Page 26 - Mann Ki Baat January, 2023

'People’s Padma' - Honouring the

Nation Builders

corridors of power and drawing
rooms of influence – right to
the heart of Indian striving,
achievement, and existence.
It is important to understand
the structure and mechanics
of the Padma process. Till the
Prime Minister took office, the
Padma awards were decided by
a very narrow consensus. Union
Ministries, State Governments
Ashok Malik and MPs were permitted
Member, Padma Awards to forward names, as were
Committee 2022, previous award winners. This
Chair (India), small group – given the billion-
The Asia Group strong population of India, it
amounted to a tiny number –
was responsible for choosing the
longlist, shortlist, and eventual
winners.
What did this mean in
practice? A well-connected
medical specialist in Delhi or
Mumbai, with senior politicians
and civil servants as his patients,
was far more likely to be
Among the remarkable considered for a Padma than
features of India in the post- a person who had contributed
2014 period is the determined to public health with selfless
efforts to deepen our society’s but largely invisible service in
democratic urges. The a rural area, among poorer
conversion of the Padma communities. There was no level
Awards to a genuine celebration playing field.
of grassroots achievement, to The Prime Minister threw
a 'People’s Padma', is among open the nomination process to
the visible examples of this. everybody. Today nominations,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s including self-nominations,
Government has reimagined the can be uploaded on a website.
awards. It has taken the Padma Following the announcement of
process far beyond the lobbying a given year’s awards, the entire
and recommendations of nominee list is available for all to

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