New Delhi Television, more popularly known as NDTV, India’s well known and trailblazing news channel which has carved a niche with its on the spot reports and unbiased news analysis turned 25 years in December 2013. The Channel decided that the best way to celebrate the occasion would be by honouring 25 leading Indians who have reached the pinnacle in their respective field, contributed to the society and left an indelible mark on the sands of time. It chose 25 eminent personalities from a diverse background and bestowed them with the coveted title “Greatest Global Indian Living Legend’.
The glittering awarding ceremony was held at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan on Saturday the 14th of December 2013 with a host of VVIP’s in attendance and none other than the First Citizen of the Nation Honourable President Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the awards. Dr SS.Badrinath, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya fondly and respectfully referred to as ‘Chief’ by the Sankara Nethralaya family was chosen for his significant ‘Contribution to Medicine.’ As he walked up to the dais to be warmly received by Dr. Prannoy Roy of NDTV and receive the award from the President, the presenter of the ceremony described him as a ‘Visionary Ophthalmologist’ and highlighted that it was not just free eye care but uncompromising State of the Art eye Care that was the result of the determined vision of the Living Legend, to the thunderous applause of the other eminent recipients and distinguished audience assembled at the famed South Hall of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan and perhaps the whole World watching the programme being telecast live on NDTV.
Humbly acknowledging the great honour bestowed on him Dr SS.Badrinath thanked the Rashtrapathiji for his kind gesture of presenting the award, he had a thoughtful greeting for Dr. Prannoy Roy and NDTV his Channel which was turning 25 years. Delivering the thanks note he observed that India was a poor country and many things still had to be done for its growth and underlined the critical need to provide good quality and affordable health care to all Indians. Dr.SS.Badrinath emphasized that the future of the country is in the hands of youngsters and wanted the recognition given to him to inspire the youth of the nation. He dedicated the award to the employees of Sankara Nethralaya and thanked his family for solidly standing by him and supporting him all the way in his life journey and ended his address with President John F.Kennedy’s famous quote ‘Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for it’.