Nari Shakti Puruskar is the highest civilian honour for women in India. Awardees are women who have done outstanding work in exceptional circumstances in the areas of social and economic empowerment. The award is given out on International Women’s Day. Here is a list of Nari Shakti Award recipients from Nagaland.

About Nari Shakti Puruskar Award

Nari Shakti Puruskar is the highest civilian award for women in India. The award was instituted in 1999 under the title of Stree Shakti Puraskar, renamed and reorganised in 2015. It is awarded in six institutional and two individual categories, which carry a cash prize of 200,000 and 100,000 rupees, respectively. The award is sponsored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India.

The Nari Shakti Puruskar is awarded to women for outstanding work, preferably in exceptional circumstances, to individuals in the areas of: economic and social empowerment of women or pertaining to this theme or incidental thereto.
The Nari Shakti Puruskar may be awarded to individuals who encouraged women to participate in decision making roles; encouraged women’s skill development in traditional and non-traditional sectors; facilitated basic amenities for rural women; promoted women in non-traditional sectors like science and technology, sports, art, culture, concretely and significantly towards safety and security, health and wellness, education, skill development, life skills, respect and dignity of women etc.
Nominations for Nari Shakti Award are done online on the official website of the Ministry of Women and Child Development www.wed.nic.in.
Decoration under this award includes: 1. Certificate and 2. Cash Prize – INR 2,00,000/-
The award is presented on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8th March every year.
To know more about the nomination process, eligibility and other details visit https://www.awards.gov.in/Home/AwardLibrary.

List of Nari Shakti Award recipients from Nagaland:

Nari Shakti Puruskar 2016: Ms. Zuboni Humtsoe

Ms. Zuboni Humtsoe was an Indian entrepreneur from Nagaland who started an online fashion and handicraft brand called PreciousMeLove in Nagaland. She was presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar (2016) on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 08, 2017 for her outstanding contribution to women empowerment. The award was bestowed by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.

She founded a company named Preciousmelove (PML) in 2011, through Facebook with an initial capital of Rs. 3500. PML managed by an all-girls team is an online fashion brand selling premium Nagaland designs for women, accessories, vintage clothing and handicrafts. PML promotes talented young models, photographers, stylists, seamstresses, doll-makers and provides them a platform to sell their products and designs. In June 2016, PML launched its own e-commerce website becoming the first fashion e-commerce site from Northeast India managed by an all girls team. The company also conducts ‘Entrepreneurship Training/workshop’ in different rural/urban schools, institutes and colleges.

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskars for the year 2016 to Ms. Zuboni Humtsoe, Nagaland, at a function, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 08, 2017.

Update: Ms. Zuboni Humtsoe was found dead on 13 November 2017 at her home in Dimapur, Nagaland, reportedly due to suicide. She was 28.

Nari Shakti Puruskar 2016: Ms. Bano Haralu

Bano Megolhusau Haralu is an Indian journalist and a conservationist from Nagaland.
She worked with Doordarshan, NDTV and was the editor of Eastern Mirror. She was awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons and Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016.
She pioneered a bird and wildlife survey for the Forest Department leading to the publication of the book on ‘Birds of Nagaland’ and co-ordinated a survey to determine the status of wildlife in eight locations across the state.
She formed the Nagaland Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Trust in 2013 that focuses on ‘Wildlife Conservation Education’. She has also received the ‘Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award’ in 2016.

Nari Shakti Puruskar 2018: Ms. Hekani Jakhalu Kense

Hekani is a US educated lawyer by profession and partnered a law firm in Delhi prior to founding YouthNet.
She is a social entrepreneur and founder of YouthNet, an NGO based in Kohima, Nagaland, primarily dealing with skill development and employment of unemployed youth.