Social worker Shakuntala Chowdhary passed away.

Why in news?

• The Padma Shri recipient Shakuntala Chowdhary passed away at the age of 102 years due to age related ailments.
• Shakuntala Choudhary was born on 25 June 1920 in Guwahati, Assam. She was also known as Shakunthala Baideo (elder sister), was an Indian social worker known for her commitment and devotion to the popularization of the Gandhian way of life.
• In 1947, she joined the Assam branch of the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT).
• This branch of the Trust in Guwahati, known as the Kasturba Ashram or the Sarania Ashram. It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1946.
• She was also closely associated with Vinoba Bhave who initiated the ‘Bhoodan Movement’ in India. She worked with him in translating his lectures from Hindi to Assamese, and was an active participant in Padayatra undertaken by Vinoba Bhave in Assam during the Bhoodan movement.
• Awards-
• Jamnalal Bajaj Award ( 2010) for the Development and Welfare of Women And Children.
• Padma Shri award (2022), for distinguished service in the field of social work.
• Vavoshestha Samman – National Awards For Senior Citizens 2021.