Vikas Amte

Dr. Vikas Amte

Vikas Amte (born 27 October 1947) is a doctor and social worker from Maharashtra, India.^[2]

Work

Vikas Amte is the elder son of social worker and Magsaysay Award winner, Baba Amte (1914 – 2008),^[3] Amte heads the organization 'Maharogi Sewa Samiti', and is the administrator of Anandwan, the community set up by Baba Amte in 1948 for leprosy patients on the outskirts of Warora in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra. He also runs a hospital along with his wife Dr. Bharati Amte at Anadawan and coordinates operations between Anandwan and satellite projects.^[4]

His constructive humanitarian activities have proved the dictum of Anandwan 'Parity not Charity' which he vehemently endorsed for the disabled and disadvantaged sections of the society. Rather than leaving the social needs of leprosy patients to the government, he tried to find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps. He created thousands of change agents out of the leprosy stricken society, seizing opportunities and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better.

Though he is a qualified medical professional however, through his work, he has demonstrated that he is nothing less than an expert engineer, architect, agriculturist and a human rights activist. He ,who has been heading Maharogi Sewa Samiti for last 31 years, is a visionary, resourceful and versatile social entrepreneur responsible for ushering in a number of disabled-friendly, eco-friendly, cost effective, innovative, harmonious, sustainable technologies, development strategies, rehabilitation measures for the benefit of people with other disabilities. His unique concept of empowerment of physically challenged people with the aid of music has given a new dimension to Maharogi Sewa Samiti. The musical group called ‘Swaranandwan’ composed of 400 disabled inmates who perform professionally across the state, has garnered millions of rupees for the help of other disadvantaged brethren of the community.

Awards

• In January 2012, Amte was given the Chandrapur Bhushan award by the Babasaheb Deshmukh Memorial Society and Snehankit.^[5]
• The prestigious Lokmanya Tilak award for the year 2012 was jointly given to Vikas and Prakash Amte.^[6]
• United Nations Right Livelihood Award from Sweden in 1988.
• Manav Sewa Award by Young Men's Gandhi Association ( YMGA ), Rajkot
• Kustha Mitra Purskar by Vidarbha Maharogi Sewa Mandal, Tapovan, Amravati,
• Shri. Nemichand Shrishrimal Award for Outstanding Role in Social Work,
• Late Shri. Mahadeo Balvant Natu Purskar, Pune , SARTHI Award, Nagpur
• Kumar Gandharva Puraskar in 1998.

Honors

• Government of India had appointed him as an honorary member of the General Council, Standing Committee and Executive Committee of Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology (CAPART),
• Adviser to National Leprosy Commission,
• Agricultural Adviser to Ministry of Economic Affairs, and he was the youngest of Eleven Eminent Leprologists and Social Workers called by late Prime minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi for Eradication of Leprosy in India by 2000 A. D.
• He is presently a member of executive committee of YASHADA,
• Member of standing committee CAPART, Govt. of India ( On Disabilities ) ,
• Member of Regional Committee – Council For Advancement Of Peoples Action and Ahmedabad Rural Technology (CAPART),
• District Committee of People for Animals (Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals).
• He also gives consultation to Water distribution and sanitary committee of Govt. of Maharashtra and Ministry of Railways, Central India.
• He was appointed as Chairman of Maharashtra Govt. Tribal Sub Plan Committee (Five Year Plan) in 1996 – 97 and later as a Member, on State Planning Board for integrated watershed development program and member of Dr. Bhagvati Committee of Public Health Department of Government of Maharashtra.
• He has also served as a Member of the Workshop of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, on issues related to Relief and Rehabilitation of People affected by Earthquakes in Koyna, Uttar Kashi, Osmanabad and Latur in 1994 – 95.
• He was specially invited to participate with a select group of experts from the Health and Education Sectors, by the Hunger Project, at the Global Office in New York City and Round Table Conference by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London on strategy Issues in Development Management - June /July 1987 and again in May 09th - 13th, 1988.

Personal life

Vikas Amte married to Bharati Amte in the year 1976. He holds a doctoral degree from Government Medical College of Nagpur University. He did Post Graduate Certificate Course in Leprosy from Central Leprosy Training and Research Institute, Chingleput, (CLTRI) Tamil Nadu. He is married to Dr. Bharati, a pediatrician who looks after medical and general administration at Anandwan. The only condition put during the marriage was the bride should be a doctor from any caste and would be willing to serve at Anandwan. They have two children, Kaustubh, 33 a Chartered accountant who is now Assistant secretary of Maharogi Seva Samiti and Sheetal, 30, who is a medical professional with a M.B.B.S. degree and also has a Master’s degree in Social Entrepreneurship from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Both are venturing forward to define new paradigms of developmental work with Maharogi Seva Samiti.

See also

• Baba Amte
• Prakash Amte

References

External links

• Personal Website
• Anandwan, Official website