Delhi, May 4: It is a matter of pride for India that Coimbatore-based social entrepreneur and ‘Padman’ fame Arunachalam Muruganandam has been nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
He said that he could not believe it at first when he heard the news of this nomination. He said that he cannot nominate himself for the Nobel Prize or be recommended by his family, this should be done by third parties. The Dean of the Arvind Eye Hospital in Pondicherry and the American teams working there had submitted Muruganandam’s name for nomination. The nomination submitted by him was accepted within just 24 hours.
Who is this Arunachalam Muruganandam?
Arunachalam Muruganandam is the inventor of a low-cost sanitary pad manufacturing machine for menstrual hygiene of rural women.
He, who had just left school, decided to make this machine after seeing the trouble his wife was going through. He has been nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination was submitted by the Dean of Arvind Eye Hospital, Pondicherry, and the American team, and it was accepted in just 24 hours.
Major Achievements
He invented a machine that makes pads at a price one-tenth lower than the pads available in the market. He founded a company called Jayashree Industries. Through this company, thousands of machines have been installed across India and in more than 11 countries. These machines have provided employment opportunities to thousands of rural women.
Honors received by him:
The Government of India honored him with the ‘Padma Shri’ award in 2016. In 2014, Time magazine included him in the list of 100 most influential people in the world. The film ‘Pad Man’ starring Akshay Kumar was made based on his life struggle. The documentary film ‘Period. End of Sentence’, which tells his story, also won an Oscar.