The Aravind Eye Care System has two senior ophthalmologists who have been recognised to deserve the 2026 Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award because of their remarkable contributions to the field of eye health and humanitarian care, including Dr Haripriya Aravind and Dr R. Venkatesh. The award was given to acknowledge their efforts in fighting cataract blindness and increasing access to quality and affordable care of the eye. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Foundation awards it every year to people whose contributions have played a major role in minimising avoidable blindness in the world. The award will take place at the ASCRS annual meeting in Washington DC in April 2026.
About: Chang–Crandall Humanitarian Award
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The Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award is a humanitarian award given every year by the ASCRS Foundation, which is a section of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
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It was founded in 2017 with a gracious gift by David and Victoria Chang to commemorate excellent humanitarian efforts in treating cataract blindness and disability in the world.
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The award is given in recognition of outstanding accomplishments by an individual or an organisation operating in the United States or elsewhere in order to advance access to and the outcomes of eye care.
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In honour of the recipient, a charitable ophthalmic organisation of his or her choice is given a $100,000 prize.
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The award was renamed in 2020 to honour, as well as the humanitarian dedication of Dr Alan S. Crandall.
Contributions of Dr Haripriya Aravind and Dr R. Venkatesh
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Dr Haripriya Aravind, the intraocular lens and cataract chief, has spearheaded high cataract care that has focused on patient outcomes and quality processes in large-scale environments.
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Dr R. Venkatesh is a chief medical officer who is an expert in manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and has led outreach initiatives to provide affordable eye care to needy populations.
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They both have played a key role in increasing access to eye care in Puducherry using the Aravind Eye Care model.
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Their practice incorporates clinical excellence, innovation, training of young ophthalmologists and community service.
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They have decided to put back the money obtained in the Chang-Crandall award to make non-profit eye care services sustainable.
Numerical PYQs on Eye and Lens
| Exam | Year | Question | Options | Answer & Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSC CGL | 2023 | A convex lens has a focal length of 20 cm. Find its power. | (A) +2 D (B) +5 D (C) –5 D (D) +4 D |
(B) +5 D Solution: f = 20 cm = 0.20 m → P = 1/f = 1/0.20 = +5 D |
| Railway NTPC | 2022 | The power of a lens is –2 D. What is its focal length? | (A) –0.5 m (B) +0.5 m (C) –2 m (D) +2 m |
(A) –0.5 m Solution: f = 1/P = 1/–2 = –0.5 m |
| SSC CHSL | 2021 | An object is placed at 2F of a convex lens. The image formed will be: | (A) At F (B) At 2F (C) Beyond 2F (D) At infinity |
(B) At 2F Solution: Object at 2F → Image at 2F, same size, real & inverted |
| RRB JE | 2020 | A concave lens has a focal length of 25 cm. Calculate its power. | (A) –4 D (B) +4 D (C) –2.5 D (D) +2.5 D |
(A) –4 D Solution: f = –25 cm = –0.25 m → P = 1/–0.25 = –4 D |
| SSC MTS | 2019 | A lens has power +2 D. What is the focal length? | (A) 0.5 m (B) 2 m (C) 0.2 m (D) 1 m |
(A) 0.5 m Solution: f = 1/P = 1/2 = 0.5 m |
| Railway Group D | 2018 | If the focal length is 10 cm, what is its power? | (A) +10 D (B) –10 D (C) +0.1 D (D) +100 D |
(A) +10 D Solution: f = 10 cm = 0.10 m → P = 1/0.10 = +10 D |
Conclusion (Puducherry Doctors Win Chang–Crandall Award)
The Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award of Puducherry doctors indicates their excellent service to accessible and affordable eye care. Their efforts of preventable blindness elimination are the representation of clinical excellence and social responsibility, which makes the world see the role of India in developing humanitarian ophthalmology and community care services.
