British Indian academic and House of Lords peer Ajay Kumar Kakkar has been conferred as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), the second highest honour in the UK’s annual New Year Honours List.
The 57-year-old Professor of Surgery at University College London (UCL) has been recognised for services to healthcare and public service. While services during the Covid-19 pandemic dominate, several Olympians also make up the 2022 tally which reflects British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s steer to the Main Honours Committee for awards conferred in the name of Queen Elizabeth II.
Here’s a roll call of around 50 Indian-origin professionals, academics, healthcare experts, frontline and community workers to make the 2022 New Year Honours List made up of 1,278 high-achieving individuals…
Professor Ajay Kumar KAKKAR (Lord Kakkar)
For services to Healthcare and Public Service
Lord Kakkar has distinguished himself in public and voluntary service through his membership and chairmanship of a range of public and charitable bodies, as well as through his services to the medical field. He was appointed as an independent crossbench peer in 2010 and from 2013-18, he served as Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission, taking charge of the recommendation of new crossbench life peers. He was appointed Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission in 2016, leading a group of 14 other lay and judicial commissioners. An outstanding and valuable advocate for public health and clinical research, he has served on the Science and Technology Select Committee and an ad hoc Committee on the future of the NHS.
For services to Entrepreneurship and to the Economy (London, Greater London)
Professor Kamlesh KHUNTI
Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine, University of Leicester and General Practitioner, Hockley Farm Medical Practice, Leicester. For services to Health (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Professor Ravi Prakash MAHAJAN
Lately President, Royal College of Anaesthetists. For services to Anaesthesia (Alfreton, Derbyshire)
Professor Iqbal SINGH OBE
Chair, Centre of Excellence in Safety for Older People. For services to Equality and Inclusion in Healthcare (Blackburn, Lancashire)
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Dr Hindpal Singh BHUI
Inspection Team Leader, HM Inspectorate of Prisons. For services to Custody Facilities during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Alpesh CHAUHAN
Music Director, Birmingham Opera Company. For services to the Arts (Coventry, West Midlands)
Dr Japinder DHESI
Lately Team Leader, Cabinet Office. For Public Service (London, Greater London)
Davinder Singh DHILLON
Chair, The Chattri Memorial Group. For services to the Commemoration of Indian Forces' Contribution in the First World War (Hove, East Sussex)
Nitin GANATRA
Actor. For services to Drama (London, Greater London)
Jagtar Singh GILL
For services to the British Sikh and Interfaith Communities (Kenilworth, Warwickshire)
Sharath Kumar JEEVAN
Lately Chief Executive Officer, STiR Education. For services to Education (London, Greater London)
Amritpal Singh MAAN
Philanthropist. For services to the Sikh Community and to Charity (London, Greater London)
Professor Mahendra Gulabbhai PATEL
Pharmacist. For services to Pharmacy (Wakefield, West Yorkshire)
Rizwan PATEL
Founder, Lint Group. For services to the Disadvantaged Communities in the UK and Abroad, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Arti PRASHAR
Artist, Director and Consultant. For charitable services to People Living with Dementia (London, Greater London)
Rohini SHARMA JOSHI
Lately Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Trust Housing Association, Edinburgh. For services to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Bonnyrigg, Midlothian)
Rekha THAWRANI
Global Head, NEC Contracts, Thomas Telford Ltd. For services to Infrastructure and British Exports (London, Greater London)
Sanjiv VEDI
Assistant Director, Head, Office of the Chief Social Care Officer for Wales. For Public, Charitable and Voluntary Service (Cardiff, South Glamorgan)
Dr Dipti PATEL
Chief Medical Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
For services to Government officials and their families and to British nationals overseas
Yasmin BATLIWALA
Chief Executive, Advocates for International Development. For services to Human Rights, the Rule of Law and to International Development
Manohar Narindas MELWANI
Tailor, Hong Kong. For services to Business and Charity in Hong Kong
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MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE)
Dr Subramaniam BALACHANDRAN
Doctor and Lead, Cross Infection, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. For services to the NHS during Covid-19 (Cardiff, South Glamorgan)
Sushma BHANOT
For services to Wellbeing and the community in Chigwell, Essex, particularly during Covid-19 (Chigwell, Essex)
Anita CHOUDHRIE
Founder, Path to Success. For services to Disability Sports (London, Greater London)
Dr Baljinder Singh DHANDA
Co-Chair, UK Cyber Security Council Formation Project. For services to Cyber Security (Amersham, Buckinghamshire)
Narinderjit DHANDWAR
Business Relationship Manager, Barclays. For services to the Business and Financial Sectors in the West Midlands during Covid-19 (Walsall, West Midlands)
Pravesh KUMAR
For services to Theatre (Slough, Berkshire)
Hardip Parkesh Singh LAWANA
Senior Officer, Border Force, Home Office. For services to Border Security and to Workplace Wellbeing (London, Greater London)
Kamini Harshadbhai MEHTA (Bina Mehta)
Chair, KPMG UK. For services to Trade and Investments in the UK and Female Entrepreneurs (London, Greater London)
Simon Naresh NAYYAR
For Political Service (London, Greater London)
Avin RABHERU
Founder, Housekeep. For services to Entrepreneurship, and to Digital Innovation in the Cleaning Industry (London, Greater London)
Virinder Kuljit Kaur RAI
Business Manager, Against Violence and Abuse Charity. For services to the Charity Sector and to the communities in the London Borough of Redbridge and Derbyshire (London, Greater London)
Dr Amar Nath RUGHANI
General Practitioner and Provost, Royal College of General Practitioners, South Yorkshire and North Trent. For services to General Practice (Sheffield, South Yorkshire)
Mandip Kaur SAHOTA
Founder, Strategies and Stories. For Charitable and Public Service (Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Charan Kanwal Singh SEKHON
Senior Environment Officer, Environment Agency and Founder Chairman, SEVA Trust UK. For services to Charity, Diversity and the Environment, particularly during Covid-19 (Bedford, Bedfordshire)
Mitesh Puspakkant SHETH
Chief Executive Officer, Redington. For services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Financial Services Sector (Loughton, Essex)
Mamta Rani SINGHAL
Volunteer, Institution of Engineering and Technology. For services to Engineering (Langley, Berkshire)
Bharatkumar Jagatsingh SISODIA
For services to the Culture, to Heritage and to the community in Greater Manchester (Oldham, Greater Manchester)
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Hardip Singh ATWAL
For charitable service in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway (Annan, Dumfries)
Sulakhan Singh DARD
Ambassador, British Heart Foundation. For services to Healthcare in the Sikh Community (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Rabinder Singh DHAMI
Prevention Manager, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. For services to Fire and Rescue (Telford, Shropshire)
Meena HANSPAL
Charity Volunteer, Guru Nanak's Mission and Vegetarian Rasoi. For services to the Sikh community in Nottingham (Nottingham, Nottinghamshire)
Ranjeet KHARE
For services to the community in Woodford, London Borough of Redbridge during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Rajesh MAKWANA
Director, Sufra NW London. For services to the community in the London Borough of Brent, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Mukesh MALHOTRA
For services to the community in the London Borough of Hounslow, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Gita NATARAJAN
For services to the community in Rugby, Warwickshire (Rugby, Warwickshire)
Vinodkumar Mashri Jeram PANKHANIA
For services to the community in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire)
Ragini PATEL
For services to the community in Northolt, London Borough of Ealing, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
Bansari Nilesh RUPARELIA
For services to the Hindu Community in Leicestershire (Leicester, Leicstershire)
Savraj Kaur SINGH
For services to the community in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London)
