WELCOME TO BHAGWAN MAHAVEER FOUNDATION

Most of us are aware that there are a large number of individuals and institutions spread over throughout the country serving their fellowmen, under very difficult conditions in their self chosen task of acting as good Samaritans. These individuals and institutions faced many hardships, physical or otherwise, apart from the fact that there are not many who are willing to come forward to encourage and assist them. A large numbers of people ridicule them as mere do gooders chasing recognition and rewards. Our countrymen, as a rule, are slow to recognise merit or initiative let alone reward them. In the circumstances it is not at all surprising that those who are engaged in serving their fellowmen, without any consideration of rewards, feel disheartened and more often then not discontinue the good work.

This apart, others who may be inclined to undertake similar projects for helping the needy, feel discouraged and give up the idea. The result is that there are still large areas in the country, not only in the remote areas, which continue to be neglected, the population therein suffering for want of basic facilities in the social sector namely education, public health, good drinking water and the like. Even the existence of the institutions and individuals serving their fellowmen rarely come to the knowledge of the public or governmental bodies.

Shri N. Sugalchand Jain and a few of his friends felt that something should be done to ensure that this clan of good Samaritans are identified, nurtured and encouraged not only with a view to focus public attention on their activities, but also to encourage others to take up community and social services as a worthwhile exercise. This initiative took concrete shape in the form of the setting up of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation as a public charitable trust by Shri Jain and the institution of annual awards, namely the Mahaveer Awards to be given away to individuals and institutions whose service to the needy sections of the humanity met the exacting standards of evaluation prescribed by the Foundation.

The awards carry a cash component of Rs.10 Lacs each with a memento and a citation.

The cash component, at Rs.10 lacs for each award was, till recently, the highest award given away by an NGO. The Foundation have so far received thousands of nominations since inception for the Awards from all over the country and given away 32 awards valuing Rs. 1.6 Crores to various individuals and institutions in Andhra Pradesh (1), Bihar (2), Gujarat(1), Jharkhand (1), Karnataka (2), Madhya Pradesh (2), Maharashtra (7), New Delhi (2), Orissa (1), Rajasthan (4), Tamilnadu (7), Tripura (1), Uttranchal (1). Also thousands of sponsors take interest in identifying such agencies and sponsor to the Foundation from all over the country.

Shri Jain has also with the active co-operation of his associates, sought and developed avenues for utilising a substantial part of his wealth for improving the lot of the poor. He has set up a number of Charitable Trusts such as

> Jains India Trust
> Singhvi Charitable Trust
> Vidhya Jyothi Trust