Founder Trustee Secretary
Smt. Shobhana Ranade has served as the Founder Trustee Secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society at Agakhan Palace, Pune since 1979, dedicating over four decades to preserving Bapu’s legacy and overseeing every facet of the Society’s work, from the Samadhis and Museum to the Library, Auditorium, and its many community programmes — a responsibility she carried with devotion until her very last days.
Inspired by Gandhian thought and guided by Vinoba Bhave, she established the National Training Institute for Women at Agakhan Palace, along with the Mahila Khadi Vidyalaya, the only one of its kind in India at the time, where 70% of trained women went on to run their own enterprises, realising Gandhiji’s vision of a self-reliant India.
Beyond GNMS, her life’s work spans child welfare and women’s empowerment across the country. She founded Balgram Maharashtra, today home to over 1,600 orphans, started the first child welfare centre in Assam, and established street children welfare centres in Mumbai and Pune. In tribal villages of NEFA and Nagaland, she trained women in weaving, spinning, health, and literacy, and achieved total literacy in the village of Anjangaon Surji, a model recognised by the Tata School of Social Science as a unique achievement.
Her lifetime of service has been recognised by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan in 2011, the nation’s third highest civilian honour, and over 30 awards including the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award, the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at Real Heroes 2012, each a testament to her unwavering commitment to Gandhian values, rural development, and the welfare of women and children.
Smt. Shobhana Ranade is a Gandhian social worker devoted to uplifting underprivileged women, children, and tribal communities. Guided by the belief that poverty is a violation of human rights, she trained under Madame Montessori herself and began her journey teaching hygiene, literacy, and healthcare in rural villages. She went on to establish numerous Balwadis across Pune, started the first child welfare centre (Shishu Niketan) in Assam, and founded Balgram Maharashtra, today home to over 1,600 orphans alongside street children welfare centres in Mumbai and Pune.
Her work in women’s empowerment spans tribal villages of NEFA and Nagaland, where she trained women in weaving, spinning, health, and literacy. In Maharashtra, she achieved total literacy in the village of Anjangaon Surji and trained over 365 social workers, 60% of whom actively serve rural India today. Since 1979, as Founder Trustee Secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society at Agakhan Palace, Pune, she has ran a National Training Institute for Women and established the Mahila Khadi Vidyalaya with 70% of its graduates now running their own enterprises embodying Gandhiji’s vision of a self-reliant India.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| Gandhi National Memorial Society | Trustee Secretary |
| Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust | Trustee |
| Balgram SOS Children's Villages (Maharashtra) | Trustee |
| All India Women's Conference (New Delhi) | Patron |
| All India Committee for Eradication of Illiteracy Among Women | President |
| Pune Women's Council | Trustee |
| Maharashtra Vidya Mandal | Trustee |
| Street Children Centers (Pune and Mumbai) | Trustee-Convenor |
| Mahila Bal Vikas Kendra (New Panvel) | Trustee-Convenor |
| 'Suneet' Bal Vikas Center (Ambernath) | Trustee-Convenor |
| All India Prohibition Council | Vice President |
| SOS Children's Villages of India (New Delhi) | Board Member |
| Maharashtra Nashabandi Parishad | Patron |
| Khadi & Village Industries Commission | Zonal Member |
| Organization/Initiative | Role |
|---|---|
| All India Women's Conference, New Delhi | President |
| National Adult Education Advisory Board | Member |
| Khadi & Village Industries Commission | Member |
| Stree Shakti Jagaran, Paunar | Convener |
| Adim Jaati Sevak Sangh, NEFA | Convener |
| All India Prohibition Council | Board Member |
| Maharashtra State Gramdaan Board | President |
| Maharashtra State Social Welfare Advisory Board | President |
| University of Pune | Senate Member |
Smt. Shobhana Ranade was honored with the Padma Bhushan (2011) by the Government of India, the nation’s third highest civilian award, for her distinguished service. She has also received 30 plus awards throughout her life, including the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award (2007), Lifetime Achievement Award (2012), and Jamnalal Bajaj Award (2011), for her dedicated efforts toward child welfare, uplifting marginalized communities and for her impactful grassroots work rooted in Gandhian values, promoting rural development and self-reliance.
| Year | Award Name | Awarding Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | D.Litt (Honoris Causa) | Symbiosis International University |
| 2012 | Life Time Achievement Award at Real Heroes | Reliance Foundation & CNN-IBN |
| 2011 | Padma Bhushan Award | Govt. of India |
| 2011 | Tapasvi Rishi Award | Sharada Dyanpitham Cultural Organization, Pune |
| 2011 | Award for Development and Welfare of Women and Children | Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation |
| 2009-10 | Awards of Excellence | Top Management Consortium |
| 2007 | Diamond Jubilee Community Award | Indian Merchants' Chamber |
| 2007 | Senior Freedom Fighter Award | Maharashtra Institute of Technology |
| 2007 | Jankibai Apte Social Service Award | Not Specified |
| 2007 | Samarth Bharat Award for Social Service | University of Pune |
| 2007 | Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award | Govt. of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development |
| 2006 | Maharshi Award | Pune Navratna Mahotsav |
| 2006 | Tagore Literacy Award | Indian Institute of Education |
| 2005 | Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar | University of Pune |
| 2005 | Mahalaxmi Social Welfare Award | Gurgaon |
| 2004 | Savitribai Phule Award | Pune Municipal Corporation |
| 2001 | Ahilyabai Holkar Award for Women & Child Development | Govt. of Maharashtra |
| 2001 | Gandhi Sanman Award | Govt. of Madhya Pradesh |
| 1997 | Adrsh Mata Gaurav Puraskar | All India Christian Association |
| 1992 | Dalit Mitra Award | Government of Maharashtra |
| 1989 | Nehru Fellowship Award | Kolkata |
| 1983 | National Award for Child Welfare Services | Not Specified |
| N/A | Punya Bhushan Award | Residency Club, Pune |
| N/A | Gandhi Seva Puraskar | Kolkata |
| N/A | Women's Development Award | Govt. of Maharashtra |
| N/A | Social Service Award | Rotary International |
| N/A | Award for Women's Development | Lions Club, Pune |
| N/A | Pune Gaurav Award for Social Work | Pune |
| N/A | Social Service Award | Kanchi Kamkoti Adi Shankaracharya |
| N/A | Bhoomiputra Award | Chennai |
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Lokyatra | The ideology of the Sarvodaya Movement |
| Stree Shakhi | Shri. Vinoda Bhave's thoughts on women's empowerment |
| Dr. Herman Gmeiner | A biography of the founder of the SOS concept of orphan care |
| Babasaheb Jadhav | A compilation of achievements of the founder member of Balgram, Maharashtra |
| Kathanibari Ghat | A translation of Assamese folk tales into Marathi |
| Regular Contributions | All India Radio, Doordarshan & daily newspapers |
| Conference Name | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|
| U.N. Conference on Non-Government Organization | New York | 1991 |
| World Environment Conference | Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 1991 |
| U.N. Conference on Racism and Xenophobia | Durban (South Africa) | 2001 |
| Inter-Faith Conference - HIV/AIDS | Bangkok | 2004 |
| International Alliance of Women Annual Conference | Greece, Vietnam & Nigeria | N/A |
| U.N. Conference on Non-Government Organization | Geneva | N/A |
| World Population Conference | Cairo (Egypt) | N/A |
| World Conference for Women | Bangkok, Jakarta and Beijing | N/A |
| Global Conference on Women in Agriculture | Melbourne | N/A |
| International Alliance of Women Annual Conference | Lusaka (Nigeria) | N/A |
| International Alliance of Women Annual Conference | Vietnam | N/A |
| International Alliance of Women Annual Conference | Kolkata | N/A |
Smt. Shobhana Ranade served as the Founder Trustee Secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society at Agakhan Palace, Pune since 1979, dedicating over four decades to preserving Bapu’s legacy and overseeing every facet of the Society’s work, from the Samadhis and Museum to the Library, Auditorium, and its many community programmes — a responsibility she carried with devotion until her very last days.
Inspired by Gandhian thought and guided by Vinoba Bhave, she established the National Training Institute for Women at Agakhan Palace, along with the Mahila Khadi Vidyalaya, the only one of its kind in India at the time, where 70% of trained women went on to run their own enterprises, realising Gandhiji’s vision of a self-reliant India.
Beyond GNMS, she dedicated her life’s work to child welfare and women’s empowerment across the country. She founded Balgram Maharashtra, today home to over 1,600 orphans, started the first child welfare centre in Assam, and established street children welfare centres in Mumbai and Pune. In tribal villages of NEFA and Nagaland, she trained women in weaving, spinning, health, and literacy, and achieved total literacy in the village of Anjangaon Surji, a model recognised by the Tata School of Social Science as a unique achievement.
Her lifetime of service has been recognised by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan in 2011, the nation’s third highest civilian honour. She is also the recipient of over 30 awards including the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award, the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at Real Heroes 2012, each a testament to her unwavering commitment to Gandhian values, rural development, and the welfare of women and children.
Smt. Shobhana Ranade served as the Founder Trustee Secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society at Agakhan Palace, Pune since 1979, dedicating over four decades to preserving Bapu’s legacy and overseeing every facet of the Society’s work, from the Samadhis and Museum to the Library, Auditorium, and its many community programmes — a responsibility she carried with devotion until her very last days.
Inspired by Gandhian thought and guided by Vinoba Bhave, she established the National Training Institute for Women at Agakhan Palace, along with the Mahila Khadi Vidyalaya, the only one of its kind in India at the time, where 70% of trained women went on to run their own enterprises, realising Gandhiji’s vision of a self-reliant India.
Beyond GNMS, her life’s work spans child welfare and women’s empowerment across the country. She founded Balgram Maharashtra, today home to over 1,600 orphans, started the first child welfare centre in Assam, and established street children welfare centres in Mumbai and Pune. In tribal villages of NEFA and Nagaland, she trained women in weaving, spinning, health, and literacy, and achieved total literacy in the village of Anjangaon Surji, a model recognised by the Tata School of Social Science as a unique achievement.
Her lifetime of service has been recognised by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan in 2011, the nation’s third highest civilian honour, and over 30 awards including the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award, the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at Real Heroes 2012, each a testament to her unwavering commitment to Gandhian values, rural development, and the welfare of women and children.
Smt. Shobhana Ranade is a Gandhian social worker devoted to uplifting underprivileged women, children, and tribal communities. Guided by the belief that poverty is a violation of human rights, she trained under Madame Montessori herself and began her journey teaching hygiene, literacy, and healthcare in rural villages. She went on to establish numerous Balwadis across Pune, started the first child welfare centre (Shishu Niketan) in Assam, and founded Balgram Maharashtra, today home to over 1,600 orphans alongside street children welfare centres in Mumbai and Pune.
Her work in women’s empowerment spans tribal villages of NEFA and Nagaland, where she trained women in weaving, spinning, health, and literacy. In Maharashtra, she achieved total literacy in the village of Anjangaon Surji and trained over 365 social workers, 60% of whom actively serve rural India today. Since 1979, as Founder Trustee Secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society at Agakhan Palace, Pune, she has ran a National Training Institute for Women and established the Mahila Khadi Vidyalaya with 70% of its graduates now running their own enterprises embodying Gandhiji’s vision of a self-reliant India.
