Dr Manohar Krishna Dole, Dr Zahir Ishaq Kazi conferred with Padma Shri

Mumbai: The President of India conferred Padma Bhushan to Shri Ram Naik and Shri Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo alias Rajdutt in the field of Public Affairs and Art from Maharashtra during Civil Investiture Ceremony in New Delhi yesterday. 

The President also conferred Padma Shri to Dr Manohar Krishna Dole (Medicine), Dr Zahir Ishaq Kazi (Literature & Education) and Smt. Kalpana Morparia (Trade & Industry) during Civil Investiture Ceremony.

Dr Manohar Krishna Dole is an exemplary personality who has dedicated his life to provide free eye care services to under-privileged and tribal communities in rural India.

Born on 22nd November 1928, in a middle-class family in Pune, Dr Dole graduated with a degree in Ayurvedic medicine from Pune University in 1953. At 31, he decided to move from the city to the underprivileged village of Narayangaon 80 km away in the hilly and inaccessible Junnar tehsil, to address the region’s lack of healthcare facilities by setting up basic healthcare infrastructure.

Although not an eye surgeon himself, he realized that blindness caused by cataract was the region’s main problem and he set up the Mohan Thuse Eye Hospital and Research Institute there in 1982.

The hospital organizes 40 free monthly eye-checkup camps in micro-interior areas of rural Maharashtra. Through these, it identifies and transports patients back in mobile eye care vans, provides all medical treatment including surgery, lens implants, Pre & postoperative checkups, and spectacles, gives food, accommodation, and counseling, and drops patients with restored vision back to their homes, all completely free of charge.

The hospital has held over 25,000 free doorstep eye checkup camp in rural and inaccessible areas of Maharashtra. It has examined more than 1.5 crore patients in rural Maharashtra and have performed completely free eye surgeries to more than 1,75,000 tribals members of SC & ST communities and the under privileged people living in remote and inaccessible parts in five districts in Western Maharashtra.

As a recognition of Dr. Dole’s efforts in the area, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Rockefeller Foundation, USA, selected the project as one of 40 out of 6,000 institutes globally to develop research capabilities. In addition, the World Bank provided a grant of Rs. 14 lakhs. He also set up the rural region’s first blood bank and eye bank. The hospital treats patients from primary health care centers in the region that do not perform cataract surgeries. A special focus is on treating female patients, because cataract is more prevalent among women The project was one of the first ones to be involved in the Central Government 'National Program for Control of Blindness' (NPCB) set up in 1976. Since 2000, it has been running a successful two-year fellowship program in cataract surgery training completed by over 250 fellows.

Dr. Dole’s hospital was also a pioneering institute for eye transplants, and is home to the rural region's first blood bank and eye bank. The eye bank is part of a chain of 100 eye banks across the country run by Guruji Netrapedhi, Nagpur. Dr. Dole, after relevant field research & in a well-planned manner, established a system of Eye checkup camps (even in remote & not easily accessible areas). This proved of great benefit to common Indian citizens.

Dr Dole has been bestowed with several honours and awards which include D Litt 2014 Social work National Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Shivneri Bhushan Puraskar 2016, Social work State Government of Maharashtra Felicitation for most number of cataract surgeries 2008, Social work State Government of Maharashtra and Civilian Award 2006 Social work State Pune Municipal Corporation.

Dr Zahir Ishaq Kazi (Padma Shri)

Dr Zahir Ishaq Kazi is the President of Anjuman-I-Islam, the largest minorities’educational conglomerate in the nation established in 1874. He is a distinguished figure renowned for his exceptional contributions to education, literature, and the medical field.

Born on January 26, 1954, Dr Kazi earned an MBBS degree from Goa Medical College (University of Mumbai) and later completed his Post Graduate MD in Radiology & DMRD from Topiwalla Medical College and Nair Hospital in Mumbai. He further honed his expertise through fellowship programs at F.M.R.I. - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, U.S.A., and M.A.I.U.M. - Preceptor Ultrasound - Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, U.S.A. He has been associated with prestigious hospitals in Mumbai, including Bombay Hospital and Hinduja Hospital. He also served as the Radiologist at King Fahad Hospital in Medinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Kazi's transformative 30-year journey with Anjuman-I-Islam began in the General Council, leading to key roles such as Chairman of Tibbia Medical College and Hospital and a three-and-a-half-year stint as Honorary General Secretary. During his tenure as President, Anjuman-I-Islam has made tremendous growth in various forms by expansion, consolidation and most importantly excellence. During his tenure, new institutions were added,new courses in existing institutions and increase in intake of existing institutions took place.

He was instrumental in motivating all institutions to get accreditation by authorities. Through his vision, he transformed the two Orphanages for Women, one at Versova, Andheri, Mumbai and second at Bund Garden, Pune into a ‘A” Grade Home for Women in sync with the Juvenile Justice Act. His initiatives of appointing over 85% women as Heads of institutions, culminating in to empowerment of women in its truest form. As President for the past 15 years, his visionary leadership fueled the institution's recognition as a national and international brand.

He ensured financial stability, streamlined processes, established overseas entities in the USA and the UK (Overseas Friends of Anjuman - OFA), and forged collaborations with prestigious foreign universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, and the University of Westminster, UK.

Dr. Kazi has an illustrious track record, holding esteemed positions on various committees for the States of Maharashtra and Goa, as well as the Government of India. He has served as the Chairman of the National Monitoring Committee of Minority Education and led the Sub-Committee overseeing the implementation of Minority Schemes for the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

He also contributes significantly as a Member of the Minority Education Development Committee for the Government of Maharashtra. He continues to contribute significantly to the educational and social landscape, serving as the Chairman of the Shurparka Educational & Medical Trust in Mumbai, Chairman of the IDEAL Education Trust in Thane, and as a distinguished member of the Goa Vidhya Prasark Mandal in Goa. He was elected as the member of the Senate of University of Mumbai in the Management category.

Dr. Kazi has been awarded with various National and International Awards to his accolade. He was bestowed with “Life Time Achievement Award” by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India for his significant role in the field of Indian System of Medical Education. Giants International awarded and honoured him forhis exemplary work in Education in 2015. Aligarh Muslim University honoured him with Sir Syed Excellence National Award in 2020.