India's Top Student Volunteers Felicitated in the 7th Annual Pramerica Spirit Of Community Awards

Gursimran Singh from Amity International School, Sector 46, Gurugram and Mihir Manoj Menda from Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru were selected as the National Winners in the Individual Category and awarded by Programme Ambassador, Saina Nehwal, Olympic Medalist and Former World No.1 Badminton Player

Over the last 7 years, approx. 27,000 students across 1500 schools have applied for these awards and almost 600 have been formally recognized for their exceptional community service work

Gurgaon - The 7th annual Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards recognized 28 school students from across the country for their extraordinary efforts in the area of community service at a ceremony in New Delhi. They were selected from over 3,500 applications received from 200+ schools, in a nationwide search for the country’s top youth volunteers. Programme Ambassador, Saina Nehwal, Olympic Medalist and Former World No.1 Badminton Player, was present at the occasion to encourage the finalists.

Gursimran Singh, a class XI student of Amity International School, Sector 46, Gurugram and Mihir Manoj Menda, a class XII student of Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru were recognized as the winners in the Individual Category. Both students were presented with Gold Medallions, Certificates of Excellence, a cash reward of Rs. 50,000 each, and a return trip to Washington, D.C. in May 2017. While in Washington, D.C., the winners will represent India in the global felicitation ceremonies for The Spirit of Community Award winners from all participating countries. The top honours in the Group Category went to class VII students from Panchayat Union Middle School, Kalachery West, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu. All group members were presented with Gold Medallions, Certificates of Excellence and a cash reward of Rs. 50,000 to be shared among them.

This prestigious awards programme organized by DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Co. Ltd. is the India chapter of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, the largest youth recognition programme in the United States based exclusively on volunteer service.

Gursimran Singh from Amity International School, Sector 46, Gurugram, built ‘EyeScribe’, an assistive device to help the visually impaired experience the joy of reading. The device gives them a 3D aural environment to create mental pictures while reading.

Mihir Manoj Menda from Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru, has initiated ‘UrbanUp’, a social enterprise that aims to provide low cost homes in a clean and green community to the urban poor. His first project is in Bengaluru where the first 126 homes are getting ready for handover.

The winner in the Group Category, Madhavi. S and her friends, from Panchayat Union Middle School, Kalachery West, Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu have been conducting awareness programmes in their village to prevent mishaps caused by crossing the railway tracks when the railway gate is closed.

Addressing the finalists at the ceremony, Mr. Anoop Pabby, MD & CEO, DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Co. Ltd. said, “The Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards was created to identify and recognize young volunteers like you and to encourage other young people to get involved in their communities. I am sure that by acknowledging your exemplary contributions, we can send out a distinct message that community service is valuable and rewarding thereby inspiring more youngsters to come forward and give back to society.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Programme Ambassador, Saina Nehwal, Olympic Medalist and Former World No.1 Badminton Player said, “The kind of work these young volunteers are doing to make a positive change in society is very impressive and I am happy that there is a platform like the Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards to acknowledge their efforts. Coming from a sports background, I believe it is important for children to be involved in extra-curricular activities for a healthy growth and this should not be restricted to just sports and arts. Community service should be an integral aspect of education. More and more children must be motivated to take up volunteer work and contribute meaningfully in the communities they live in”.

The winners were selected by an eminent jury panel comprising Mr. Madhavan Narayanan, senior journalist, writer and commentator; Ms. Meenakshi Gupta, Co-Founder of Goonj, one of India’s most admired and respected non-profits; Ms. Shruti Gupta Chandra, a painter of national acclaim as well as a renowned Kathak dancer; Mr. Vishvesh Prabhakar, Managing Director, CMT and Sustainability in Accenture; and Mr. Kapil Pandey, Founder and President of the Kutumb Foundation.

About the Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards (SOCA)

Introduced in 2010 in India, ‘The Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards' is an annual nationwide search to identify and recognize school students in Classes VI - XII who have made a positive difference in their communities through voluntary community service.

The prestigious awards programme organized by DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Co. Ltd. (DPLI) is the India chapter of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, the largest youth recognition programme in the United States based exclusively on volunteer service. Introduced in 1995 by Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI), DPLI’s international Joint Venture partner, the U.S. programme has officially recognized more than 115,000 school students for their meaningful contribution towards their communities. India is the 7th country outside the United States to conduct the Awards programme. Other participating countries include PFI subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, Brazil and China.

The national recognition events for Spirit of Community Awards winners held in Washington, D.C. every year include gala award ceremonies at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, tours of the capital’s historic monuments and landmarks, a festive dinner cruise on the Potomac River, and plenty of opportunity for the students to share their experiences and ideas with one another. The winners also hear from notable public figures, which in the past have included Jimmy Carter, Barbara Bush, Whoopi Goldberg, Colin Powell, Sarah Ferguson (the Duchess of York), Laura Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, Forest Whitaker, Robin Roberts and Hilary Swank.

About DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance (DPLI)

DPLI is a joint venture between Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DHFL), India’s second largest private sector housing finance company and Prudential International Insurance Holdings, Ltd. (PIIH), a fully owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI), a financial services leader headquartered in the U.S. DPLI represents the coming together of two renowned financial services organizations with a legacy of business excellence spread over decades. The life insurance joint venture agreement between the two partners was signed in July 2013.

DPLI has a pan India presence through multiple distribution channels which have been customized to address the specific insurance needs of diverse customer segments. The Company is committed to providing protection and quality financial advice to its customers. For further inion on the Company, please visit www.dhflpramerica.com

About DHFL

DHFL was founded in 1984 by Late Shri Rajesh Kumar Wadhawan with a vision to provide financial access for Indians to own a home of their own. Today, led by Mr. Kapil Wadhawan, CMD, DHFL, the company is CARE Triple A rated and reckoned as one of India’s leading financial institutions with a large presence across the country, in addition to representative offices in Dubai and London.

Throughout its years of growth, DHFL has stayed true to its core vision of financial inclusion, especially to the low and middle income customers across India. The company’s wide network, coupled with insights into local customer needs, has enabled the company to provide meaningful financial access to customers even in India’s smallest towns. With a strong business foundation, an extensive distribution network, proven industry expertise and a deep understanding of the Indian customer, DHFL is a respected and trusted financial services company in India with a concerted focus towards enabling home ownership to the low and middle income customer. For further inion, please visit www.dhfl.com

About PFI

PFI, a financial services leader with more than ,1 trillion of assets under management as of August 31, 2016, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. Prudential International Insurance Holdings & Prudential Financial Inc. of the United States are not affiliated with Prudential Plc, a Company incorporated in the United Kingdom. In the U.S., PFI’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more inion, please visit www.news.pramericafinancial.com

*Pramerica and the Rock Logo are proprietary service marks and may not be used without the permission of the owner.