Udupi: Dr G Shankar Bags 'Nadoja' Award for Selfless Service
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Dec 20: Dr G Shankar of G Shankar Family Trust has been conferred the prestigious ‘Nadoja’ award by Hampi University for his dedication, enterprise and meritorious service to society.
Dr G Shankar's story is rather extraordinary. Because of abject poverty, Shankar failed to pursue higher education when young. However, this did not deter him from scaling dizzy heights through sheer hard work, determination, and service-mindedness. He has never disassociated himself from deep-rooted humanitarian concern, and has continued to serve the needy in whatever means possible.
He has bagged doctorate, and received awards including Rajyotsava Award. While Mangalore University conferred the doctorate on him, Hampi University has now chosen him for the prestigious ‘Nadoja’ award.
This is only the second time that a person from the undivided Dakshina Kannada district has been chosen for this award. The only other person from the region to bag this award so far is Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala.
Shankar, born at Gundmi in Udupi taluk on October 5, 1955, went to Bijapur in search of greener pastures at a young age, because of poverty. He attended evening college, and secured his degree from Karnatak University. He then started to execute PWD contracts and soon succeeded in this profession. He came back to Udupi in 2002, set up G Shankar Family Trust and through the trust, has been rendering services which no one would have imagined.
The services he has rendered through his trust include donation of dialysis machines to a number of hospitals to enable poor people to get this service at concessional rate, expansion of Kundapur government hospital, operation of Vagjyoti special school for deaf, dumb, and mentally challenged children in Kundapur taluk, providing extended building to government women’s college in Udupi, providing quality education at minimum fee at Shyamili PU College in Kediyoor near Udupi, providing of a handsome grant under an agreement with Manipal University for providing treatment to poor patients recommended by the trust free of cost, organizing blood collection camps in association with other organizations etc. Free distribution of note books to students, scholarships, and money being provided to poor and sick Yakshagana artistes have helped the concerned to see a better future.
Shankar continues with his quest for serving the needy with vigour. He says that the award has added to his responsibilities. “I will continue to provide added financial assistance to poor students and patients from rural places,” he said, adding that he plans to build a home for the aged soon.