STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The FICCI FLO JKL Trailblazer Awards celebrated its 4th edition with great enthusiasm and grandeur at Radisson, Jammu, honoring exemplary women achievers from diverse fields. The prestigious event was graced by Chief Guest Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Jammu & Kashmir.
In her welcome address, Ruchika Gupta, Chairperson of FICCI FLO JKL, emphasized the relentless efforts of women in the region who have defied societal norms, overcome adversity, and claimed their rightful place as leaders and changemakers. She stated, “Our region’s women, in particular, have had to work even harder to carve a place for themselves in society.” Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Jammu & Kashmir, lauded the efforts of FLO JKL in recognizing and celebrating the remarkable achievements of women. She congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to inspire and mentor more women. The Trailblazer Awards honored outstanding women achievers across multiple domains. In the field of Public Service, the award was conferred upon Rehana Batul, Director, J&K Institute of Management, Public Administration, and Rural Development (IMPARD), and Neha Jalali (IIS), Director, Press Information Bureau Jammu and Indian Institute of Mass Communication (Jammu campus). Recognizing excellence in the Medical Fraternity, the awards were presented to Dr. Meeta Gupta, Dean (Academics), Professor & Head, Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Dept. of Family Medicine at AIIMS, and Dr. Sushma Shall Kaul, Gynecologist. In the Education sector, the awardees were Prof. Anju Bhasin, Dean Academic Affairs and Professor of Physics, University of Jammu, and Prof. Meena Sharma, Dean of Planning and Development, University of Jammu. Honoring their service in the Forces, Capt. Neeru Sambyal and Manjit Kour, Principal, SPS PTS Kathua, were recognized. In the Entertainment industry, the awards went to Tanya Gupta, Singer, and Ridhi Dogra, Actress. The Hospitality sector was represented by Ms. Vanika Choudhary, Founder, Noon, and Vidushi Gupta, Founder, Eden. The Media category recognized RJ Juhie Mohan from 92.7 Big FM and RJ Tani from Radio Mirchi. Excellence in Sports was acknowledged with awards for Mitali, International Gymnast/Coach, and Suvidha Sarin, International Roll Ball Athlete. In Politics, Shagun Parihar, MLA, Kishtwar, was honored. The Entrepreneurship category saw recognition for Sana Dua, Former Femina Miss India 2017 & Founder, ‘Image & Beyond’, Sumedha Mahajan and Priya Gour, Founders of Paper Baag Company, and Meenakshi Devi, Director, Baba Jitto Basmati F.P.O. Co. Ltd. for rural entrepreneurship.
The awardees were felicitated by the Chief Guest in recognition of their outstanding contributions. The event was skillfully emceed by Deepti Gandotra and Shiwangi Sachdev, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Aarti Chowdhary, Sr. Vice Chairperson, FICCI FLO JKL.
