Member of Parliament from Telangana Joginapally Santosh Kumar was honoured with the Champions of Change Telangana award for his exceptional contribution in the field of social welfare. Justice KG Balakrishnan, Former CJI and Former Chairman, NHRC felicitated him with the award. 

The first ever Champions of Change Telangana Award was held on 25 February 2022 at Taj Deccan- Kohinoor Hall in Hyderabad, Telangana. Eminent personalities from the state of Telangana were honoured for their immense contribution towards the society.

Humbled and honoured. Pleasantly surprised to be chosen for the prestigious #ChampionsOfChangeAward in #Telangana State. My heart felt thanks to Chairman Mr. @Nandan_Jha4 ji, Shri KG #Balakrishnan, Former CJI & Chairman, NHRC garu and the jury for selecting me for the award 🙏. pic.twitter.com/TInzSZjvZu

— Santosh Kumar J (@MPsantoshtrs) February 25, 2022

Some of the other esteemed personalities who were felicitated at the award ceremony were Gastroenterologist and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Nageswar Reddy, Badminton champion and Padma Bhushan PV Sindhu, Member of Telangana Legislative Assembly Pilot Rohith Reddy and Telugu actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

Santosh started his political journey in 2001 with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party and was Leader. He worked as a Personal Assistant to KCR ever since. In 2012, he was the Executive Director of T-news and is presently the Managing Director of Namasthe Telangana & Telugu Media House in Telangana, India.

Kumar launched a citizens’ initiative, Green India Challenge, on July 17, 2018, with the slogan ‘Hara hai toh bhara hai (if it’s green, it’s bountiful)’. Through this network, he has inspired celebrities, film actors, sportspersons and politicians to plant saplings and donate generously for the green cause. Many celebrities, in turn, have launched their own planting chains.

Kumar set the trend by adopting the 2,042-acre Keesara Gutta reserve forest near Hyderabad in 2019. He has spent Rs 3 crore from his MP local area development funds and family resources to plant 60,000 saplings there.

Champions of Change is an Indian award, for promoting Gandhian values, (Swachata), community service and social development (in Aspirational district in India), selected by constitutional jury members headed by K.G. Balakrishnan, Former Chief Justice of India and Former Chairman NHRC along with Former Judge of Supreme Court of India. Champions of Change Telangana award is a state version of Champions of change national award.

IFIE annually organizes Champions of Change Award at International, National and state-Level in India and it is usually presented by the President, Vice-President, Governor or a leading figure of India. Mr. Nandan Jha is the founder and Chairman of Champions of Change Award.