Bihar Government Proposes Late Acharya Kishore Kunal for Padma Vibhushan
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Synopsis
On January 16, the Bihar State Level Recommendation Committee recommended the late Acharya Kishore Kunal for the Padma Vibhushan Award, acknowledging his significant contributions to social service and welfare.
Key Takeaways
- The Bihar government has recommended Acharya Kishore Kunal for the Padma Vibhushan Award 2025.
- His contributions to social service have been widely recognized.
- He was a former IPS officer who dedicated his life to social reform.
- His demise in December 2024 was mourned nationally.
- He was pivotal in establishing healthcare facilities in Bihar.
Patna, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Bihar State Level Recommendation Committee has acknowledged the extraordinary contributions of the late Acharya Kishore Kunal in the domain of social service by putting his name forward for the esteemed Padma Vibhushan Award for the year 2025.
The recommendation was made on Thursday and has been officially submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Cabinet Secretariat of Bihar.
In a correspondence sent on behalf of the Cabinet Secretariat Department, Additional Secretary Suman Kumar addressed Joint Secretary Gopalaswami Parthasarathy of the Ministry of Home Affairs, urging the government to bestow the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, upon Acharya Kishore Kunal.
Acharya Kishore Kunal, renowned for his influential work in social service, was a highly esteemed personality who devoted his life to uplifting underprivileged communities and enhancing societal welfare.
Acharya Kishore Kunal, a revered social reformer and former IPS officer, passed away on December 29, 2024, due to a heart attack. His passing was widely mourned across the country, with notable leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressing their heartfelt condolences.
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also paid tribute to Kunal, advocating for the Central government to honour him with the Bharat Ratna. Kishore Kunal was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1972 Gujarat cadre.
He held the position of Superintendent of Police in Anand and subsequently became the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Ahmedabad by 1978.
In 1983, he was designated as the Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna.
In 2001, he opted for voluntary retirement from the IPS to fully commit himself to social service and religious activities. After retiring, Acharya Kishore Kunal took on the role of Chairman of the Bihar State Religious Trust Board and served as the Secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust in Patna.
As Secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust, he was instrumental in the temple’s refurbishment from October 30, 1983, leading up to its inauguration on March 4, 1985.
Under his guidance, the Mahavir Mandir Trust established numerous healthcare facilities, including the Mahavir Cancer Institute, a cutting-edge cancer treatment centre, Mahavir Arogya Sansthan in Kankarbagh, a hospital focused on providing affordable healthcare, and Mahavir Netralaya, a facility dedicated to eye care for those in need.
The trust also aided various other hospitals and provided financial support to economically disadvantaged individuals.
