New Delhi – ClubD2S – Drive Smart Drive Safe, a leading voluntary organisation for road safety, proudly announced the recipients of the prestigious Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Memorial Hall of Road Safety Award 2023. The awards ceremony, held at the Holiday Inn, Aerocity, New Delhi, was to recognise exemplary journalism that has significantly contributed to road safety awareness and action in India.
The Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Memorial Hall of Road Safety Award for 2023 was awarded to Mr Dipak K. Dash, a distinguished professional with over two decades of experience, currently serving as a Senior Assistant Editor at the Times Of India, where he has been employed for 18 years. More than 13 years of focused coverage in the field of road safety, he has published numerous reports and analytical pieces on road safety issues. Mr. Dash’s contributions extend to the creation of special stories for the UN Global Road Safety Week. He has also been a WHO fellow on road safety and has been selected to participate and provide coverage at the First Global Safety Conference in Wellington & Global Road Safety meeting in Brasilia, as well as the recent Safety Summit in Stockholm. He was also chosen for the John Hopkins Bloomberg Road Safety Leadership programme.
Additionally, Road Safety Champion Awards were presented to individuals whose work has inspired positive change and saved lives on Indian Roads:
Vikram Parihar – Recognized for initiating the most significant RoadSafety Campaign “MYFM Dekhta Hai,” a groundbreaking 10-day RoadSafety Campaign. With a 30-foot watchtower studio in Indore’s busiest circle, live RJs ensured traffic rule adherence, interviewed authorities, and engaged listeners.
Nitasha Natu – Acknowledged for tireless efforts in advocating for pedestrian safety and raising awareness about challenges faced by vulnerable road users. Her work as Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, notably on pedestrian fatalities and pandemic-induced intersection redesign, earned recognition, including a prestigious award from WHO and ICFJ in 2022.
Shailendra Sharma – Honoured for advocating road safety and aids crash victims for nearly 7 years, fostering awareness and acting as a good Samaritan as Senior Reporter, Rajasthan Patrika.
Nilesh Wadhwa – Applauded for written reports that have helped explained the gravity of the road safety situation in India, as Principal Correspondent at Financial Express.
The selection of the awardees was based on relevance of content, Impact, Research, Analysis, Creativity, Innovation, Consistency, Longevity , Outreach & Engagement by an esteemed panel of jury members, each distinguished in their field: The jury included
Mr SD Banga: Former Secretary, Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety & Chief Advisor at Indian Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety
Mr Dilip Chenoy: Former Secretary General at Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Chairman at Bharat Web3 Association
Mr Dr. S P Garg: Former Executive Director at GAIL India Limited and Deputy Managing Director at MYPG Techno Inspection Services Pvt Ltd
Mr Kaniappan P: Senior VP, ZF Group, and Regional President, Commercial Vehicles Solutions Division
Readyassist and CarTrade Tech partnered with ClubD2S and supported the event, playing a vital role in enhancing road safety awareness.
Drive Smart Drive Safe (Club D2S): A committed NGO relentlessly driving initiatives to create safer roads since more than a decade, working with Ministry of Road Transport, ACMA, SIAM, FICCI, ASDC, ICAT CII and more than 500 participating organisations. Through advocacy, education, and innovative programs, D2S actively contributes to road safety across communities.
CarTrade Tech: A leading force in the automotive industry, CarTrade Tech Ltd. is a multi-channel auto platform, encompassing various vehicle types and alueadded services. Operating under renowned brands like CarWale, CarTrade, Shriram Automall, BikeWale, CarTradeExchange, Adroit Auto and OLX, it connects new and used automobile customers, dealerships, OEMs, and businesses, streamlining the process of buying and selling vehicles with simplicity and efficiency. Their support highlights their commitment to promoting road safety.
Ready Assist: A trusted ally in road safety, Ready Assist provides timely assistance, ensuring safer journeys for all. ReadyAssist is India’s leading technology-backed roadside assistance and vehicle lifecycle management company, providing 24/7 real-time breakdown and on-spot repair service across 19,000+ pin codes covering 700+ districts in India.
“With a scientific approach and a system-based strategy, we aim to reduce alarming road deaths in India. While road crashes have multifaceted causes, selfenforcement of life-saving protocols, following our road rules, stands as a low hanging solution – Let’s #BeTheChange, #JabHumBadlengeTohDeshBadlega. The role of the media in building this narrative and transforming our traffic sense and driver behaviour will go a long way in saving lives on Indian roads. It is in this context that the Deepangshu Dev Memorial Hall of Road Safety Award for Media Professionals will contribute significantly to saving more lives,” said Rama Shankar Pandey, CEO-TATA GREEN BATTERIES, and Volunteer NGO Drive Smart Drive Safe.
Furthermore, Anil Sultan, Director ClubD2S, expressed his joy at accepting this year’s awardee Dipak Dash’s recommendation to initiate a Fellowship program on Road Safety for young Indians aspiring to join the media field. “Two fellowships in FY’ 23-24 are initiated, with support from the industry, fostering dedicated and passionate journalists committed to advancing road safety awareness. I am thankful to Ready Assist and CarTrade Tech as supporting partners of D2S in this initiative,” added Anil Sultan.
