Born on 9th November, 1943, Meher Banaji is the Principal of the Happy Home and School for the Blind. Most people would think that the Home and School is simply another special institution in Mumbai. The school however is much more – the children design and create exquisite artefacts and household items. The school has attracted many distinguished visitors, amongst them President Bill Clinton.

Meher’s 34-years of association with the Home as its principal and administrative head has transformed the school from a single room to a vibrant three-storied residential school for nearly 200 visually and multiple impaired children ranging from ages of three to twenty years.

In 1996, Meher was conferred with the President’s Award, and received the Padma Shree award in 2003. She has pioneered and initiated various training programmes in the country, such as Montessori training, early intervention programmes for pre-school visually impaired children and special classes for the maladjusted and visually impaired children.