House Panel Suggests Taking Recipient’s Consent To Avoid Awards Being Returned

By OB Bureau On Jul 25, 2023

New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has recommended making award-winners sign an undertaking that they would not return their awards at any stage to protest any political incident. The step has been taken to prevent a rerun of the 2015 ‘award wapsi’ embarrassment.

It may be recalled that 39 authors returned their awards to the government. The writers had informed the Sahitya Akademi that the reason for returning their awards was to protest the killing of M M Kalburgi, an eminent writer from Karnataka.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which tabled a report in both Houses of Parliament on Monday, noted that “such inappropriate incidents involving the return of awards undermine the achievements of other awardees and also impact the overall prestige and reputation of the awards,” PTI reported adding that political issues are outside the ambit of the cultural realms and the autonomous functioning of the concerned Akademi. The report suggested that “whenever an award is given, the consent of the recipient must be taken, so that he/she does not return it because of political reasons, as it is disgraceful to the country”.

The report also recommended “prior concurrence of shortlisted candidates for awards before finalisation”. The panel said a system may be put in place where an undertaking is taken from the proposed awardee, citing acceptance of the award and that the awardees cannot dishonour the award at any point of time in the future.

“Awards may not be given without such an undertaking. In the event that the awards are returned, the awardee shall not be considered for such award in the future,” said the panel, headed by YSR Congress’ V Vijaisai Reddy, also comprising 10 Rajya Sabha MPs and 31 Lok Sabha MPs.

Between September and October 2015, around 39 people returned the awards, which comprised an amount (Rs 5,000 in the 1970s) and a citation. While some people sent their plaques, some have still not; some also sent cheques, as per the Akademi. However, it had informed them that there was no system for taking back the award, and therefore, cheques were not deposited. The Akademi also informed that many of these people have, again, associated with the Akademi and have served, sometimes, on the Jury and participated in programmes. The Committee, meanwhile, questioned the re-engagement of such awardees, who “insulted” the Akademi.