Thirteen Indian-Australians have been felicitated in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours announced by the Government of Australia today.
These include two senior medical specialists and an advertising executive who have received AM honours, and a variety of other professionals and community volunteers in the OAM category.
Professor Harshal Nandurkar and Associate Professor Ravi Subramanya Bhat, both of Victoria, were appointed to the AM order for their services to haematology and rural psychiatry respectively.
Sunita Gloster of NSW claimed her honour for significant service to the media and marketing industry and to gender equality.
Amongst the OAM awardees were:
Wagga Wagga’s Dr Saba Nabi for community health, education and multicultural affairs;
Sydney’s Kalpana Sriram for community mental health;
Sydney’s Vinod Daniel for service to conservation and the environment;
Canberra’s Jayshri Patricia Falcetta for social welfare activities;
Canberra’s Muhammed SadarudDean Sahu Khan for service to the community and to interfaith relations;
Canberra’s Arun Venkatesha for service to the Indian community of the Australian Capital Territory;
Melbourne’s Dr Virendra Kumar Berera for service to the Indian community of Victoria;
Melbourne’s Joseph Aloysious De Souza for service to the community;
Canberra’s Dr Sunita Siddhu Dhindsa for service to the Indian community of the Australian Capital Territory, and
Canberra’s Nishi Puri for service to the Indian community of the Australian Capital Territory
Clearly a solid representation from Canberran Indians this time round, as also from those involved in volunteering endeavours within the community.
6 of the 13 recipients this year were female, not far from the national average of 50.6% of the recipients this year.
The King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List this year recognises 1,191 outstanding and inspirational Australians. Of these 465 awards went to women. This is the first time since the introduction of the Australian honours system in 1975 that more women than men have been recognised in the General Division.
A wide age range was also observed this year, the youngest being 30 and the oldest, 97.
The COVID Honour Roll was also announced, for the third year since 2021, recognising contribution, service or achievement relating to COVID-19. From our community Dr Saba Nabi was listed here, alongside Preetpal Singh in the Australian Corrections Medal list.
“Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today’s Honours List,” the Governor-General David Hurley said as he announced the awards. “Recipients have made substantial contributions and had a significant impact at the local, national or international level. Some are volunteers, others have had a remarkable impact in professional roles – many have done both. They are all inspiring and their service is valued by us all.”
He added, “Learning about the wide-ranging service of recipients, which spans almost every field of endeavour imaginable, is uplifting and makes me enormously optimistic for our country. Collectively they speak to who we are now and who we can be in the future.”
READ ALSO: Dr. Ravi Bhat, AM: King’s Birthday Honours 2023