Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
azadi ka amrit mahotsav

President of India Confers National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026 to 15 Awardees at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Posted On: 12 MAY 2026 1:40PM by PIB Delhi

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2026 to nursing professionals at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today. A total of 15 nurses from diverse regions and healthcare settings were honoured in recognition of their exemplary service, unwavering dedication to strengthening public health delivery, and outstanding commitment to the welfare of the community.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav also graced the occasion.

In her message on the occasion, the President remarked that “nursing personnel exemplify the highest standards of service and play a crucial role in delivering quality healthcare, often in the most challenging circumstances.”

Honouring the unwavering compassion, resilience, and dedication of nurses on the International Nurses Day, Shri Nadda remarked that “Echoing this year’s theme Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives, we see how nurses strengthen our healthcare systems and drive national progress. By investing in their well-being, we build healthier communities, thriving societies, and a robust future. Let’s cherish, safeguard, and uplift those who selflessly care for us all.”

The National Florence Nightingale Award, instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, honours the dedication, compassion, and resilience that define the nursing profession. These prestigious awards are presented to Registered Nurses, Midwives, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives, and Lady Health Visitors serving across Central and State Governments, Union Territories, and voluntary organizations. Each award includes a Certificate of Merit, a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, and a medal symbolizing the nation’s gratitude for the invaluable service rendered by these health warriors.

 

 

The nurses who were awarded today are as under:

S.No.

Category

Name

State / Union Territory

1

ANM

Ms Kulwinder Parhi

Ladakh (Union Territory)

2

ANM

Ms Ujwala Mahadev Soyam

Maharashtra

3

ANM

Ms Lalenthangi Hnamte

Mizoram

4

ANM

Ms Madhu Mala Gurung

Sikkim

5

ANM

Ms Pooja Parmar Rana

Uttarakhand

6

ANM

Ms Gita Karmakar

West Bengal

7

Nurse

Ms Poonam Verma

Chandigarh (Union Territory)

8

Nurse

Ms Deepa Biju

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (UTs)

9

Nurse

Dr Sharwan Kumar Dhaka

Delhi

10

Nurse

Ms Raksha Rupo Parvatkar

Goa

11

Nurse

Ms Kavitha Jagannath

Karnataka

12

Nurse

Ms Manju Mol V S

Keralam

13

Nurse

Ms Aysha Beebi K

Lakshadweep (Union Territory)

14

Nurse

Prof (Dr) R Shankar Shanmugam

Tamil Nadu

15

Nurse

Major Gen Lissamma P V

IHQ of MoD (Army), Delhi

 

Nursing has a pivotal role to address the multiple health challenges and respond to the health needs of individuals, communities and the world. According to the scope of practice, nurses provide appropriate, accessible and evidence-based care. With a core role as patient advocate, their scientific reasoning skills, numbers and spectrum of care across the continuum, nurses are ideally placed to lead and inform health services decision making policy development. Being closest to patients, nurses can bring their voice to the policy table.

Recognising the vital role of nurses and midwives in strengthening healthcare delivery, the Government of India, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, has undertaken transformative initiatives to expand training capacity, modernise nursing education and regulatory frameworks through the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Act, and establishment of 157 nursing colleges co-located with medical colleges to build a skilled, competent and empowered nursing workforce for improved health outcomes and a stronger healthcare system.

*****

SR

HFW–President confers National Florence Nightingale Awards/12th May 2026/1


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