Chandigarh : The Haryana Government has invited nominations for recommendations of esteemed Padma Awards, including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
These awards hold significance as they are among the highest civilian honors and will be announced on the occasion of Republic Day, January 26, 2024.
In a letter addressed by Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal to Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, and Deputy Commissioners of the state, it has been specified that recommendations for the Padma Awards should be sent to politicalbranch-cse@hry.gov.in and politicalbranch@gmail.com by August 15, 2023. Only nominations submitted online will be considered, and any received after the deadline will not be taken into account.
The Padma Awards, namely Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri are recognized as the highest civilian awards of the country.
These awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day to acknowledge exceptional achievements and contributions in various fields such as Arts, Literature, Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry etc.
These awards are open to individuals without any discrimination based on race, occupation, position, or gender. Detailed statutes and rules governing the awards can be found on the official website: www.padmaawards.gov.in.
In the past, it has been observed that while numerous nominations are received, there may be deserving individuals whose exceptional contributions have been overlooked due to their modesty and lack of public attention.
Therefore, it is urged to make concerted efforts in identifying such individuals whose excellence and achievements deserve recognition and submit suitable nominations on their behalf.
The recognition of these deserving individuals will undoubtedly enhance the prestige of the Padma Awards. To facilitate the nomination process, a Special Search Committee can be constituted to identify, consider, and finalize recommendations for nominations.
The recommended individuals should demonstrate exceptional lifetime achievements and must embody the criteria of 'Excellence Plus.'
The highest standards should be applied when recommending individuals for these awards. The existence of an element of public service in the achievement of the person recommended for the award would be a desirable factor.
As the Padma Award is the country's second-highest civilian honor, consideration should be given to whether the recommended person has previously received a National or State award in their respective field.
Efforts should be made to identify talented individuals from various backgrounds, including Women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Divyang persons, etc., who deserve to be considered for the award. 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 honored has been recent, say within a period of one year preceding the Republic Day on which it is proposed to announce the award.
It is important to note that government servants including those working with PSUs, Except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for the Padma Award.