<strong>Point</strong> <strong>Out</strong> » VANDANA SHIVA Environmentalist and womens’ rights activist Born in India in 1952, Vandana is one of the Third World’s most eloquent and passionate voices on environment, women’s rights, and sustainable development. She directs the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology in New Delhi. She did her Ph.D. on the foundations of quantum theory. She gave up her academic career to be an activist. Vandana Shiva has supported grassroots organizations in India and around the world in their struggles against clearcutting of forests, large-scale dams, the industrialization of aquaculture, and the invasion of multinational agribusiness. In 1993 she received the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the alternative Nobel Prize. » CHHAVI RAJAWAT Sarpanch, Soda village, Rajasthan Chhavi Rajawat, is among the few who left a good corporate job to work for improving quality of life and delivery for poor in villages. She is also the only woman sarpanch of a village who has an MBA degree. Rajawat remains apolitical and is recognized as the face of changing rural women in Rajasthan. After becoming the Sarpanch of the village, she has implemented several projects such as rain water harvesting, toilets facilities and public amenities in villages.Born in Jaipur, she studied at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh; Mayo College Girls’ School in Rajasthan and Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. » IROM CHANU SHARMILA Civil Rights Activist Irom Chanu Sharmila is a civil rights activist, who has been fasting for over 13 years now against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in Manipur. She resorted to hunger strike demanding repeal of AFSPA, on November 2, 2000, after soldiers of Assam Rifles allegedly killed 10 young Meitei men in Malom. She is being forcefully fed through a feeding tube through he nose. For her conviction, Irom Chanu Sharmila has earned the title “Iron Lady of Manipur.” » KIRAN BEDI Retd police officer & activist Kiran Bedi was the first the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972. She is a celebrity in India and abroad over her stand on various issues relating to policing, prisons and corruption in public life. During her stint as Inspector General of Prisons, Tihar Jail, she instituted a number of reforms in the management of prison and encouraged yoga and meditation as detoxification programme for the inmates. She was police advisor in the United Nations peacekeeping department, and has also been honored with UN medal for outstanding service. In May 2005. Bedi was awarded honorary degree of Doctor of Law in recognition to her “humanitarian approach to prison reforms and policing”. lSPORTS PERSONS » SAINA NEHWAL Badminton player, Ranked World No 8 Saina is the first Olympic medal winner for India in badminton. She has also won the world junior badminton title and is ranked No 8 in the world. Born in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and now settled in Hyderabad, Saina has inspired a generation of cricket crazy youngsters to take to badminton. For her remarkable achievement she was honoured with the highest sporting award Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2009-2010. » MC MARY KOM World Boxing Champion Born in Kangathei, in Churachanpur district of Manipur, Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom or MC or Mary Kom has been World Boxing Champion for five times and an Olympic medal winner for India. She is an icon for a generation of sportspersons, especially women. After being national and world champion for so long, she has not lost the hunger for medals and desire to perform well in international events. Even after marriage and her third kid, she was back fighting for a medal kin the Olympics. 22 MARCH 2014
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