Acclaimed Ummathat Folk Dancer from Kodagu - popularising Kodava culture through dance

Tribal Wood Carving Artist from Kanker - actively rehabilitating misguided youth in LWE-affected areas through livelihood

Eminent Marathi Folklore Author with 50 books to his credit over a 6 decade long career

Ex-Serviceman Social Worker from Thane - working for the rehabilitation of Leprosy affected people for decades

Eminent Odia Litterateur from Dhenkanal - portraying Odia language's history & culture

Veteran Thamate Player from Chikkaballapur - promoting the percussion folk instrument from Old Mysore region through over 1,000 performances

Pioneer of Veterinary Mycology in India - known for his 5-decade long research on the role of fungi in various diseases affecting animals

Water Conservationist from Banda - who devised the concept of Jakhni model village to fight water scarcity and make villages water surplus

Craftsperson Duo from Jhabua making Adivasi Dolls from recycled cloth - trained several other women in the same

Renowned Marathi Writer & Journalist - promoting values of social equality & patriotism through his books