Fr. Vineeth George CMF, a priest belonging to the Claretian Province of Bangalore received the Rashtriya Gaurav Puraskar 2018 from Lt Gen K.M. Seth PVSM, the former Governor of Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura, at the India International Centre, New Delhi on 26.03.2018. The award consisted of a citation and a certificate of excellence for outstanding leadership in the field of higher education, exceptional performance of high order and service to the society. The award jury consisted of experts in diverse fields, such as economists, journalists, social activists, Industrialists, educationists, technocrats, politicians and retired defence officers. Fr Vineeth is one of the youngest recipients of this prestigious award. The past recipients of this award include Mother Teresa, Gen K.V. Krishna Rao, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, G.V.G. Krishnamuthy, Justice P.N. Bhagwati, Dr Naresh Trehan, and Air Chief Marshal N.C. Suri et al in their respective fields.

Earlier too, Fr Vineeth has bagged such laurels both as a student and as a professional. During his post graduation, Fr Vineeth was conferred with the coveted Dr Subbirami Reddi Gold Medal by virtue of being the university topper. Later, during his career as a Public Relations professional, he was inducted as a Graduate Member of the Indian Management Association by its Director General, as a testimony of his managerial excellence. Fr Vineeth had worked with reputed MNCs such as Dell and GE, before joining Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, a Navratna category Public Sector Undertaking under the Union Ministry of Power. At the prime of his career, Fr Vineeth responded to the call to priesthood and joined the Claretian Congregation in 2006. He currently serves as the Vice Principal of St Claret College, Bengaluru, where he also lectures in diverse management topics ranging from Business Ethics to Strategic Management. He is renowned for his expertise and experience in the areas of Public Relations and Human Resource Management. Several of his articles on varied topics have appeared with his byline in various periodicals – national and international. His writings have won him accolades from the International Public Relations Association, London. Recently, he completed his M.Phil in Management with distinction from Jain University, Bengaluru.