NEW DELHI (RDU Global) — In a tribute to individual resilience and groundbreaking institutional work in developmental neurodiversity, the Social Uplift Awards 2026 were conferred during the plenary ceremonies of Aman Utsav at Arya Auditorium in East of Kailash, New Delhi.
The honours, instituted by the Ehsaas Charitable Trust, spotlight individuals who have conquered severe sensory and physical barriers to scale exceptional national heights, while recognizing clinical researchers and educators pioneering inclusive frameworks across India.
Mansi Papnei and Mitali Prasad: Overcoming Adversity
The auditorium rose in unanimous standing ovations as visually impaired singer, classical vocalist, and published author Mansi Papnei was conferred the Social Uplift Award 2026.
Papnei first captured national attention during the Union Government’s flagship educational outreach program, *‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’*, where her intellectual poise, musical mastery, and philosophical outlook earned personal commendation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Confronting complete visual impairment from childhood, Papnei has transformed classical music and literature into instruments of cognitive empowerment, authoring inspirational texts and mentoring visually impaired students across north India.
At Aman Utsav, Papnei performed an acoustic vocal rendition that captivated dignitaries, demonstrating the expressive depth that has made her an enduring symbol of determination for Indian youth.
Co-recipient of the award was mountaineer Mitali Prasad, whose high-altitude Himalayan ascents have challenged conventional boundaries of extreme endurance athletics. Prasad has dedicated her mountaineering career to social advocacy, using expeditions to raise awareness for tribal welfare, female child education, and mental health resilience across remote border communities.
Neurodiversity Leadership Honours
Recognizing that cognitive diversity remains one of the least understood facets of modern civil rights, the trust instituted the Neurodiversity Leadership Award 2026, presenting citations to four trailblazing advocates:
- •Yashvardhini Chauhan: For pioneering community-based early-intervention networks for neurodivergent adolescents in tier-2 districts.
- •Noureen Mirza: For innovative curriculum restructuring and assistive-technology adoption for children on the autism spectrum.
- •Saroj Meena: For grassroots legal aid and parental counseling supporting neurodiverse families in rural Rajasthan and Haryana.
- •Dr. Swati Singh: For peer-reviewed neuropsychological research bridging clinical diagnosis with public school classroom integration.
The academic honours were complemented on stage by students of the New Asha Special School, who delivered a cultural dance and pantomime performance under the directorship of educator Smt. Amrit Rana. The students’ coordinated presentation communicated the core principle of neurodiversity: that cognitive differences represent natural human variations requiring societal acceptance rather than segregation.
The Ehsaas Peace & Harmony Citations
In parallel, the Ehsaas Peace and Harmony Award 2026 honoured a cohort of distinguished civic patrons including Mr. Denzil Nazareth, Smt. Maya Verma, Smt. Deepa Garg, Mr. Vikram Sethi, Dr. Manisha Singh, Prof. Shambhunath Sinha, and Mahendra Agri.
Guest Citations were also awarded to Dr. Rachna Grover, Savita Inamdar, Parul Srivastava, Pooja Chaudhary, Dr. Madhav Shyam, Dr. J.S. Bedi, Rajni Raghuvanshi, Nikhil Das, Shashank, Deepika Arora, Sushil Kumar, Shabana, and Afsana Ansari for sustained civic engagement.
As highlighted by keynote speakers throughout Aman Utsav 2026's overarching peace charter, recognizing neurodiverse and sensory-impaired achievers is not an act of charity, but an affirmation of equal constitutional citizenship.