Asians on King’s Birthday Honours List 2024

King Charles III’s Birthday Honours List 2024 has been published and over 1,000 people across the UK have been recognised for their contributions to UK society.

The Honours List comes on the day of Trooping the Colour to celebrate the King’s official birthday.

The focus of this List is individuals who have had an immeasurable impact on the lives of people across the country – such as by creating innovative solutions or driving real change in public life.

Many are active community champions, innovative social entrepreneurs, pioneering scientists, passionate health workers and dedicated volunteers.

Of those recognised, 48% are women, 10% come from an ethnic minority background, with 4.6% being from an Asian ethnic group.

As for the Asian contributions, the King’s Birthday Honours List honours the hard work and efforts of men and women with South Asian roots who have made a major impact on communities around the UK.

The youngest recipient is 20-year-old Shamza Butt, who received a BEM for her work as a Member of the National Citizens’ Service Trust Youth Voice Forum.

Rizwan Rehman, chair of governors at Lapage Primary School and Nursery, also received a British Empire Medal for services to education.

Admitting it was a surprise, he said:

“I never expected it but I’m grateful for the recognition.”

Writer Jamila Gavin has been awarded an MBE for services to children’s literature.

She has written over 40 novels and short stories spanning 40 years, with her most recent work telling the story of how India contributed to Britain’s efforts in World War One.

Ms Gavin said: “It’s completely surreal.

“I’ve been publishing since 1979 and I’ve always had my agenda for wanting children to see their mirror image.”

Former Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati was awarded an MBE for her services to the cultural industries.

British Asians who have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 include:

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

• Jasvinder Kaur Sanghera CBE – Founder, Karma Nirvana and Human Rights Campaigner. For services to the Victims of Child, Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Abuse.

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

• Monica Ali – Writer. For services to Literature.
• Professor David Krishna Menon – Head of Division of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge. For services to Neurocritical Care.
• Asif Rangoonwala – Chair, Rangoonwala Foundation. For services to Charity and to Philanthropy.
• Dipesh Jayantilal Shah OBE – Lately Chair, National Highways. For services to Transport.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

• Tabassum Rizwan Ahmad – Chief Executive Officer, EmployAbility. For services to Inclusive Access to Employment for Neurodivergent and Disabled Young People.
• Amira Amzour – Deputy Director, Environment Bill, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For services to Environmental Legislation.
• Shalni Arora – Founder Trustee, Belong and Founder, Savannah Wisdom Charitable Foundation. For services to Charity and to Philanthropy.
• Professor Jamshed Bomanji – Head, Clinical Department, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the NHS and to Global Nuclear Medicine.
• Dr Rabinder Kaur Buttar – Senior Enterprise Fellow, Strathclyde University. For services to Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership in Business, and to Life Sciences.
• Sonya Naiken Byers – Chief Executive Officer, Women in Transport and Patron, Women on the Move Against Cancer. For services to Diversity.
• Professor Shruti Kapila – Professor of History and Politics, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge. For services to Research in Humanities.
• Rosh Mahtani – Founder, Alighieri Jewellery. For services to Jewellery Design and to Philanthropy.
• Dr Hannana Siddiqui – Head of Policy, Complaints and Research, Southhall Black Sisters. For services to the Prevention of Violence Against Women.
• Professor Rajesh Vasantlal Thakker – Lately President, Society for Endocrinology. For services to Medical Science and to People with Hereditary and Rare Disorders.
• Subhash Vithaldas Thakrar – Lately Chair, London Chamber of Commerce. For services to British Trade and Investment in Africa.

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

• Saima Ashraf – Senior Finance Auditor, Merseyside Police. For services to Policing.
• Halima Hashim Atcha – Diversity and Inclusion Lead, North West and North Central, Work and Health Service, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Diversity and Inclusion.
• Hari Bahadur Budha Magar – Adventurer, Campaigner and Charitable Fundraiser. For services to Disability Awareness.
• Namir Rahim Chowdhury – Regional Representative for Europe and the Americas, Commonwealth Youth Council. For services to Young People in the UK and Abroad.
• Zia Us Samad Chowdhury – For services to the Bangladeshi Community in the West Midlands.
• Archana Rao Dannamaneni – Customer Compliance Group, HM Revenue and Customs. For services to Tax Compliance.
• Balwinder Kaur Dhanoa – Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Progress Care Group, West Midlands. For services to Children with SEND and their Families.
• Bharati Dwarampudi – Advanced Customer Support Senior Leader, Department for Work and Pensions. For Public Service.
• Puneet Dwivedi – For services to the community in Scotland.
• Jamila Elizabeth Gavin – Writer. For services to Children’s Literature.
• Dr Shobna Gulati – Actor, Writer and Dancer. For services to the Cultural Industries.
• Syed Nasir Jaffri – For services to Integration in Glasgow.
• Dr Samina Khan – Director, Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, University of Oxford. For services to Higher Education.
• Rakesh Kumar – Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd. For services to the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities.
• Tariq Mahmood – Founder, Feed the Needy and Vice-Chair, Havering Inter Faith Forum. For services to Charity and to Interfaith Relations.
• Lakhbir Singh Mann – Founder, Gaysians. For services to Charity, Integration and to LGBTQ+ Communities.
• Shiraz Master – Founder and Managing Director, Simply Doughnuts. For services to the Promotion of Food and Drink, to Business and to Philanthropy.
• Furqan Naeem – Founding Organiser, Greater Manchester Citizens. For services to Interfaith Relations and to the community in Greater Manchester.
• Nevita Pandya – Headteacher, Townley Grammar School, Bexleyheath, London Borough of Bexley. For services to Education.
• Pradip Patel – Lately Chair, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. For services to the NHS.
• Dr Imran Rafi – General Practitioner and Reader in Primary Care and Genomics, St George’s, University of London. For services to General Practice and Genomics.
• Dr Amar Shah – Chief Quality Officer, East London Foundation Trust and National Clinical Director for Improvement, NHS England. For services to Healthcare Improvement.
• Kiran Jethalal Shah – Stuntman and Scaledouble. For services to the Film Industry.
• Tanvi Bakul Kumar Vyas – Member, Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. For services to Transport.

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

• Shamza Butt – Member, National Citizens Service Trust Youth Voice Forum. For services to Young People.
• Sellathurai Chandrakumar – Postmaster. For services to the community in Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
• Dr Amrik Singh Mahal – Global Head of IT for Research, AstraZeneca. For services to Science and the Covid-19 Response.
• Jaysukhlal Shantilal Mehta – Director and OneJAIN Panel Coordinator, Institute of Jainology and OneJAIN UK. For services to Faith, Integration and Humanitarianism.
• Supriya Nagarajan – Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director, Manasamitra. For services to Music.
• Rizwan Rehman – Chair of Governors, Lapage Primary School and Nursery, Bradford, West Yorkshire. For services to Education.
• Chandulal Hirji Rughani – Chair, Lohana Social Club. For services to the community in North London.

These honorary titles are awarded to these individuals in recognition of their commitment to serve and help Britain in their areas of work and services.

The Asian recipients of these awards have proved their specific dedication without a doubt to their contributions.

DESIblitz congratulates all of the honoraries on the Birthday Honours List 2024!