Manipal, January 11^th, 2025:  The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) hosted its annual New Year Awards Ceremony on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at the scenic KMC Greens, honouring the exceptional achievers across fields which bringing together distinguished guests, faculty, students, and the wider community to celebrate excellence, dedication, and impact.

This year’s ceremony recognised four remarkable individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their respective fields and society. The honorees were celebrated for their tireless commitment to justice, arts, philanthropy, and healthcare, each having demonstrated exceptional leadership and service. Ways in culture and literature have even created awareness in this unprecedented situation. 

The event was spearhead by Dr H S Ballal - Pro Chancellor & President, Academy of General Education, MAHE and the felicitation address was given by Lt Gen (Dr.) MD Venkatesh VSM (Retd) - Vice Chancellor, MAHE, Dr Ranjan R Pai Chairman - MEMG President - MAHE Trust Registrar – AGE, Shri T Satish U Pai Executive Chairman Manipal Media Network Ltd Vice President – AGE & Shri T Ashok Pai, President Dr. TMA Pai Foundation Manipal.

The winners of this year were: Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty Former Lokayukta, State of Karnataka Former Judge, High Court of Karnataka Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy Director Vasundhara Performing Arts Centre Mysore, Karnataka, Shri Tekkar Yashwanth Prabhu Former Chairman & Managing Director Oriental Bank of Commerce, New Delhi & Dr P Mohan Rao Medical Advisor, Titan Company Ltd., Bengaluru Former Executive Director - MVJ Medical College, Hoskote.

Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty (Law and Justice: Born on May 2, 1944, in Udupi, Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty is a leading Indian jurist. He began his legal career in 1966 and founded Shetty & Hegde Associates in 1971, and was also a part-time professor at Government Law College, Bangalore. Justice Shetty is a champion of legal reforms and was instrumental in the setting up of the National Law School of India University, where he remained from 1995 until 2006 as a permanent Judge of the Karnataka High Court. He headed the Karnataka Judicial Academy and the Karnataka Legal Services Authority, among other things, by designing novel legal programs. After retirement, Justice Shetty continued practising law and was appointed Karnataka's Lokayukta in 2017, championing transparency and anti-corruption.

Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy (Bharatanatyam): is a prominent Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and Guru who runs the Vasundhara Performing Arts Centre in Mysore. She has been a disciple of Guru Pattabhi Jois in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and combines this with traditional Bharatanatyam and martial arts. Her *Panchali* and *Kshaatra Draupadi* are highly acclaimed choreographies globally for their richness and fusion of dance forms. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2022, is an A-graded artist with Doordarshan, and has performed globally. Generations of dancers are nurtured at her Centre, and in her book, *Natya Yoga Darshana*, she explores the confluence of dance and spirituality.

Shri Tekkar Yashwanth Prabhu (Banker and Philanthropist), born on December 30, 1950, in Uppinangady, is a distinguished banker and philanthropist with over four decades of experience in the Indian banking sector. He started his career as a clerk at Canara Bank in 1970 and rose to General Manager, overseeing key domains like Corporate Credit and International Operations, including a tenure in Hong Kong. Shri Prabhu later served as Executive Director at Union Bank of India and Chairman & Managing Director at Oriental Bank of Commerce. He also served as part-time chairman at Dhan Laxmi Bank. Presently, he is an Independent Director on various boards.

Dr P Mohan Rao (Cardiology and Healthcare): a cardiologist and health care leader, hails from Udupi, Karnataka and was born in 1940. This medical doctor has over six decades of experience and holds an MD in General Medicine and fellowships from the Indian Society of Electro cardiology and the Indian College of Cardiology. Dr. Rao is privileged to have held senior posts such as Vice President of the Indian College of Cardiology and President of the Cardiological Society of India, Bangalore Chapter.

The ceremony, held in KMC Greens, was graced by the presence of the faculty, students, alumni, and well-wishers gathered to pay tribute to these outstanding people for their remarkable contributions to society. The whole event was complemented by very moving speeches by the awardees and heartfelt tributes to the respective legacies.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr H S Ballal - Pro Chancellor & President, Academy of General Education, MAHE, said, “For sure, it has been a rare honour for all of us who are hosting such a wonderful ceremony to recognise excellent contributions and distinguished achievements by all five awardees. Here's my tribute to each for their unshakable perseverance and spirit in their work and life. A new educational pattern is being constructed, and innovative ideas and exciting ways of explorations are needed of the time. We shall have to strengthen liberal arts as well as social sciences. We are proud to acknowledge the hard work and the significant impact these individuals have had in their fields, which has contributed immensely to the betterment of society”.

Lt Gen (Dr.) M D Venkatesh VSM (Retd) - Vice Chancellor, MAHE, “We are thrilled to congratulate the outstanding achievements of the new year awardees, and this is definitely a great opportunity for us. We appreciate their incomparable contributions to literature, agriculture, medicine, culture, and mankind. They have crossed all limits of duty to set an example for others to emulate and instil virtues in society. The most effective method of addressing the issues of society or raising the awareness of such issues is through these literary and artistic disciplines. Honouring the achievers serves a double purpose: not only does it show appreciation and recognition for their hard work, but it also serves as a springboard for young people to aim higher".