The Nari Shakti Puraskar is an annual award given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India to individual women or to institutions that work towards the cause of women empowerment. It is the highest civilian honour for women in India, and is presented by the president of India on International Women's Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The award was instituted in 1999 under the title of Stree Shakti Puraskar, renamed and reorganised in 2015. It is awarded in six institutional and two individual categories, which carry a cash prize of 200,000 and 100,000 rupees, respectively.
Ram Nath Kovind with the recipients of the 2019 awards
Then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee bestowing the 2012 Rani Lakshmibai Stree Shakti Puraskar posthumously on 2012 Delhi gang rape victim, Nirbhaya.
President of India Pranab Mukherjee bestowing the 2013 Rani Lakshmibai Stree Shakti Puraskar on Manasi Pradhan at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 8 March 2014.
Gargi Gupta and other awardees of Nari Shakti Puraskar, 2017, Minister Maneka Gandhi.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
The Ministry of Women and Child Development, a branch of the Government of India, is an apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to women and child development in India. The current minister for the Ministry of Women and Child Development is Smriti Irani having held the portfolio since 31 May 2019.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Image: Maneka Gandhi
Image: Smt. Smriti Irani in April 2023
Image: Krishna Raj with Radha Mohan Singh (cropped)
