Padmashri Dr. Vijaykumar S. Shah
Dr. Vijaykumar Shah (83) is a dental surgeon working in the fields of National Integration, Healthcare , Environment Protection, Literacy, etc. for community welfare. For the last 60 years, he has served over 5 million citizens of 735 districts across India and 29 countries, in which 4 million were students of nearly 20,000 schools.
He is a pioneer of Community Oral Health Campaigns and Tobacco De-addiction Movement since 1966.
In 1996, as an advisor of the Ministry of Health, he proposed health check-ups for every primary school going child in India which was subsequently implemented on a regular basis.
In 1992, the government of India honoured him with Padmashree award
Padmashri Dr. Vijaykumar S. Shah was born on the 22nd January, 1940 at Sangli in a freedom Fighter’s family. Since 1966 he has travelled for thousands of miles in and around India, with the sole purpose of reaching out to the millions of citizens through community service and getting them involved in national integration, oral health, de-addiction, environment and literacy campaigns. A dentist by profession, he is also an Hon. Professor and advisor of many renowned institutes in India and abroad. He has crossed boundaries – from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, Kutch to Kohima, Andamans to Lakshadweep Islands, Covering 700+Districts, 28 States and 9 Union Territories, with a direct participation of more than 51,00,027 students, teachers and citizens in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, U. K., China, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, UAE, Seychelle, Mauritius, Reunion, Island, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Singapore, Brunie, Malaysia, Thailand, Luxembourg, Pakistan, USA. He has managed to awaken citizens on all-round development in the community. With the help the Social Welfare Department, Government of Maharashtra, around 21.9 million students are indirectly involved in community development in the state of Maharashtra 1997 to 2014. Dr. Shah was awarded with the coveted Padma shri award by the president of India in 1992. He is also a recipient of 71 doctorates, 53 fellowships and 960 prestigious awards.
“The elements of nature such as air, water, trees and plants – above all, mother Earth, does not indulge in any discrimination on account of caste or creed, nor do natures deities entertain any regional strife; then why should humans indulge in the madness knowing fully well that all are the product of nature only”
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