>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian male social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers

2021-07-31T18:16:39Z

Merging Category:Indian male social workers to Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|13 May 1941}}
| birth_place = [[Erode district|Erode]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| alma_mater = [[Loyola College, Chennai]]
| occupation = Social worker
| yearsactive = since 1970
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents =
| website = {{URL||Official web site}}
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] National Rehabilitation Award Erwin Stindl Memorial Oration Award Best Social Worker Award Wellesley Bailey Award AIFO Award FESCO Award Sumanahalli Life Time Achievement Award Nippon Foundation
}}
'''P. K. Gopal''' is an Indian social worker and a co-founder of International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement (IDEA),<ref name="IDEA Home">{{cite web | url=http://www.idealeprosydignity.org/index.html | title=IDEA Home | publisher=IDEA | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> an international advocacy group,<ref name="IDEA">{{cite web | url=http://www.leprosy-information.org/organization/idea-international-association-integration-dignity-and-economic-advancement | title=IDEA | publisher=InfoLep | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> known for his services towards eradication of [[leprosy]], [[Leprosy in India|especially in India]].<ref name="ILA">{{cite web | url=http://www.leprosy-ila.org/arquivos/premio_gopal.pdf | title=ILA | publisher=ILA | date=2012 | access-date=5 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="ILEP">{{cite web | url=http://www.ilep.org.uk/news-events/article/dr-p-k-gopal-announced-as-padma-shri-579/ | title=ILEP | publisher=ILEP | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="SMHF">{{cite web | url=http://www.smhf.or.jp/e/157/ | title=SMHF | publisher=SMHF | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Leprosy Mission">{{cite web | url=http://www.leprosymission.org/dr-p-k-gopal-receives-padma-shri-award.html | title=Leprosy Mission | publisher=Leprosy Mission | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> He was honored by the [[Government of India]], in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of [[Padma Shri]].<ref name="Padma Shri">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Shri | publisher=Padma Shri | date=2014 | access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref>

==Biography==
P. K. Gopal, hailing from a [[Sengunthar]] [[Weaving (knitting)|weaver]]s' family, was born on 13 May 1941 in the [[Erode district]] of the South Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="ILA" /> He graduated in Economics from Erode and moved to Chennai to secure his master's degree in Medical Social Work, in 1970, from [[Loyola College, Chennai|Loyola College]].<ref name="Leprosy Mission" /> While in college, he contracted leprosy and was treated for two years.<ref name="ILEP" /><ref name="Leprosy Mission" /> His career started by joining the Sacred Heart Hospital, Kumbakonam where he worked for 25 years. During his stint there, he is reported to have established a rehabilitation centre, known to be the first of its kind in India, for the leprosy-affected people of the region. He is credited with the rehabilitation of over 3000 such patients. The experience also helped him to do his own research in the area which earned him a doctoral degree from [[Ranchi University]], in social science, in 1994.<ref name="ILA" /><ref name="ILEP" /><ref name="Leprosy Mission" />

Gopal attended the Leprosy Conference held in Brazil in 1994, where the International Association for Integration Dignity and Advancement (IDEA) was formed.<ref name="ILEP" /><ref name="Leprosy Mission" /><ref name="IDEA about">{{cite web | url=http://www.idealeprosydignity.org/About%20IDEA%20-%20Leprosy%20and%20Human%20Rights.html | title=IDEA about | publisher=IDEA about | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> In 1997, Gopal started IDEA India, the Indian arm of the global NGO, which is known to have rehabilitated 600 leprosy-affected people and provided education to over 6000 children.<ref name="ILA" /> The organization works for the socio-economic rehabilitation of the patients and on human rights related issues. Gopal has been associated with [[Yohei Sasakawa]], the Chairman of [[Nippon Foundation]], and together they are reported to have succeeded in passing a resolution at the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] in 2003 towards ending discrimination against leprosy-affected people.<ref name="ILEP" /> United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution on 21 March 2011.<ref name="ILA" /> He is also credited with a 2006-07 survey, under the aegis of IDEA India, to identify and document the leprosy homes in India, a survey which brought to light 850 leprosy colonies in the country. He is also a collaborator of [[WHO]] on leprosy related issues.<ref name="ILA" />

Gopal has authored a book, ''Guidelines for Socio-Economic Rehabilitation''<ref name="ILA" /> on the rehabilitation of leprosy-affected people<ref name="Leprosy Mission" /> and has published articles on the subject.<ref name="US National Library of Medicine">{{cite journal | title=Consequences of leprosy and socio-economic rehabilitation |vauthors=Deepak S, Gopal PK, Hisch E | journal=Lepr. Rev. |date=December 2000 | volume=71 | issue=4 | pages=417–419 | pmid=11201898}}</ref> He is an elected member of the Medico-Social Commission<ref name="Leprosy Mission" /> of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP)<ref name="ILEP Home">{{cite web | url=http://www.ilep.org.uk/ | title=ILEP Home | publisher=ILEP | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> and the Technical Resources Group of the Director General of Health Services, a [[Government of India]] agency. He also serves as a board member of the International Leprosy Association,<ref name="ILA Home">{{cite web | url=http://www.leprosy-ila.org/do.php/Home | title=ILA Home | publisher=ILA | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> USA<ref name="ILA" /> and is the president of the National Forum of Persons Affected by Leprosy.<ref name="ILEP" /><ref name="SMHF" /><ref name="Receiving Padma Shri">{{cite web | url=http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.ae/2013/04/dr-p-k-gopal-receiving-padma-shri-award.html | title=Receiving Padma Shri | publisher=Leprosy Mailing List | date=2013 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref>

==Awards and recognitions==
During his tenure at Sacred Heart Hospital, Gopal received the Best Social Worker award from Loyoloa College, Chennai, in 1984.<ref name="ILA" /> Two years later in 1986, he was selected by the [[Government of India]] for the National Award for the Best Rehabilitation Officer.<ref name="ILA" /> The Erwin Stindl Memorial Oration award came his way in 1995, followed by the Wellesley Bailey award (London)<ref name="ILEP" /><ref name="Leprosy Mission" /> and the ''Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau'' (AIFO) award (Italy) in 2001.<ref name="ILA" /> He received the Nippon Foundation award in 2004<ref name="ILEP" /> and the FESCO award (Japan) was conferred on him in 2005.<ref name="ILA" /> The [[Government of India]] included him in the 2012 Republic Day honours for the award of [[Padma Shri]], and the Sumanahalli Organization, Karnataka<ref name="Sumanahalli">{{cite web | url=http://www.sumanahalli.net/ | title=Sumanahalli | publisher=Sumanahalli | date=2014 | access-date=6 December 2014}}</ref> followed the national award with their Life Time Achievement Award, the same year.<ref name="ILA" />

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Leprosy]]
* [[Leprosy in India]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal | title=Consequences of leprosy and socio-economic rehabilitation |vauthors=Deepak S, Gopal PK, Hisch E | journal=Lepr. Rev. |date=December 2000 | volume=71 | issue=4 | pages=417–419 | pmid=11201898}}

==External links==
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV4F4sUV7xE | title=Civil Investiture Ceremony - Padma Shri | publisher=YouTube | work=Video | date=4 April 2012 | access-date=1 December 2014}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gopal, P.K.}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:People from Erode district]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Ranchi University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
[[Category:Social workers from Tamil Nadu]]

P. K. Gopal - Revision history

>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian male social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers