GITAM Foundation Award was instituted by the founder president late Dr MVVS Murthi with a corpus of ₹3 crores. Marking the GITAM Foundation Day each year in Visakhapatnam, the award is presented to an eminent person in recognition of the exemplary services rendered by him/her in the fields of Education, Economics, Science, Literature, Fine Arts, Public Service, etc.
Kailash Satyarthi (born 11 January 1954) is an Indian social reformer who campaigned against child labour and advocated the universal right to education. He is the founder of multiple social activist organisations, including Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Global March Against Child Labour, Global Campaign for Education, and Bal Ashram Trust. The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (SCF) was established in 2004 by Satyarthi. It is a grassroots organisation that spreads awareness and advocates for beneficial policies for children’s rights. The foundation is the global umbrella for KSCF India and KSCF, USA.
Kailash Satyarthi and his team at Bachpan Bachao Andolan have liberated more than 86,000 children in India from child labour, slavery and trafficking. In 1998, Satyarthi conceived and led the Global March against Child Labour, an 80,000 km long march across 103 countries to put forth a global demand against the worst forms of child labour. This became one of the largest social movements ever on behalf of exploited children.
He has served on the board and committee of several international organisations including the Center for Victims of Torture (USA), the International Labor Rights Fund (USA), and the Cocoa Initiative. Satyarthi was among Fortune magazine’s “World’s Greatest Leaders” in 2015 and was featured in LinkedIn’s Power Profiles List in 2017 and 2018. Satyarthi led a nationwide march, Bharat Yatra, in India covering 19,000 km in 35 days, to demand legislation against child rape and sexual abuse.
In 2014, he was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Malala Yousafzai, for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and the right to education for children.
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