Aizawl, Aug 3 NNN: Mizoram received the 5th JRD Tata Memorial Award for outstanding performance in improving the health of their people for the year 2011.
\nWhile Mizoram was selected from among 18 high-focus states, defined under the National Rural Health Mission as states with poor health indicators and weak infrastructure, Goa led from among the non-high-focus states.
\nThe award was instituted in memory of Population Foundation of India, Founder Chairman JRD Tata, recognizes the pace of progress by states and districts on population and reproductive health programmes.
\nNobel Laureate and renowned economist Prof Amartya Sen presented the award to senior Ministers and District Collectors from the award-winning States and districts at the JRD Tata Memorial Oration and Awards ceremony on July 31 in New Delhi, a delayed report from Delhi said.
\nMr Lalrinliana Sailo, Mizoram minister for Health and Family Welfare accepted the trophy and Rs 10 lakh on behalf of Mizoram state government.\u00a0
\nThe prize money is to be spent on strengthening the work of NGOs working on reproductive health and family planning programmes.
\nThe ceremony also marked the completion of 40 years of Population Foundation Of India (PFI\u2019s) commitment to improving the health and well being of Indian families in unserved and underserved areas.
\nPFI had set up a high-level technical committee chaired by Prof PM Kulkarni of the Jawaharlal Nehru University to select the winners.
\nThe committee had identified a set of 13 indicators on reproductive health, gender equity, family planning and housing amenities to measure the progress of the districts in the country.<\/p>\n\n