Sheela Balaji
{{Short description|Indian leader who has preserved rice varieties}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sheela Balaji
| image = Sheela Balaji receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar (sq cropped).jpg
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| nationality = Indian
| education = Stella Maris College
| occupation = Managing trustee of an NGO
| employer = AIM For Seva
| known_for = preserving rice varieties
| spouse = T. K. Balaji
| parents = T. S. Srinivasan, Prema Srinivasan
| relatives = TVS family
Venu Srinivasan (brother)
T. V. Sundram Iyengar (grandfather)
}}
Sheela Balaji leads the Indian educational nonprofit organization (NGO) AIM For Seva. She is the recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar award. She is the grand-daughter of T. V. Sundram Iyengar.
Life
Balaji is the managing trustee and chair of AIM For Seva{{Cite news|author=Staff Reporter|date=2014-02-02|title=Aim for Seva sets up 100th free student home|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/aim-for-seva-sets-up-100th-free-student-home/article5643514.ece|access-date=2021-01-13|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=2021-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170634/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/aim-for-seva-sets-up-100th-free-student-home/article5643514.ece|url-status=live}} which runs a large school in Manjakkudi in Tamil Nadu and also has 100 hostels across India. She is also responsible for the Swami Dayananda Educational Trust.{{cite web|url=http://www.sdet.in/about-us/our-chairperson-managing-trustee/|title=Our Chairperson & Managing Trustee|website=sdet.in|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412065029/http://www.sdet.in/about-us/our-chairperson-managing-trustee/|url-status=dead}}
She started plantation of indigenous varieties of rice .{{Cite web|date=21 July 2017|title=This Woman's Preserved 30 Indigenous Rice Varieties & Is Making Sure You Get a Grain of History Too!|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/109247/sheela-balaji-spirit-of-earth-indigenous-rice-varieties-chennai/|access-date=13 January 2021|website=The Better India|language=en-US|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170430/https://www.thebetterindia.com/109247/sheela-balaji-spirit-of-earth-indigenous-rice-varieties-chennai/|url-status=live}} In 2011, her book Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Contributions & Writings, was published.{{cite web|url=http://avrpt.com/images/pre_publication_price_offer.pdf|title=Pre-publication notice for Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Contributions & Writings}}
In 2013, Balaji organized a festival in Manjakkudi dedicated to grains, which led to the rediscovery of old rice varieties. In 2015, her book Without a Second: Concepts of Non Duality was published.{{Cite book|last=Balaji|first=Sheela|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sgeEAQAACAAJ|title=Without a Second: Concepts of Non Duality|date=2015|publisher=Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust |isbn=978-93-80049-83-0|language=en|access-date=2021-01-13|archive-date=2021-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170555/https://books.google.com/books?id=sgeEAQAACAAJ&newbks=0&hl=en|url-status=live}}
In 2018, Balaji was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar.{{Cite web|title=Nari Shakti Puraskar - Gallery|url=http://narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in/gallery|access-date=2021-01-13|website=narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in|archive-date=2021-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170431/http://narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in/gallery|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=7 March 2018|title=Meet Ms. Sheela Balaji, #NariShakti Puraskar 2017 awardee.|url=https://twitter.com/pib_india/status/971367318579118080|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170535/https://pbs.twimg.com/hashflag/config-2021-01-14-16.json|archive-date=14 January 2021|access-date=13 January 2021|website=PIB India}} The award was invested by President of India Ram Nath Kovind at the Presidential Palace (Rastrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, also attending. About 40 people or organisations were honoured that year, receiving the award and a prize of $R 100,000.{{Cite web|title=International Women's Day: President Kovind honours 39 achievers with 'Nari Shakti Puraskar'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/mar/09/international-womens-day-president-kovind-honours-39-achievers-with-nari-shakti-puraskar-1784159.html|access-date=2021-01-08|website=The New Indian Express|date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=2021-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170429/https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/mar/09/international-womens-day-president-kovind-honours-39-achievers-with-nari-shakti-puraskar-1784159.html|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balaji, Sheela}}
Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners