Free Press Pride Of Bhopal Award Conferred On 24 Personalities; Honouring People For Good Work Inspires Others, Says Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Honouring and awarding individuals who do exemplary work in their field not only boosts their morale but also inspires others to follow their footsteps. Deputy chief minister Rajendra Shukla stated this as the chief guest at the Pride of Bhopal function organised by Free Press at Palash Residency in the city on Tuesday.

The deputy chief minister conferred the Pride of Bhopal Award on 24 eminent women and men from Bhopal who made significant contribution in their fields and thus fostered city’s development. In his address, Shukla said it was heartening to note that despite the advent of so many new sources of information and news, old newspapers like Free Press maintained their credibility and reputation.

“Press is often called the fourth pillar of democracy. Besides a strong executive, judiciary and legislature; democracy also needs an unbiased and free press,” he added. He said press acted as a bridge between the government and the people.

“It conveys the problems and grievances of people to the government and informs people about the schemes and programmes being run by the government for them,” Shukla added.

Gotam Tetwal, minister of state (independent charge) for skill development and employment and Bagwandas Sabnani, MLA, Bhopal, South-West, were the special guests at the event.  Tetwal appreciated Free Press for organising the event.

“I know the newspaper from its establishment. It was launched in 1928 in Mumbai by Swaminathan Sadanand. After that, it was launched in places like Bhopal. It was the newspaper of nationalist ideology,” he said, adding, “I was also a journalist before entering social service and politics.”     

Sabnani said he would like to thank Free Press for providing a platform  by honouring the talent of Bhopal, which would inspire others too. “I would like to request people in the city to make Bhopal clean and green,” he said.  

Earlier, Free Press executive editor Nitendra Sharma welcomed the guests with bouquets. In his welcome speech, he lauded deputy chief minister Shukla for launching a string of developmental schemes and programmes in Vindhya region.  He also requested Bhopalites to maintain beautification of city done during GIS. Chairman of LNCT Group and Chancellor of LNCT Vidyapeeth University, Indore, Poonam Chouksey was also present. And so was chairman of BMC Kishan Suryavanshi.  

Meet Pride Of Bhopal awardees

Harchandan Singh Bhatty is a renowned painter and art designer. He is the chief designer of Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum, known for its exceptional display of works by the state’s tribal communities. A recipient of the Padma Shri in 2025, he has been honoured with the Rashtriya Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh Government.

V Anuradha Singh is an internationally renowned Kathak dancer from Bhopal. She has performed in more than 1,000 festivals in India and abroad. She is an empanelled Kathak solo artist of the Outstanding Category at the International Cultural Relations, Festival of India Abroad Cell, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Ustad Salim Allahwale is a noted tabla player and singer who has performed in over 500 concerts across the country. He represents the sixth generation of his family of musicians. He was instrumental in Madhya Pradesh Government’s entry into the Guinness Book of World Records by organising a simultaneous tabla recital by over 1,500 artistes at the 99th Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior.

Kalyani and Vaidehi Phagre are young Odissi dancers. The two sisters have performed together at many prestigious events. Kalyani also got a chance to perform at Mughal Garden, Rashtrapati Bhavan, during the visit of former US President Barack Obama to India. Along with dance training and performances, Kalyani is currently working as a dance instructor.

Kamal Chawla is a snooker player. Honoured with the Vikram Award, he is the first player from Madhya Pradesh to earn the honour of becoming the national snooker champion. He has won 15 international medals so far. He works for Indian Railways. Snooker originated in the second half of the 19th century in India during the British Raj. In the 1870s, billiards was popular among the British Army. It was first played by British Army officers stationed in India in the second half of the 19th century.

Dev Meena is a 20-year-old pole-vaulter, hailing from a family of farmers. He set the national record in men’s pole vault at the 2025 National Games with a jump of 5.32 metres, breaking the previous record of 5.31 metres set by Siva Subramani in 2022. He was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 119th episode of his Mann Ki Baat.

Neeraj Gaur is a professor of physics at Barkatullah University, Bhopal. He is the recipient of the MP Young Scientist Award (1988) and the Career Award, UGC (2004). He has visited the University of Lyon and CNRS Lab (France), Italy as an ICTP fellow, Beijing University (China), and Joao Pessoao (Brazil).

Prof Vipin Vyas teaches bioscience at Barkatullah University, Bhopal. He has over 30 years of experience in teaching and research and has attended national and international conferences in India and abroad. He conducted studies on the Bhoj Wetland of Bhopal and the river health of Narmada and Tapti.

Dr Ritesh Rawat is an MD in preventive and social medicine. A District Vaccination Officer in Bhopal, he was previously the District Leprosy Officer and Urban Nodal Officer in Bhopal district. Social medicine and community health are related fields that study how social factors affect health and disease. Social medicine is a public health specialty that examines the social and economic conditions that impact health.

Dr Ashwin Bhambal, the sub-divisional medical officer of MP Nagar Circle, completed measles and rubella vaccination in schools, besides vaccination against Japanese encephalitis. He has played a prominent role in reducing maternal and child mortality by successfully running various national programmes.

Sudhakar Parashar is the principal of Government Subhash School of Excellence, Bhopal. He has been teaching physics for 35 years. He has a special interest in the education of girls and in strengthening the education of disabled students. He received the State Level Teachers Award 2022 from the School Education Department of the Madhya Pradesh Government.

Rakesh Patel teaches at the Government Primary School in Phanda, rural Bhopal. He was awarded by the then Chief Minister Digvijay Singh for excellent work on August 15, 2003. His efforts led to 20 schools receiving tables and chairs, computers, water coolers, toilets, and drinking water facilities with public cooperation.

Manoj Meek, with a strong academic foundation in statistics, management, and computer science, has masterfully blended technological advancements with urban planning and real estate development. His 40-year journey in real estate has been dedicated to integrating modern infrastructure with sustainable and innovative approaches. As the president of CREDAI Bhopal, Meek has led the way in transforming urban development and the real estate ecosystem.

Ashapura Darbar, Jumerati, is a social organisation established in 1999. For the past 26 years, it has been serving free meals to destitute old, ill, and differently-abled persons. The Darbar continued its services even during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also celebrates Hindu festivals with great fanfare.

Ila Tiwari, the chief executive officer of Bhopal district panchayat, holds a BE in computer science. She has served as an SDM at different locations and received a commendation letter from the Election Commission of India for excellent work in elections. She has been working on water conservation and ODF campaigns.

RK Trivedi, an executive engineer at Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), has dedicated over 30 years to public service. Starting his career in 1986, he worked in the public health engineering department, drilling over 1,000 tubewells and managing sewage projects. Notably, he saved significant amounts of money for BMC through efficient diesel tank maintenance and electricity conservation.

RK Singh, a dedicated BJP worker for 22 years, currently serves as the corporator of ward 33 in Bhopal. He began his political journey as a party member, rising to the post of district office president and later as an alderman in BMC in 2013. Elected in 2022, Singh remains deeply connected to his constituents, including slum dwellers.

Dr Nishat Ahmed is a gynaecologist and presently an assistant professor at People’s Medical College. She has a special interest in high-risk obstetric cases. She believes in providing patient-centered maternity care in a professional setting and ensuring quality and compassionate care for patients.

Dr Matganjan Dwivedi holds a Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery. He also holds a degree in trichology from IAT Australia and has completed PGDCC clinic cosmetology from the University of Greifswald, Germany. He has conducted thousands of hair loss treatments and laser tattoo removal procedures. Dr Meet’s Clinic was founded by Dr Matganjan Dwivedi and his wife, Dr Babita Dwivedi.

OD Joseph, as the president of the United Malayalee Association, Bhopal, chairman of the Malayala Mission Madhya Pradesh chapter, and executive editor of Layam Magazine, has been at the forefront of socio-cultural and philanthropic initiatives for several years. His relentless efforts have particularly benefited Keralites living away from their homeland.

P Chinna Rao, an ASI with the cyber crime cell of Bhopal, is an expert in collecting technical information on cyber crimes, tracking down criminals, and analysing PSTN data in serious incidents to trace accused individuals. His efforts led to the arrest of those who threatened to kill the then Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur through WhatsApp/VOIP calls.

Suraj Singh Randhawa, who joined the state police in 2017, is currently posted at the crime branch in Bhopal. He has caught many wanted criminals involved in human trafficking, rape, frauds, and narcotic offenses. His efforts led to the arrest of five accused from Delhi, and four rescued girls were handed over to their families.

Mahendra Singh Thakur joined the Madhya Pradesh police service in 2017 as a sub-inspector. Currently, he is posted as an inspector at Satlapur police station in Raisen district. He has an excellent track record and has won 573 cash rewards totaling Rs 1.72 lakh. He is also the winner of the Rustamji Award 2014.

Raina Tripathi, a postgraduate in biotechnology, is a sub-inspector posted at the Bhopal police commissioner’s office for the past four years. She hails from Khargone and joined the police service in 2018. Currently, she handles the work of externment of criminals from the district. She has received many cash rewards for investigative work.

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Dr Anupam Chouksey is a postgraduate in engineering and also holds a doctorate. He is the chancellor of JNCT Professional University and Secretary of LNCT Group. A dynamic, skilled, and proactive individual, he possesses a sharp focus and great enthusiasm. He is also the trustee of HK Kalchuri Education Trust and HK Education Society.

Dr Jyoti Sharma is a homoeopathic medical practitioner and professor at Amaltas Homoeopathic Medical College. She is the Director at Dr Jyoti Super Specialty Homoeopathic Clinic Pvt Ltd, Indore. She was honoured with the Woman Empowerment Award by former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the COVID Warrior Award by Minister Vishwas Sarang.

Karan Rana is the director of Springfield World School, Vidisha. He completed his higher education at Purdue University, USA, and also holds a pilot licence. After quitting his job in the US, he took charge as the Director of Springfield World School with a vision to provide world-class education and holistic development opportunities to students.

Anupam Chaurey is the Director of Ambaji Associates Pvt Ltd, Indore. The company was established in Indore in 2020 and has quickly gained recognition for its quality construction. The company is committed to building luxurious villas and bungalows.

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Radheshyam Vishwakarma, founder of Vishwas Automobiles LLP, has transformed from a humble village boy into one of Madhya Pradesh’s leading automotive entrepreneurs through determination and vision. Born in Suja Kheri village in Bhopal district into a farming family, Vishwakarma began his career at 17, working at an automobile company while continuing his education.

Sanjeev Garg (Gandhi), Director of SK Jewellers, continues to uphold the tradition of quality craftsmanship that has been a hallmark of his family business in Purana Sarafa Bazar, Bhopal, since 1990. Originally founded by his father, Mahesh Chandra Garg, the business is now entering its third generation with Sanjeev’s son, Ayush, joining the enterprise.

Neeraj Tejwani is a well-known figure in the business circles of Bairagarh, Bhopal. Until 1981, he ran a small shop in Raisen district. That year, he launched a shop in Bairagarh and has never looked back since. He is now the owner of Popular Agency and Sunglan Appliances Pvt. Ltd., a one-stop solution for kitchen appliances.

Devendra Chouksey, director of Ludhiana Agro Sales Bhopal, first saw a harvester machine in 1993. He used it on farms in his ancestral village, Bankhedi (Narmadapuram district), and was so impressed that he took the dealership of harvester machines and tractors manufactured by Kartar Agro Industries, Ludhiana. He now has outlets in Bhopal, Sehore, Vidisha, and Raisen.