The award, which carries an amount of Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a shawl, is presented to an organisation which has made outstanding contribution to women's welfare and empowerment.
The Durgabai Deshmukh award for women's development was constituted in 1997 by Central Social Welfare Board, an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to honour the memory of its founder chairperson Durgabai Deshmukh.
Deshmukh was an active participant in the independence movement. She founded the Andhra Mahila Sabha and as Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board imparted to the organisation her distinct flair for activism in the sphere of women's welfare and development.
The awards for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 will be given at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.