Tejas Pugalia, a 17-year-old from Nagpur, India, has been awarded with The Diana Award, one of the highest recognitions for young people dedicated to social action and humanitarian efforts. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award is supported by her sons, HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Tejas founded ‘Threads4Good,’ an organization that combines environmental sustainability with education. Through upcycling 3,000 kg of textile waste, the organization has created over 2,400 eco-friendly school bags for children across seven cities. This initiative has not only saved 60 million liters of water and reduced 55,000 kg of carbon emissions but also helped children from low-income backgrounds. These school bags have allowed children, who would otherwise miss three months of school during the monsoon season, to attend school regularly, increasing attendance from 44% to 78%.
‘Threads4Good’ has impacted over 3,000 people offline and 60,000 people online. With a team of 450 volunteers and 20 employees from marginalized backgrounds, Tejas is working with textile mills and NGOs to expand his mission. He is also filing a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of India to further support education and reduce waste.
Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, commented: “We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award Recipients from across the world who are dedicating their time to making positive change. These young people demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana, Princess of Wales. We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities.”
The Diana Award recognizes young people who have demonstrated a commitment to positive social change. Candidates must have dedicated a minimum of 12 months to leading social change through activities such as campaigning, education, fundraising, and delivering services. The nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges, including at least one young person representative, who evaluate candidates on five key criteria: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership, and social action journey.
In 2024, The Diana Award received over 1,700 nominations, making this the most competitive year yet. Tejas Pugalia’s achievement stands as a testament to the incredible impact young people can have on their communities and the world.