BILKULONLINE
Ahmedabad, March 05: The MICA-Anjali Khandwalla Creative Mentor Award for 2023-24 was recently presented to Mr. Anil Srinivasan, renowned musician and educator and Dr. Pravin Darji, eminent Gujarati literary scholar, at an event hosted at MICA, Ahmedabad. Instituted by the Khandwalla Creativity Foundation, the Award is given annually to a creative living person who, in the judgment of a specially appointed jury, has enabled young people who are their mentees to develop their creative potential in any occupation or vocation.
This year, the award was adjudged from 25 nominations received by a 3-member independent jury comprising Reema Nanavaty, Director SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association of India), Nitin Shukla, Ex MD, Hazira LNG & Port Companies and Trustee, Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation Trust, and Anil Maheshwari, Founder and Chairman, School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL). The Award (cash prize of Rs. 1.50 lacs each) was jointly given to Anil Srinivasan and Dr. Pravin Darji.
Speaking about the award, Prof. Pradip Khandwalla, founding GC member of MICA and former Director of IIMA, said, “This award is in memory of my late wife who was a highly creative person, who mentored many young people in Canada and India to develop their creative potential. A creative mentor is a person who thinks out-of-the-box and nurtures the creativity of their mentees by helping them to free themselves from mental blocks so that they can come up with innovative ideas. I see five traits of a creative mentor: The mentor should be a creative person, enable the mentees to be creative, bring out their energy, infuse them with information and technology, and require their mentee to experience success.”
This year’s winners exemplify the qualities of a creative mentor. Anil Srinivasan, a MICA alumnus (Batch of 1999), is a pioneering musician and educator dedicated to mentoring children through his initiatives Rhapsody and Kruu, impacting over 700K students. His philosophy, ‘No Child Left Behind,’ drives his work in music, education, and design. A recipient of the Kalaimamani Award (Tamil Nadu Govt.) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Anil’s annual Concert in the Dark is an immersive experience where he performs blindfolded for visually disabled women. Proceeds from the event support Gnanadarshan Seva Home, helping women gain independence.
Dr. Pravin Darji is a distinguished Gujarat-based writer, critic, and educationist, with over 150 published books spanning poetry, essays, research, and translations. A mentor in literary workshops and UGC-DRS research programs, he has been honoured with prestigious awards, including Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, Kumar Chandrak, and the Padma Shri (2011) for his contributions to literature an
The MICA-Anjali Khandwalla Creative Mentor Award for 2023-24 was recently presented to Mr. Anil Srinivasan, renowned musician and educator and Dr. Pravin Darji, eminent Gujarati literary scholar, at an event hosted at MICA, Ahmedabad. Instituted by the Khandwalla Creativity Foundation, the Award is given annually to a creative living person who, in the judgment of a specially appointed jury, has enabled young people who are their mentees to develop their creative potential in any occupation or vocation.
This year, the award was adjudged from 25 nominations received by a 3-member independent jury comprising Ms. Reema Nanavaty, Director SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association of India), Mr. Nitin Shukla, Ex MD, Hazira LNG & Port Companies and Trustee, Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation Trust, and Mr. Anil Maheshwari, Founder and Chairman, School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL). The Award (cash prize of Rs. 1.50 lacs each) was jointly given to Mr. Anil Srinivasan and Dr. Pravin Darji.
Speaking about the award, Prof. Pradip Khandwalla, founding GC member of MICA and former Director of IIMA, said, “This award is in memory of my late wife who was a highly creative person, who mentored many young people in Canada and India to develop their creative potential. A creative mentor is a person who thinks out-of-the-box and nurtures the creativity of their mentees by helping them to free themselves from mental blocks so that they can come up with innovative ideas. I see five traits of a creative mentor: The mentor should be a creative person, enable the mentees to be creative, bring out their energy, infuse them with information and technology, and require their mentee to experience success.”
This year’s winners exemplify the qualities of a creative mentor. Anil Srinivasan, a MICA alumnus (Batch of 1999), is a pioneering musician and educator dedicated to mentoring children through his initiatives Rhapsody and Kruu, impacting over 700K students. His philosophy, ‘No Child Left Behind,’ drives his work in music, education, and design. A recipient of the Kalaimamani Award (Tamil Nadu Govt.) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Anil’s annual Concert in the Dark is an immersive experience where he performs blindfolded for visually disabled women. Proceeds from the event support Gnanadarshan Seva Home, helping women gain independence.
Dr. Pravin Darji is a distinguished Gujarat-based writer, critic, and educationist, with over 150 published books spanning poetry, essays, research, and translations. A mentor in literary workshops and UGC-DRS research programs, he has been honoured with prestigious awards, including Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, Kumar Chandrak, and the Padma Shri (2011) for his contributions to literature and education.
Both winners embody creativity, mentorship, and lasting impact in their respective fields of education. Both winners embody creativity, mentorship, and lasting impact in their respective fields.