Proposals invited for Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is the Chairperson of the advisory committee of the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, on Friday invited proposals for the award latest by August 31.

This was announced by member-secretary of the committee Motilal Vora in a statement.

"The 30th award for the year 2015-16 would be for the recognition of outstanding contribution to the cause of National Integration in that year and two years immediately preceding it," read the statement.

The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was instituted in 1985 by the Congress party in its centenary year.

The award is given on October 31 -- the day when the late Prime Minister was assassinated -- observed as Martyrdom Day.

The award is for promoting national integration, understanding and fellowship amongst religious groups, communities, ethnic groups, cultures, languages and traditions of India and also to strengthen through thought and action, the nation's sense of solidarity.

The award carries a citation and cash amount of Rs 10 lakh and is given either to a person or an institution for outstanding contribution made towards promoting national integration.

Among the award recipients are Rajiv Gandhi (posthumously), M.S. Swaminathan, A.R. Rahman, Javed Akhtar, Gulzar and A.P.J Abdul Kalam, among others.

--IANS

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