Aruna Roy
Encyclopedia
Aruna Roy is an India
n political and social activist who founded and heads the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana
("Workers and Peasants Strength Union"). She is best known as a prominent leader of the Right to Information movement, which led to the enactment of the Right to Information Act
in 2005. She has also remained a member of the National Advisory Council
.
In 2000, she received the Ramon Magsaysay Award
for Community Leadership. In 2010 she received the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academia and Management.
between 1968 and 1974. She then resigned to devote her time to social and political campaigns. She joined the Social Work and Research Center (SWRC) in Tilonia
, Rajasthan. In 1983 Aruna dissociated herself from the SWRC.
, the Congress party won the national elections and formed the central government. Aruna was inducted into the National Advisory Committee (NAC), an extremely powerful but extra-constitutional quasi-governmental body headed by Sonia Gandhi which effectively supervises the working of the common minimum program of UPA II. which was passed by the Indian parliament in 2005. She served as a member of the National Advisory Council of India until 2006 and is part of NAC II.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n political and social activist who founded and heads the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana
The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan is an Indian social movement founded by Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh along with a number of peasants and workers in Devdungari village of Rajsamand district in Rajasthan state in 1990. In the 1990s, it spearheaded the right to information movement in...
("Workers and Peasants Strength Union"). She is best known as a prominent leader of the Right to Information movement, which led to the enactment of the Right to Information Act
Right to Information Act
The Right to Information Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India "to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens." The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has its own act...
in 2005. She has also remained a member of the National Advisory Council
National Advisory Council
The National Advisory Council of India is an advisory body set up to monitor the implementation of the UPA government's manifesto, the Common Minimum Programme. It is a brainchild of Congress party president, Sonia Gandhi. It is also informally called as UPA's Planning Commission for social...
.
In 2000, she received the Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
for Community Leadership. In 2010 she received the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academia and Management.
Career
Aruna served as a civil servant in the Indian Administrative ServiceIndian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service is the administrative civil service of the Government of India. It is one of the three All India Services....
between 1968 and 1974. She then resigned to devote her time to social and political campaigns. She joined the Social Work and Research Center (SWRC) in Tilonia
Tilonia
Tilonia is a village in Ajmer district in Rajasthan, India.It is home of the NGO, Barefoot College founded by renowned social worker Bunker Roy. Since it was founded, this village has become a model for all remote villages for economic and social development....
, Rajasthan. In 1983 Aruna dissociated herself from the SWRC.
Right to Information
In 2004, under the leadership of Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
, the Congress party won the national elections and formed the central government. Aruna was inducted into the National Advisory Committee (NAC), an extremely powerful but extra-constitutional quasi-governmental body headed by Sonia Gandhi which effectively supervises the working of the common minimum program of UPA II. which was passed by the Indian parliament in 2005. She served as a member of the National Advisory Council of India until 2006 and is part of NAC II.
External links
- Official Website of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, headed by Aruna Roy
- NDTV interview
- The idea of India by Aruna Roy MintMint (newspaper)Mint is a business newspaper from HT Media Ltd, launched in collaboration with The Wall Street Journal on 1 February 2007. It is a premium business news publication aimed at decision makers and policy makers of the country and it is the first newspaper in India to be published in the Berliner...
- The Rediff Interview/ Aruna Roy Rediff.comRediff.comRediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....