IIT Delhi honours Acharya Prashant for his contribution to national development

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PTI

April 27, 2025 11:39 am

IIT Delhi: Acharya Prashant, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, has been conferred the ‘Outstanding Contribution to National Development’ (OCND) Award by the IIT Delhi Alumni Association.

Prashant was presented the award on Saturday at IIT Delhi. The honour recognises Prashant for his influential efforts in promoting national consciousness and reviving transformative spiritual wisdom for modern society.

“A rare confluence of timeless spiritual insight and contemporary relevance —shaping not only individual lives, but the very fabric of our national consciousness,” said the IIT Delhi Alumni Association in its praise for the 47-year-old awardee.

A renowned Vedanta teacher, author, and founder of the PrashantAdvait Foundation, Prashant has authored over 160 books and spearheaded a wide range of initiatives blending inner transformation with social responsibility.

His teachings have reached premier institutions across the world, including the IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and UC Berkeley.

The Alumni Association also praised Prashant’s work for bridging ancient Indian philosophy with contemporary global challenges, noting his leadership in fostering a revolution rooted in clarity, compassion, and self-education.

One of Prashant’s flagship programmes, a large-scale Bhagavad Gita Teaching Program, has attracted over 100,000 participants and recently hosted what is considered the world’s largest Gita-based online examination.

In a move aimed at improving the condition of Delhi’s foot over bridges (FOBs), the city government has decided to permit advertising on around 100 such structures. The initiative is expected to generate additional revenue, which will be dedicated to the upkeep and repair of these essential public amenities. Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma has instructed officials to draw up a detailed proposal for the project. “The idea is to generate just enough revenue for the proper maintenance of the FOBs,” Verma said. He noted that many of the existing bridges, particularly those spanning busy roads, are currently in poor condition, with broken lifts, non-functional escalators, and damaged overhead covers.

PTI