Growing up in Mumbai’s Kamathipura, Shweta Katti earned a Bard College scholarship at 18 and received the UN Youth Courage Award.
Indian Army medical officer Major Deeksha C. Mudadevannanavar, from Karnataka, reportedly achieved the distinction after overcoming two unsuccessful selection attempts.
From conducting physiological research in the Arctic to reaching the rank of Air Marshal, Padmavathy Bandopadhyay broke barriers in Indian military medicine.
The South African jurist, who fought apartheid and held key roles in international courts and the United Nations, is honoured for advancing peace, human rights and international law.
From completing Class 12 to teaching English online, Yashoda turned self-learning into a digital classroom for others.
Lalremsiami’s 10th-minute winner on her 200th international appearance helped India reclaim women’s Asian Games hockey gold after 44 years.
Smriti Mandhana succeeds Harmanpreet Kaur as India’s full-time white-ball captain, beginning a new chapter after a historic World Cup triumph.
In 2022, Kirti Sharma’s farmer father borrowed ₹60,000 from a local commission agent for her recurve bow, years before she helped India win its first women’s recurve team gold at the Asian Games.
In a breakthrough 2026 Asian Games campaign, Vithya Ramraj broke PT Usha’s 42-year-old record and won gold, silver and bronze.
Indian runner Parul Chaudhary clinched her second bronze at the 2026 Asian Games, adding to her national-record performance in the 3,000m steeplechase.
