Send names for 2021 Padma Awards online: MHA to States, UTs

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked all states and Union Territories to submit their nominations for 2021 Padma awards online as the country is grappling with Covid-19. The prestigious civilian awards are conferred every year ahead of the Republic Day celebrations in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
“The nominations will be received only in the online format. It has been observed in the past that while nominations are received for large number of persons, there could, however, be, several talented persons who are left out of consideration despite exceptional contribution in their fields,” said a communication by an MHA joint secretary. “Efforts may be made to identify achievers among women, weaker section of society, SC/STs, divyang (differently abled) persons among others. Government servants including those working in PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for the award.”

The last date for sending nominations is September 15, according to the letter. A similar request has been made to previous Bharata Ratna and Padma awardees to nominate names in an online format with citations of maximum 800 words.

The Padma awards announced in January this year were posthumously conferred on former finance minister Arun Jaitley, former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and former defence minister George Fernandes, along with 138 other personalities. The ceremony for the awards, which is held at Rashtrapati Bhavan every year, had to be cancelled at the last minute as Covid-19 was declared a pandemic. “The awards ceremony was due to be held in March-April but after the ban on social gatherings and functions, the event had to be cancelled,” said a senior official, who did not wish to be identified.

The President presents the awards to the winners in the presence of the PM and home minister.

“The decoration is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, government could consider giving an award posthumously if the demise of the person proposed to be honoured has been recent, say within a period of one year preceding the Republic Day on which it is proposed to announce the award,” the MHA said in its communication.