India's Bharat Vatwani, Sonam Wangchuk to receive Ramon Magsaysay awards for 2018

While Vatwani led the rescue of thousands of street persons with mental disabilities and treated them and reunited them with their families, Wangchuk brought revolutionary educational reforms among Ladakhi youth.

Image: rmaward.asia

New Delhi: Two Indians are felicitated with Asia’s highest honour the Ramon Magsaysay award this year. Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk from India win Asia’s premier prize which is considered equivalent to the continent’s Nobel Prize, among others.

Two Indians - Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk win Magsaysay awards

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) July 26, 2018

Other four individuals are from Cambodia, East Timor, the Philippines, and Vietnam

HEROES OF HOPE

We proudly present to the world the latest recipients of Asia's Premier Prize and Highest Honor: the 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees! This is Greatness of Spirit. This is Asia.https://t.co/2vcSgBJzm0https://t.co/13iyCweLbi#TheRamonMagsaysayAward pic.twitter.com/A4dwJ14Su4 — RamonMagsaysayAward (@rmafoundation) July 26, 2018

As per Ramon Magsaysay Award foundation Bharat Vatwani is recognised for “his tremendous courage and healing compassion in embracing India’s mentally-afflicted destitute, and his steadfast and magnanimous dedication to the work of restoring and affirming the human dignity of even the most ostracized in our midst.” Vatwani led the rescue of thousands of street persons with mental disabilities and treated them and reunited them with their families. Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer, will be getting the awarded for the revolutionary educational reforms he brought about in Ladakh and thus improved the life opportunities of Ladakhi Youth. He is being recognized for “his uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, thus improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth, and his constructive engagement of all sectors in local society to harness science and culture creatively for economic progress, thus setting an example for minority peoples in the world”, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said. Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named. It is given every year to individuals or organizations in Asia who manifest selfless service and transformative influence in society.