Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration
Advisory Committee
INDlRA GANDHI AWARD FOR NATIONAL INTEGRATION
101, Jawahar Bhawan,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road,
New Delhi-110 001
Ph: 23322358
Fax No. 23323379
Members of Advisory Committee
Smt. Sonia Gandhi - Congress President and Chairperson
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Shri A.K. Antony
Smt. Mohsina Kidwai
Shri H. Y. Sharada Prasad
Dr. (Smt.) Kapila Vatsyayan
Shri Rameshwar Thakur - Member Secretary
The Award
Smt. Indira Gandhi, charismatic leader of the people of India, was a dedicated crusader not only for an integrated and united India, but also for international peace and friendship. She observed:
“A nations is a mosaic, like a work of art, it takes many elements, many textures and many colours to give the total effect of strength and beauty. The nation is such a rich mosaic of people, of dress and diet, of culture, of language, of faith. Yet this diversity is encompassed within an intangible quality of Indianness. Our heritage is the mingling of numerous streams, great and small, which have joined the river of India’s progress of different times. Together all these differing parts make up the whole. To deny or ignore any, even the smallest or the most insignificant, would be to diminish India». She felt that the struggle for national integration, for national solidarity, for safeguarding the ideals and aspirations embodied in our Constitution, had to be waged ceaselessly, courageously and tenaciously. She exhorted the people to create conditions in which divisive forces would not raise their head and in which the whole society would react strongly against any effort to create suspicions amongst different groups of our people.”
Indira Gandhi deprecated the ideology of discrimination among castes and communities, which had done a great disservice to the country in the past. She fought against every form of narrowness
In order to uphold the cause of national understanding and integration which was dearest to Indira Gandhi's heart, the Indian National Congress, in its centenary year, has instituted an Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, to give recognition to significant contributions to this cause either by individuals or institutions.
This Award is given annually to distinguished persons/institutions for promoting national integration and understanding and fellowship amongst religious groups, communities, ethnic groups, cultures, languages and traditions of India and the strengthening, through thought and action of the nation's sense of solidarity.
The Awardee is selected by an Advisory Committee consisting of not fewer than 7 or more than 11 eminent persons representing art, science, culture, education, literature, religion social work journalism, law and public life. The Advisory Committee is appointed by the President of the Indian National Congress and members of the Committee will hold office for a period of three years. The Award carries an amount of Rs. 1.51 lakh in cash and a citation.
All persons of Indian nationality (regardless of race, caste, religion, creed or sex) or associations, institutions or organisations, having a legal status and registered in India are eligible for nomination for the Award. Ordinarily persons / associations duly recommended in writing, in a prescribed form by former recipients of the Award or former members of the Advisory Committee, present Members of Parliament or State Legislatures, Judges of Supreme Court or High Court, Vice Chancellors and University Professors and Principals of Colleges and persons working in the fields of religion, art, science, culture, social work and journalism will be considered for the Award.
The Award is given annually, starting with the Congress Centenary Year 1985. The Award will be for services deserving of recognition in the year to which the Award relates and two years immediately preceding it.
The Award may be divided between two persons, or two institutions or one person and one institution in a given year. A deceased person cannot be considered for the Award. However, if the death of the person whom the Advisory Committee considers otherwise fit for the Award had occurred during the year to which the Award pertains, the Award may be given posthumously. The Advisory Committee can withhold the Award during any year.
The Committee's decision is by consensus. The discussions and deliberations of the Committee are not to be made public and no appeal or protest can be made against them.
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