Adhik Kadam is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. He is on a

peacebuilding Peacebuilding is an activity that aims to resolve injustice in nonviolent ways and to transform the cultural and structural conditions that generate deadly or destructive conflict. It revolves around developing constructive personal, group, and pol ...

and

peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare. Within the United ...

mission, working in the conflict zones of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administere ...

.Kadam has completed a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

. He is a

co-founder An organizational founder is a person who has undertaken some or all of the formational work needed to create a new organization, whether it is a business, a charitable organization, a governing body, a school, a group of entertainers, or any othe ...

and the chairman of

Borderless World Foundation Borderless World Foundation (BWF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization registered under India's Societies Registration Act, 1860. Working in Jammu and Kashmir, along the conflict-riven border region in between India, Pakistan & China, ...

, which is an

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

that works for the deprived and victimized people of the border areas of

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. The NGO runs four

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abu ...

homes for girls in four districts of

Career

Early in his career, Kadam worked for many

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

s as a

Volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

. He started visiting Kashmir on an educational tour in 1997. At the age of 19, he visited a

Kashmiri Pandit The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha-Gauda, Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountai ...

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

camp in

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

to observe their conditions. During the

Kargil War The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referre ...

, he worked on the forefront, especially for the

refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

who were displaced in

Kargil Kargil ( lbj, ) is a city and a joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It is also the headquarters of the Kargil district. It is the second-largest city in Ladakh after Leh. Kargil is located to the east of Srinagar in J ...

Batalik Batalik is a town in Ladakh, India, located on the upper reaches of the Indus river. It was a focal point in the Kargil War because of its strategic location between Kargil, Leh and Baltistan. In 1999, the Kargil war was fought in this region. ...

and Drass Sectors. Later he worked with

Balraj Puri Balraj Puri (1928-2014) was an Indian Political commentator and human rights activist. Career A committed peace activist Balraj Puri began his career in journalism in 1942 and since then has worked in or edited several publications. In his 68 y ...

and the Institute of J & K Affairs on the project of "Children affected by armed conflict in Jammu & Kashmir" which was sponsored by

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...

. He founded the

(BWF) in 2002 with another activist from

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

, Bharati Mamani and a local resident, Mohiuddin Mir who had been active in the region since 1998. The primary objective of the

was to assist

orphans An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

and provide for their basic necessities with a focus on

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...

. They worked extensively under the project of " Basera-e-Tabassum" (Abode of Smiles) to establish orphanages for girls in the Kupwara district and later in

Budgam district Budgam district is a district in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Created in 1979 with its headquarters at Budgam, it is the district with the largest population of Shias in the Kashmir valley. Administration B ...

. Mohiuddin Mir was killed in 2005 by militants. From only 2 girls in 2002, the foundation has grown to accommodate more than 220 girls falling in the age group of 18 months to 20 years at four centers and can support at least 1000+ girls in the state of

. The first center was established in the Sulkoot village of

Kupwara Kupwara is a town and a municipal council in Kupwara district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Municipal council Kupwara is an Urban Local Body with 13 elected members (also in Delimitation in progress for wards), which ad ...

. Kadam has opened several

group homes A group home, congregate living facility, or care home (the latter especially in British English and Australian English) is a residence model of medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally, the model has been used for childre ...

for orphans of the war, particularly females who according to him are the most vulnerable in conflict situations. He was

kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically ...

militants The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Latin ...

who suspected him of working for intelligence agencies but was released on the intervention of locals. He was later detained by security forces who had grown suspicious of him as he was released by the militants unharmed. Kadam is said to lead an

ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

lifestyle having dedicated his life to service and lives as described by an article in

India Currents ''India Currents'' is, according to the ''San Jose Mercury News'', "the oldest and largest Indian-American magazine on the West Coast" of the United States. Fully digital today, it earlier offered Northern California, Southern California, and Was ...

magazine as a "penniless vagabond". He considers his work to be a spiritual journey.

Borderless World Foundation

Kadam started

(BWF) in 2002 with the objective of creating a more

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

world. While conducting a children-centric socio-economic survey of the region, he gained insight into the challenges of the people living in these areas. He has worked on various

ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with '' a priori''.) C ...

programs for local communities with am emphasis on those who had been

widowed A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can s ...

in the conflict before founding the organisation. Currently, the BWF houses around 230 girls. More than 110 girls have been re-integrated into their communities and 40 are pursuing higher education. Kadam hopes to restore a "culture of faith" to the communities of Kashmir. The BWF currently has various ongoing projects and programs for

purposes.

Basera-e-Tabassum

Kadam initiated Basera-e-Tabassum (BeT), a shelter program established in 2002 for girls who lost their parents as a result of the armed conflict or terrorism during the ongoing

Kashmir conflict The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, with China playing a third-party role. The conflict started after the partition of India in 1947 as both India and Pakistan claim ...

. The four centers (group-homes) in Kashmir region are called Basera-e-Tabassum (abode of smiles) and the one in

is called Fah (Facilitate and accomplish with humility). The BeT centers also assist mothers who have lost their husbands in the conflict in providing financial and material aid to their children. The BeT is supported by a few prominent

philanthropists Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material g ...

and well-wishers like the

Holkar The Holkar (Pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Mar ...

Family, Syed Ata Hasnain,

and Dr. S.Natarajan. The BeT also maintains facilities which allow children to travel to various cities for educational and exposure tours, and for higher education in professional courses.

Kashmir Life Line

Kashmir Life Line Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompass ...

is an

ambulance service Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

launched in 2015 with the aid of the

Government of Jammu and Kashmir The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the governing authority of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and its two divisions and 20 districts. Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory in India under the terms of Article 239A (wh ...

. Kadam, during his time, working in Kashmir had witnessed many deaths because of lack of

emergency services Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while others deal wi ...

for medical emergencies. He initiated the

medical services in the

Kashmir valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range a ...

to help remedy the issue.

Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December ...

and J&K,

Directorate of Health Services The Vatican Pharmacy (Latin and it, ) is the only pharmacy in the Vatican City, founded in 1874 by Eusebio Ludvig Fronmen, a Fatebenefratelli religious. According to Vatican sources, it is the busiest pharmacy in the world, with 2,000 customer ...

are also partnering in this project and run ambulances in border areas under this project.

Kotak Mahindra Bank Kotak may refer to: *Kotak (band), an Indonesian rock band * Kotak (surname), surname and people who bear it * Kotak Mahindra Bank, an Indian financial service firm * Kotak Securities, subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank * Kotak, Iran (disambiguation) ...

under their CSR initiatives donated 5 critical care ambulances to BWF and Indian Army in 2021 in the presence of Shri

Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Defence Minister of India. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the House Lok Sabha. He is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has previously served as ...

, Defence Minister, Government Of India 2021

Helping pellet victims

In the 2016–17 Kashmir unrest, due to use of

pellet gun A pellet is a non-spherical projectile designed to be shot from an air gun, and an airgun that shoots such pellets is commonly known as a pellet gun. Air gun pellets differ from bullets and shot used in firearms in terms of the pressures encount ...

s by security forces, many children and youths aged between 10 and 30 got completely or partially blinded, during

protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...

and

curfews A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...

. More than 1200 cases were registered in hospitals. who were in need of treatment from specialists; otherwise they could lose their vision permanently. Kadam assisted in

efforts with the help of the BWF by organizing doctors from across

, and asking them to come to Kashmir to perform eye surgeries for free. Dr. S N Natarajan at Aditya Jyot Hospital, and, Dr. Mahesh P Shanmugam and

Sankara Eye Foundation Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) USA is a US-based non-profit organization that works toward eliminating curable blindness in India. SEF is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization. The charity has a perfect rating on Charity Navigator. Beginni ...

at L V Prasad Hospital helped with recommending experts and provided free surgeries. Kadam had brought more than a dozen doctors to Kashmir to perform some of the most critical surgeries in SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.

Rah-e-Niswan

"Rah-e-Niswan" (women's way), is a

social entrepreneurship Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of ...

campaign in

. Initiated by Kadam, it is a project for

women entrepreneur Female entrepreneurs are women who organize and manage an enterprise, especially a business. Female entrepreneurship has steadily increased in the United States during the 20th and 21st century, with female owned businesses increasing at a rate ...

s in

. The project trains girls in making

sanitary napkins A menstrual pad, or simply a pad, (also known as a sanitary pad, sanitary towel, sanitary napkin or feminine napkin) is an absorbent item worn by women in their underwear when menstruating, bleeding after giving birth, recovering from gyneco ...

, computerized embroidery,

stitch Stitch, Stitches or Stitched may refer to: Medical uses *Stitch, a surgical suture, a medical device used to hold body tissues together after an injury or surgery ** Cervical cerclage, also known as a cervical stitch *Husband stitch, a purported ...

ing,

knitting Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat o ...

, fabric painting, and

tailoring A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

. The aim of the project is to assist them in being self-sufficient and financially independent. Kadam has also helped young girls and boys to find jobs in various cities.

Project DALPARI

Adhik started a Mobile Medical Unit named "DAL Pari" in Dal Lake, Srinagar, in 2023. The launch of the first floating Mobile Medical Unit in Dal Lake is a commendable effort to provide primary healthcare services to the community in Srinagar. This innovative project is likely to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of the residents in the area. The "DAL Pari" project not only addresses the healthcare needs of the community but also showcases a creative and adaptive approach to delivering medical services in a unique environment such as Dal Lake. The floating Mobile Medical Unit is expected to bring healthcare services closer to the people, especially those living in areas that might be challenging to access through traditional means. This initiative reflects a commitment to improving healthcare accessibility and contributing to the overall well-being of the community. It would be interesting to see how this project develops and the positive changes it brings to the healthcare landscape in Srinagar.

Jammu Life Line

"Jammu Life Line" was launched in 2017 by Kadam. It is an

started for the people on the border districts of the

Jammu region The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division within Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Mos ...

. Kadam started the project after documenting the lives of people living on the Line of Control (LoC). The Indo-Pakistan border at LoC is considered perilous where skirmishes occur occasionally and sometimes result in civilian casualties. The Jammu Life Line project is also partnered with the

In popular culture

Kadam has given inspirational talks at various platforms. He was a speaker at a

TED (conference) TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sa ...

at Rajarambapu Institute of Technology(RIT). He has also been a speaker at Stanford University,

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...

and at various

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

clubs. He also appeared in Kon Honar Karodpati television show. Kadam was a finalist and speaker for National Conference on Social Innovation (NCSI) in 2018 organised by Pune International Centre, headed by

Raghunath Anant Mashelkar Raghunath Anant Mashelkar FRS FREng FRSC, also known as Ramesh Mashelkar, (born 1 January 1943) is an Indian Chemical Engineer, born in a village Mashel in Goa and brought up in Maharashtra. He is a former Director General of the Council of ...

National Innovation Foundation National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

and

Tata Institute of Social Sciences Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is a multi-campus public research university in Mumbai, India. It is Asia's oldest institute for professional social work education and was founded in 1936 in then Bombay Presidency of British India as ...

. He was named an INK Fellow at the 2016 INK Conferences.

Awards and recognition

* Mother Teresa Awards in 2010. * The Spirit of Mastek award by Mastek foundation in April 2012. * Youth Icon for the year 2012 by

Maharashtra Times ''Maharashtra Times'' ( mr, महाराष्ट्र टाइम्स), colloquially referred to as 'Ma Ta' (मटा) from its Marathi initialism, is a Marathi newspaper based in Mumbai, India. It is one of the largest selling daily ...

The Times Group Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited, (abbreviated as B.C.C.L. and d/b/a The Times Group), is an Indian media conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company remains a family-owned business with Sahu Jain family owning a major ...

* Yuwanmesh 2011 award by Indradhanu Foundation * CSO Partners Outstanding Annual Report Awards 2009 for transparency,

accountability Accountability, in terms of ethics and governance, is equated with answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the publ ...

and best

documentation Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance and use. As a form of knowledge manageme ...

process in NGO sector in

. * NBC Awards 2017. * ICA Awards 2016. * Savitri Sanman 2016

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kadam, Adhik Businesspeople from Maharashtra Living people 1977 births Indian social entrepreneurs 20th-century Indian businesspeople Maharashtra academics Indian Hindus Marathi people Peacebuilding in Jammu and Kashmir People of the Kashmir conflict