HYDERABAD: At only 25, the body of this Nagarkurnool resident bears a scar — a reminder of the day he gifted 70% of his liver to save his brother-in-law. But scars tell only half his story. The National Youth Award winner, Telangana’s sole recipient this year, has spent 13 years stitching hope into the social fabric: feeding the hungry, teaching farmers and fighting for ‘liquor-free’ spaces near libraries. From losing his parents to becoming a rebel against apathy, Shiva Kumar Gudlanaram’s life screams a quiet truth: the greatest harvests grow from the seeds of sacrifice.

Raised by his sister Parvathi and brother-in-law Durga Prasad after losing his father Narayana to diabetes and his mother Nagamani to high blood pressure, Shiva chose service over sorrow early on. In Class 5, he and a group of friends formed the ‘Swami Vivekananda Seva Brundam’, marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment to society.

Over the past 13 years, Shiva has spearheaded several grassroots initiatives: distributing leftover food from weddings and events to the poor, collecting and donating clothes to the underprivileged and supporting co-curricular programmes in government schools.

But one of his most remarkable contributions lies in the field of organ donation awareness. Shiva has organised numerous camps across rural Telangana, educating people about the life-saving potential of organ donation. In a deeply personal act, he donated 70% of his liver to save his brother-in-law, who was battling terminal liver cirrhosis — a gesture that not only saved a life but inspired many to pledge their organs for the greater good.

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