Contemporary Social Reformers are the pillars of economic-social and cultural progress of India who have had added to the development of India. Numerous Social Reformers have engaged in the upliftment of social scenario.
Mary Clubwala Jadhav (1909-1975) was an Indian philanthropist and a recipient of India`s civilian honour Padma Shri. She has been the reason behind the awakening of dawn of several NGOs in Chennai and the rest of country. Often credited with setting up the oldest organized social work bodies in India; her contribution is unparallel. Her organization Guild of Service operates more than a dozen units related to orphanage, Female Literacy, Care and Rehabilitation of the Disabled etc. She has been honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour of India in 1975.
Nafisa Ali is another progressive social reformer who has used her celebrity status to establish her space as a reformer. Action India, an organisation working to spread AIDS awareness is privileged to have her support. She is actively associated with the organisation. Nafisa Ali has also stepped into the arena of politics and contested for the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. But she proved to be unsuccessful. Nafisa stood from South Kolkata. She was appointed the Chairperson in September of the year 2005, of the Children`s Film Society of India (CFSI). In 2010 she was appointed as the Co-Chairperson of the `Hospitality Sub Committee` of Commonwealth Games by the Organizing Committee Commonwealth Games Delhi. She is a dedicated and renowned social worker. Nafisa Ali began Orissa Cyclone Relief fund When Cyclone struck Orissa causing large-scale destruction and devastation.
Kiran Bedi is a famous Indian social activist and a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. She is known for being the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972, and was later posted as Director General, BPR&D (Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home Affairs). Kiran Bedi retired from IPS in December 2007 on voluntary retirement. During her service, she served a considerable period in the Inspector General Prisons of Tihar Jail from 1993 to 1995. Kiran Bedi founded two NGOs in India, namely Navjyoti for welfare and preventive policing in 1987 and India Vision Foundation for prison reforms that dealt with drug abuse prevention, child welfare in 1994. Later, Navjyoti became a motivation for other state police forces across the country.
Mother Teresa, also known as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun who established the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta (now Kolkata), in the year 1950, to help the sick and the poor. She helped the destitute, orphaned, sick and dying people in the Indian city through her Missionaries of Charity, which later expanded to other parts of the country. The Missionaries of Charity which was set in motion with just 12 members now has thousands serving the poor. With over 500 centres in more than 100 countries, the missionary runs AIDS hospices, orphanages, charity centres worldwide, and caring for disabled, aged, alcoholics, refugees, the blind, the poor and homeless and victims of floods, epidemics and famine in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, Poland, and Australia. In 1952 the Home for the dying was made available by the city of Kolkata. Mother Teresa also opened a hospice Shanti Nagar for the leprosy patients and Nirmala Shishu Bhavan for orphans and homeless children.
