Honours and Awards of Helma Ritscher
1. On 30th
January 2001, Helma Ritscher was awarded the "Medal of the Order of
Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany" by the German Federal
President, Mr. Johannes
Rau, for her contribution to international understanding.
2. In 2002,
she received the "Avantika National Humanity Award" in Delhi.
3. On 8th
March 2010, on International Women's Day, Dr. Lenin Raguvanshi and his
human rights organisation Peoples Vigilance Committee On Human Rights
(PVCHR) honoured Helma Ritscher with the "JanMitra Award" in
Baghwanala for her commitment to the rights of the Dalit,
Tribals and disadvantaged children. On this day, Helma Ritscher was in Baghwanala to personally participate
in the inauguration of a school which was built exclusively with funds from
sponsors in Remscheid, the Indo-German Society Affiliate Remscheid and the
PVCHR.
4. On 28th February 2012,
the "Helma Ritscher Education Scholarship Fund", was
established in Baghwanala on Helma Ritscher's behalf. This long-term, sustainable initiative offers
underprivileged boys and, in particular, girls a chance for further studies. On the same day, Helma Ritscher was
given the honour to inaugurate the "Savitri Bai Phule Memorial Women's
Centre" in Baghwanala.
5. On 29th September 2012, on
the occasion on the Annual General Meeting of the Indo-German Society, Helma
Ritscher was awarded the “Badge of Honour of the Indo-German Society 2012”
by the Federal Executive Board in recognition of her special achievements and
contributions to the society. The “Badge of Honour of the Indo-German
Society” was introduced in 2004 to honour persons, who have rendered
particularly outstanding services in achieving the goals of the society. It was
awarded for the first time in 2007.
6. On 10th December 2017, the
International Day of Human Rights, the “Helma
Ritscher Centre for Human Dignity”
was inaugurated by Acharya Mrityunjay Tripathi and Maulana Haroon Rashid in
Baghwanala. The ceremony was jointly organised by PVCHR, IRCT & Sajha
Sanskriti Manch.
The Centre offers educational courses to access the modern digital world and
offers additional chances and appreciation for the underprivileged, especially
for girls and women. The “Helma Ritscher
Centre for Human Dignity” was built and equipped with modern technology and
furnishings through development funds by Engagement Global gGmbh and the Indo-German
Society Affiliate Remscheid.
7. On 17th January 2018
Helma Ritscher was awarded by the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on
suggestion by the Chief Minister of Northrhine-Westphalia with the Officer’s
Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The award was handed over on 9th
April 2018 by State Secretary Andrea Milz in recognition for the acquired
merits of Helma Ritscher for the people and the state of Germany at the House
of the State Parliament in Duesseldorf.
The Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the
Federal Republic of Germany is
awarded to Non- Germans and Germans for their political, economical, social and
intellectual accomplishments and for outstanding contributions to the Federal
Republic of Germany in social and charitable areas. It is the highest
appreciation which the Federal Republic of Germany awards for outstanding
merits.
