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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Varsha Deshpande from Satara wins 2025 UN Population award for championing gender equality in India
Varsha Deshpande, a Satara-based advocate whose commitment towards 'saving the girl child' led her to launch ambitious campaigns and conduct sting operations to prevent sex-selective abortions, has been awarded the 2025 UN Population Award for championing gender equality in India. 'I am deeply honoured to receive the prestigious UN Population Award in recognition of my efforts to address gender-biased sex selection and the declining sex ratio. This award is not a personal accolade, but a tribute to the collective work of countless individuals and institutions who engage with communities to drive meaningful change and empower them,' Deshpande, who was felicitated on the occasion of World Population Day at an event in New York, told The Indian Express. According to an official statement, the laureate of the fortieth edition of the United Nations Population Award in the individual category is Varsha Deshpande, Secretary, Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal of India. At the helm of Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal that she set up in 1990, Deshpande has spearheaded numerous programmes, including ones addressing child marriage through the empowerment of adolescent girls and engagement with men and boys; safeguarding the rights of women in the informal sector; and promoting joint property registration to boost women's access to assets. She is a member of several statutory bodies constituted under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, the law to address gender-biased sex selection, and has played an instrumental role in strengthening its implementation. 'Deshpande tirelessly works to empower grassroots women by building their vocational skills, connecting them to vital resources and services, and fostering their financial independence. She has also played a pivotal role in addressing gender-biased sex selection (GBSS), championing legal reforms and behaviour change through community engagement and advocacy,' the statement added. 'I sincerely hope this recognition helps renew focus on the critical issue of gender-biased sex selection and reinforces the importance of investing in the value of women and girls. Being counted among those who have made significant global contributions is both humbling and inspiring. It deepens my sense of responsibility to live up to this honour and to uphold the trust placed in me,' Dehpande said Andrea M Wojnar, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India representative and Country Director Bhutan, pointed out that Deshpande's pioneering efforts to build a more equal society were truly commendable. 'Her dedication to addressing all forms of discrimination—whether based on gender, caste, or religion—has contributed significantly to ensuring that people, especially women and girls, can live with dignity, opportunity, and well-being. I deeply appreciate her passion and commend her courage for working on a sensitive and critical issue like gender-biased sex selection,' she said. This recognition affirms the power of grassroots action in advancing gender equality and reproductive rights, and reflects the global importance of Deshpande's lifelong work, she said. Each year, the Committee for the United Nations Population Award honours an individual and/or institution in recognition of outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health issues and solutions. The award was established by the General Assembly in 1981, in resolution 36/201, and was first presented in 1983. It is now in its fortieth year. It consists of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize. The Committee for the United Nations Population Award comprises eight UN member states, with United Nations Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director serving as ex-officio members.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maha activist Varsha Deshpande becomes third Indian to get UN Populations Award
Kolhapur: Varsha Deshpande of Satara-based Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, which works for the upliftment of socially backward women from rural India, has become the third Indian after former PM Indira Gandhi (1983) and industrialist-philanthropist JRD Tata (1992) to receive the prestigious United Nations Populations Award in the individual category. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She was conferred the award at the UN, New York, on Friday. "Deshpande is a pioneering women's rights activist with more than 35 years of experience working on gender-based violence, discrimination and gender. She founded the Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal in 1990 to advance women's rights and gender justice. She tirelessly works to empower grassroot women by building their vocational skills, connecting them to vital resources and services and fostering their financial independence. She has also played a pivotal role in addressing gender-biased sex selection, championing legal reforms and behaviour change through community engagement and advocacy," read the statement issued by the UN. Among her pioneering contributions, Deshpande worked to fight against gender-biased sex selection. In a written statement, the social worker said, "The award is the recognition of my efforts to address gender-biased sex selection and declining sex ratio. It is a tribute to the collective work of countless individuals. The award reinforces the importance of investing in the value of women and girls." HelpAge India, the group working with and for disadvantaged elderly people in India for four decades, is serving their needs and enabling them to live active, dignified, and healthier lives. It was the recipient of the UN Population Award in 2020 in the institutional category. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Each year, the committee for the United Nations Population Award honours an individual and/or institution in recognition of outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health issues and solutions. The award was established by the General Assembly in 1981, in resolution 36/201, and was first presented in 1983. It is now in its fortieth year. It consists of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Court grants pre-arrest bail to woman doctor in investment fraud case
Mumbai, A court granted anticipatory bail to a Satara-based doctor in an investment fraud case on Monday, ruling that not explaining certain transactions in her bank account does not amount to non-cooperation with the investigation. Dr. Yugandhara Kale is under scrutiny by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police in connection with a fraud involving her husband, Vikram, who was already arrested. According to the EOW, the couple enticed people to invest in the stock market, promising high returns. While initial returns were paid for about five months, payments ceased thereafter, leading to investor complaints. The prosecution argued that Dr Kale's involvement is evident from the funds transferred into her account, including ₹9 lakh during the alleged fraud period, and from agreements signed with four investors. However, Dr. Kale, through her lawyer, contended that her husband operated the account and that she registered a non-cognisable complaint against him upon discovering the fraud in September 2023. The court noted that prima facie, the applicant had not much role in the fraud, and there is no specific allegation against her in the FIR. Upon reviewing the bank records, it was observed that while her account received various deposits from Vikram, most of the money was subsequently transferred back to him, suggesting the account was used to route funds rather than as a tool for deception. The court noted that Dr Kale had appeared before the police in response to the notice and recorded her statement. "She has cooperated in the investigation. Still, the investigating officer is opposing the bail application without giving any specific ground for arrest and custodial interrogation. Merely because the applicant had not stated anything about the amount transferred in her bank account, it cannot be considered as non-cooperation in the investigation," the court said.
