Dr. Avtar Pennathur, President & Founder Trustee, Harmit Trust & Home for Senior Citizens receives the Inspirational Achiever Award from Mr. M.M. Sabharwal, President Emeritus, HelpAge India.

Dr. Pennathur, comes across as a petite woman, but one with a steel resolve to make a positive difference in society. Her inspiration she says is her Mother, who herself was active even in her nineties.

An eminent Psychologist and community worker, she was the eldest of the 5 children of Sardarni Harjit Kaur & Col. S.Mit Singh. Her parents were visionaries. A brilliant student, she obtained her BA from Lahore College of Women & then joined Govt. College Lahore to do MA. In psychology, which got interrupted during partition but were later complete in Panjab University.

A Harvard pass out, where she specialized in guidance & counseling psychology. She received a Foreign Scholar Ward from Merrill Palmer Institute of Human Development Detroit followed by the Barbour Scholar Award by the University of Michigan where she obtained her Ph.D in psychology in 1956. On her return to India she joined the Defense Science Service as Senior Psychologist and graduated from the National Defense College in 1975.

She headed the Directorate of Psychological Research as the first woman Director in DRDO. She has authored several technical papers, books & monograms and has chaired many national & international conferences and served on many prestigious committees.

Delhi Govt. appointed her as a member of Delhi State Commission, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission where she served from 1990-93. Dr. Avtar is also a lifetime member of All India Women's Conference. She has been the member of several professional associations, like Association of Psychology, International Association of Applied Psychology, World Federation of Mental Health, Life member of Indian Science Congress Association, etc.

She has been engaged in community service since 1957. She was instrumental in serving several causes in the area of mentally disadvantaged, drug addiction & consumer affairs.

She has been working for the aged since 1999 and has set up a senior citizens' home, for upper middle class people by donating her own property. The mission statement of this facility is to have a place of excellence, "A Home away from Home." The home has been functional since 2002 where senior citizens spend their time in pleasant ambience and lead a life full of dignity. Strong community outreach programmes connecting school children with their dadas and dadis in the old age home are provided, along with prompt medical attention when needed.