Silver Phoenix award to Uttam Teron of Parijat Academy
Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) is a business
school headquartered in New Delhi, with 18 branches across India. 'Speak up,
be heard and bring a change!' is the motto of SACK ("Students Against
Corruption and Kickbacks), an initiative started by IIPM which aims at
rooting out corruption.
Corruption in India now has a vice-like grip. Long ago, Karl
Kraus, Austrian writer, journalist and critic said "Corruption is worse than
prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, while
the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire nation." There
couldn't be a better or more fitting definition of India's corruption than
what he said.
This year, Amaze, one of IIPM's flagship events had a special
programme organised on 15th December 2011 in New Delhi. IIPM felicitated a
number of guests on the occasion. They included Vivek Dutt, CBI official;
Prashant Bhushan, social activist; Shailesh Gandhi, Central Information
Commissioner for RTI; Ajit Singh, president of the NGO Gudiya (which works
against sexual exploitation of women and trafficking); Uttam Teron, activist
who started Parijat Academy, a school for poor children; and Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee, a noted doctor in Ranchi who charges his patients only Rs 5. They
received the Silver Phoenix awards and citations in recognition of their
good work and commitment for social causes.
Uttam Teron of Pamohi, Guwahati was invited to interact with the
students and give his views on how education helps to eradicate corruption.
While receiving the award he talked about his work in the field of
education. He said that he started with four kids in a cowshed and now his
school Parijat Academy has 500 formal students. "Corruption cannot be
eradicated overnight but that does not mean we should silently observe the
malpractices. I am trying to create an example to government schools that
even with limited resources, one can deliver and make a difference in the
poor people's lives," he said.
In September 2010 Uttam made it to India Today's list of India's
35 youth icons for contributing in different ways towards the uplift of the
society. In December 2010 he was awarded the Young Entrepreneur Award 2010
by Asian Institute of Management and Sciences, Guwahati. Uttam was
recognised as one of the 24 Real Heros of India by IBN/CNN in a special
award ceremony held on 17 August 2011 in Mumbai.
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