Veerendra Heggade, a dedicated philanthropist, has been nominated for Rajya Sabha along with 3 others including legendary athlete PT Usha, iconic music composer Ilaiyaraaja, and acclaimed screenwriter-director KV Vijayendra Prasad.
Congratulating the philanthropist, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter, "Veerendra Heggade is at the forefront of outstanding community service. I have had the opportunity to pray at the Dharmasthala Temple and also witness the great work he is doing in health, education and culture. He will certainly enrich Parliamentary proceedings."
Who is Veerendra Heggade, nominated for Rajya Sabha?
Veerendra Heggade has served as the 'Dharmadhikari' of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since the tender age of 20. He has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades. He has led various transformative initiatives for rural development and promotion of self-employment. He established the Rural Development and Self-employment Training Institute (RDSETI) to spread awareness about self-employment opportunities and train rural youth.
Heggade has also conceptualised the Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, an initiative for inclusive rural development and self-employment in Karnataka. Currently, the project has more than six lakh SHGs and over 49 lakh members.
He also heads the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Educational Trust, which provides quality and affordable education through more than 25 schools and colleges. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.
The four nominated members have had illustrious careers in their respective fields and received national and global recognition for their contributions.
Government sources said that the Rajya Sabha nominations is another instance of the Narendra Modi-led government recognising outstanding Indians who have made a mark in diverse fields.
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