Meet Padma Shri awardee MC Dawar, Madhya Pradesh doctor who treats patients for just Rs 20

A list of more than 100 national residents who have been chosen to receive the Padma Awards 2023 was released by the Center on the eve of the 74th Republic Day. There are several well-known people on the list, including the late politician Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Indian activist Sudha Murty.

Dr. M. C. Dawar, a 77-year-old physician from the Madhya Pradesh district of Jabalpur, has received the fourth-highest civilian award, the Padam Shri, from the Indian government. The list of Padma Awardees 2023 includes a total of 106 individuals, including those who will receive the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri, India's second-highest civilian honours after the Bharat Ratna.

Who is Dr. MC Dawar?

After the partition, Dr. Dawar relocated to India. He was born on January 16, 1946, in Punjab, Pakistan. He graduated from Jabalpur with an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) in 1967. Additionally, he spent about a year in the Indian Army during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Since then, he has been offering extremely low-cost medical services to residents of Jabalpur. He initially treated patients for just Rs 2, and his current service charge is just Rs 20.

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Why does he only charge Rs 20?

Dr. Dawar noted after receiving the Padma Shri award that sometimes working hard pays off, even if it takes time. He said, " I have received this award as a result of that and with the people's blessings." Speaking of his experiences in life, he said that there was undoubtedly conversation in the home about the suitability of such a low fee, but there was no disagreement.

The fees weren't raised because we didn't have any other goals besides serving the public. He further added, "The basic mantra of success is if you work patiently then you definitely get success and success is also respected."

"We used to think that awards are given only because of political reach," said Dr. Dawar's son Rishi, "but the way the government is finding and honouring the people working on the ground, it is a very good thing, and our father has received this award." Suchita, Dr. Dawar's daughter-in-law, said that the family and city should be very proud of it.

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(With inputs from ANI)