Veteran educationist and cooperative leader Dr. Prabhakar Kore, founder of Karnataka’s Belagavi-based Prabhakar Kore Multi-State Cooperative Society, has been chosen for the prestigious Padma Shri Award in recognition of his lifelong contributions to education, agriculture, and the cooperative movement.
Dr. Kore has played a pioneering role in promoting scientific and sustainable agriculture. In 2011, he established the ICAR–KLE Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Mattikopp, Belagavi, which has since emerged as a key centre for agricultural research, farmer training, and the dissemination of modern farming practices, benefiting thousands of farmers.
He further strengthened agricultural education by founding the KLE School of Agriculture, encouraging farming as a dignified and viable career, particularly among students from agricultural backgrounds.
His impact on the cooperative sector has been equally significant. The Chidanand Basaprabhu Kore Co-operative Sugar Factory at Chikodi is widely regarded as a model cooperative institution, ensuring fair returns, employment generation, and sustained socio-economic development for farmers.
At the national level, Dr. Kore served as Director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF), New Delhi, contributing meaningfully to policy formulation and strengthening India’s cooperative sugar sector.
Dr. Kore has also been a strong advocate of financial inclusion and women’s empowerment through cooperative banking initiatives, including the establishment of the Rani Channamma Mahila Sahakari Bank Niyamit, Belagavi.
His selection for the Padma Shri is being widely hailed as a fitting recognition of his enduring commitment to rural development, farmer welfare, and the cooperative ethos.