Govt receives record 49,992 nominations for 2019 Padma Awards

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 11

A record 49,992 nominations have been received by the government for the Padma Awards 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.

Noting that it was the government's effort to transform the Padma Awards into a "People's Awards in true sense," the MHA said, the highest number of nominations is 32 times higher than what was received in 2010.

"As against 1,313 nominations in 2010, the government received 18,768 in 2016 and 35,595 in 2017," the Ministry said, adding that people are encouraged to nominate "unsung heroes, who deserve these top civilian awards (Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri)".

The nomination process for Padma Awards was made online in the year 2016 and a simple, accessible and secure online platform was put in place to encourage citizens to participate in large numbers.

The technological intervention that has made the nomination process accessible to the people at large and the emphasis of the government to confer Padma Awards upon unsung heroes, who are doing selfless service to the nation, have resulted in this transformation, the MHA insisted.

The online nomination process for the Padma Awards, which will be conferred on the occasion of Republic Day, 2019, commenced on May 1, 2018 and the last date for submission of nominations was September 15, 2018.

Nominations were invited from Central Ministries/Departments, States/UT Governments, Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan awardees, Institutes of Excellence as also from several other sources to enable broad based consideration.