President confers national award on Kullu NGO founder

In a landmark moment for Himachal Pradesh and India’s disability rights movement, Kullu’s Dr Shruti More Bhardwaj, Founder and Executive Director of Samphia Foundation, has been honoured with the prestigious National Award 2025 by President Droupadi Murmu.

Instituted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the award was presented at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3. Dr Shruti was recognised in the category of ‘Best Rehabilitation Professional Working in the Field of Disability’, acknowledging her transformative work in strengthening rehabilitation services across the remote Himalayan regions.

Moving from Mumbai to Kullu as an occupational therapist, Se Shruti quickly recognised the urgent need for structured, accessible child rehabilitation services in Himachal Pradesh. Over the past decade, she has led several pioneering initiatives under the Samphia Foundation. The Aash Child Development Centre, her first major project, provides early intervention, therapy and special education, becoming a lifeline for families of children with developmental disabilities.

Complementing this is the “Therapy on Wheels” initiative, a mobile rehabilitation service that reaches even the farthest villages, ensuring that geographical hurdles never become barriers to essential care. Samphia’s collaboration with the District Early Intervention Centre at Regional Hospital in Kullu under the RBSK programme further demonstrates how effective public-private partnerships can significantly improve service delivery in underserved regions.

After receiving the honour, Dr Shruti expressed heartfelt gratitude, especially toward the parents of children with special needs whom she considers the cornerstone of all her work. She emphasised that parents are their child’s first and most important therapists and their strength inspires every initiative undertaken by Samphia.

Dr Shruti More dedicated the award to her parents, who encouraged her to relocate from Mumbai to the mountains, and to all parents who demonstrate exceptional resilience in raising their children.

The event at Vigyan Bhawan was attended by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar, senior officials, award recipients from across India and a large gathering of dignitaries. President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the awardees and highlighted that each individual possesses unique abilities that make them special. She stressed that a society can be deemed truly developed only when persons with disabilities participate fully and equally in all spheres of life.