These people of Indian descent made it to the King Charles Birthday Honors List

London:

More than 40 Indian doctors, businessmen and community heroes are on the British government’s first honor roll for the birth of King Charles III. as a British monarch.

Dr Parvinder Kaur Aaliyah, Director of Global Operations for the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, has been honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to vaccination during Covid-19.

Professor Prokar Dasgupta, Founding Professor of Surgery at King’s Health Partners and Head of Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation at King’s College London, has also been awarded an OBE for services to surgery and science.

Among the British-Indian business leaders honored is Anuj Chand, Partner and Head of the South Asian Business Group at Grant Thornton UK LLP, who holds an OBE for International Trade and Investment Services and a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Hina Solanki, Founder of Business and Charity Services at Sol Cosmedics.

The list was published by the British government in London on Friday evening. “This year’s honors list is a testament to the ordinary people who have shown exceptional community spirit, and I salute all those honored today,” said Oliver Dowden, UK Deputy Prime Minister.

A total of 1,171 people were honored, 52 percent of whom were people who have done outstanding work in their communities, either voluntarily or paid, and 11 percent of the successful candidates come from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Among the highest honors was a knighthood for the recently deceased writer Martin Amis for his services to literature. He also received a Knight Award from British director Stephen Frears. Dame Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, and author Sir Ian McEwan have joined the Elite Fellows of Honor programme.

Other honorees of Indian descent include OBEs for Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology Anju Kumar for Women’s Health and Social Care Services in Wales; District Attorney Varinder Hare for Law and Order Services in London; and Sunand Prasad, UK Green Building Council Chair of Renovation Services.

A physiotherapist and chiropractor in Roma Bhopal, who specializes in physical therapy, also receives physiotherapy services; Bawa Singh Dalu, the late Councilor and Mayor of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough, West Midlands, for his political and voluntary service; violinist Jyotsna Srikanth for Musical Services; and Ritu Khurana, disc jockey and broadcaster, for music and broadcasting services.

The list also includes around a dozen British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients of Indian heritage, including Balvir Mohan Bhalla, founder of the charity Super Cool Friends, for services to the community in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge, particularly during COVID-19; Rakesh Chauhan, pianist and composer, for his contributions to music, charities and mental health in the British Asian community, particularly during COVID-19; and Kailash Malhotra, volunteer peer educator, Kidney Research UK, for kidney organ donation services for ethnic minorities.

“We are very proud and grateful to have received this award,” said Postmasters Balbir Kaur and Kuldip Singh Dhillon, both recipients of the BEM Award for Community Service in Birchwood, Cheshire.

The King’s Birthday honors people who have achieved success in public life and are committed to serving and helping Britain.

It is announced every year on the eve of the king’s official birthday and celebrated in June. Panels of independent experts meet twice a year to review nominations. A master committee then decides and approves the final list, which is sent to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and then to the King to be formally awarded on his behalf.

(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by the NDTV staff and was released via syndicated feed.)