Sakshi President Dr. Mridula Tandon was felicitated for her lifetime of work in Poverty Alleviation and Women's Empowerment by the Jan Kalyan Samiti on 9th May, 2013, at the Constitution Club, VIP House, New Delhi.

Sakshi President Dr. Mridula Tandon was felicitated for her lifetime of work in poverty alleviation, women's empowerment and gender-based social issues by the Parivartan Jan Kalyan Samiti at the Constitution Club, VIP House, on 9th May, 2013, during their celebration of "Shramik Adhikar Divas" ("Labour Day"). 

Shri Jai Narayan Prasad, Honourable Minister of Parliament presented the award to Dr. Tandon. Also present on the dias were representatives from a broad spectrum of political parties and government agencies, who had gathered together in a rare show of political unity to celebrate the contribution and importance of labour (श्रम) to our country. The luminaries included Shri Kamal Kishore, MLA; Shri Nagendra Nath Ojha, ex-MLA; Shree Atul Kumar Anjaan, National Secretary, CPI and National Chief Secretary, All Indian Farmers Congress; Shree Raj Kamal, National Secretary, National Foundation of Central Government Employees and Workers; Shree R.A. Mittal, National Chief Secretary, HMS and others. 

The Samiti felicitated Dr. Tandon for her commitment to the cause of alleviating poverty and empowering women, and thanked her for working to uplift the the poorest-of-poor and underprivileged in urban slums, most of whom were labourers and therefore constituents of the Jan Kalyan Samiti, and who, by virtue of their illiteracy and lack of socio-economic empowerment were subject to exploitation and destitution.

Co-Founder and now President of Sakshi, Dr. Mridula Tandon has worked for Poverty Alleviation through Girl Child Upliftment and Women's Empowerment for over twenty years. She initiated Health Camps, Remedial Education, Non-Formal Education and Vocational Training Centres, Legal Aid Camps, and Micro-Enterprises for girls and women, the "Mahila Panchayat Project" with the Delhi Commission of Women, the "Women's Leadership Training Project" with the Ministry of Minority Affairs. Dr. Tandon is also a long-time worker in gender-based social issues,helping organizations prevent sexual harassment and most recently, addressing women's safety in communities through the "Avaaz Uthao" project with the Government of Delhi. Last but not least, adhering to her belief "वसुदैव कुटुम्बकम", she also personally sponsors the education of girl children from low-income families.

Dr. Tandon co-founded Sakshi 20 years ago, and has worked diligently to build it into a unique full-spectrum development NGO with its 100+ centres providing a comprehensive set of Health, Education & Community Development programs to empower the poorest-of-poor to break the cycle-of-poverty. The Delhi Government adjudged it the best in its field. Noting its grave need, Dr. Tandon championed the cause of girls & women through Sakshi, resulting in Health, Nutrition & Family Planning camps for women, Remedial & Non-Formal Education Centres to mainstream marginalized street girl children, Vocational Training centres to empower low-literate young women to earn a decent livelihood and Community Programs to build awareness about the Importance of the Girl Child.

As President, Sakshi, since 2009, Dr. Tandon has continued her mission of Poverty Alleviation through Girl Child Upliftment and Women’s Empowerment. Sakshi has become the Government’s Mission Convergence partner launching socio-economic empowerment programs for destitute women including Micro-Enterprises, Gender Resource Centres and Adult Literacy Program. Importantly, Sakshi began to train women for leadership with two new projects - “Mahila Panchayat” in partnership with the Delhi Commission of Women and Leadership Training of Women” with the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Further, Dr. Tandon has been a long-time worker in the area of gender-based social issues, instituting “How to Spot and Cope with Predators” as a Life Skills Workshop for girls at Sakshi Education Centres, starting Legal Aid Camps for women and working with organizations in “Gender Sensitization and Prevention of Sexual Harassment”, providing Employee Training, Policy Consulting and Case Arbitration assistance. Most recently, under Dr. Tandon’s stewardship, Sakshi has become the Government’s “Avaaz Uthao” Program partner, under which it will work with local communities to address women’s safety and aid women in distress, especially victims of sexual harassment & rape.  

Last but not least, Dr. Tandon is a dedicated philanthropist, and a major donor to charities including Sakshi NGO and others in the field of environment and animal welfare. Adhering to the belief "वसुदैव कुटुम्बकम", Dr. Tandon  is also a long-time personal sponsor of the education of children of low-income families and local projects in street animal welfare, and being herself a prize-winning amateur golfer, she (together with her husband, Mr. Satish Tandon, Founder President, Women’s Golf Association of India), sponsored the training expenses of many caddies aspiring to turn pros.

Dr. Tandon thanked the Jan Kalyan Samiti for providing a platform to social workers to spread their message, which in turn would hopefully result in informed debate and positive action that would make the world a better place and advance our civilization. 

The Jan Kalyan Samiti Labour Day Program was both substantial and artistic. It included a beautiful Bharatnatyam performance by Shrimati Sunita Menon, witty compering by Dr. Rekha Vyas and poetry on the state of labour and state of the nation by well-known poets who were greeted with thundering claps by the audience. The public luminaries present put forward their views on topics like labour, development, investment, growth alternating between a striking a serious note and punctuating sober insights with humour and anecdotes.

All in all, it was an informative and celebratory evening, which acknowledged the importance and contribution of labour, recognized the efforts of individuals to uplift this critical but oft under-recognized and underserved segment of our population and also forwarded the debate on key issues of national importance.