SANSAD RATNA AWARDS

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Context: 13 Members of Parliament (MP) have been nominated for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023.

Sansad Ratna Awards

• The Sansad Ratna Awards were instituted in 2010 at the suggestion of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to honour top-performing Parliamentarians.
  • He also launched the first edition of the Award function in 2010 in Chennai.
  • Till now, 90 top-performing Parliamentarians have been honoured with the award.
• The 13th Edition of the award function will be held on 25th March 2023 in New Delhi.
• This year, the Jury Committee has chosen 13 MPs and 2 parliamentary committees for the award.
  • A lifetime award is to be presented for the first time this year.
• How the winner's name was finalized;
  • The jury committee comprises “eminent Parliamentarians and members of civil society”. The committee was chaired by Arjun Ram Meghwal (MoS, Parliamentary Affairs) and co-chaired by T S Krishnamurthy (Former Chief Election Commissioner of India).
  • Nominations were based on an MP’s cumulative performance in Parliament, from the beginning of the 17th Lok Sabha until the end of Winter Session 2022. Factors that the decision is based on include questions asked, private members’ Bills introduced, debates initiated, attendance, funds utilised, etc.
• The Sansad Ratna Awards are not given by the Government of India, the awards were started with support from IIT Madras.
• 2023 awardees list;
  • From the Lok Sabha: Bidyut Baran Mahato (Jharkhand), Sukanta Majumdar (West Bengal), Kuldeep Rai Sharma (Andaman Nicobar Islands), Heena Vijayakumar Gavit (Maharashtra), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (West Bengal), Gopal Chinayya Shetty (Maharashtra), Sudhir Gupta (Madhya Pradesh), and Amol Ramsing Kolhe (Maharashtra).
  • From the Rajya Sabha; John Brittas (Kerala), Manoj Kumar Jha (Bihar), Fauzia Tahseen Ahmed Khan (Maharashtra), Vishambhar Prasad Nishad (UP) and Chhaya Verma (Chhattisgarh).
  • The Finance Committee (Lok Sabha) and Transport, Tourism and Culture Committee (Rajya Sabha) have been nominated for Awards.
  • T K Rangarajan (former Rajya Sabha MP) will be honoured with the “Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award”.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/sansad-ratna-8461048/