Sansad Ratna Award 2023: Veteran CPI-M Leader TK Rangarajan Gets Lifetime Achievement Award

Sansad Ratna Awards 2023 have been awarded to thirteen members of parliament, and two parliamentary committees. Prominent CPI-M leader T K Rangarajan received the lifetime achievement award.

A view of Newly Parliament House Building (Representational Image)

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The names for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023 have been released on Tuesday. A total of thirteen members of parliament and two parliamentary committees have been honoured with the accolade.

T K Rangarajan (two-term Rajya Sabha MP and prominent CPI-M leader) has received the Sansad Ratna Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Lok Sabha's Parliamentary Committee on Finance, chaired by Jayant Sinha, and the Rajya Sabha's Standing Committee on Tourism, Transport, and Culture, chaired by Vijay Sai Reddy, were also honoured with the Sansad Ratna Award.

Thirteen MPs were nominated for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, RJD's Manoj Jha, and CPI-John M's Brittas. The 13 MPs include eight from the Lok Sabha and five from the Rajya Sabha, as well as three retired members, according to the Prime Point Foundation, which established the award.

Under the special awards category, a jury committee directed by Union Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal and co-chaired by former Chief Election Commissioner of India S Krishnamurthy nominated two departmentally connected standing committees and a renowned leader.

The committee is made up of distinguished legislators and members of civil society.

Among those nominated were Bidyut Baran Mahato (BJP, Jharkhand), Dr Sukanta Majumdar (BJP, West Bengal), Kuldeep Rai Sharma (INC, Andaman Nicobar Islands), Dr Heena Vijayakumar Gavit (BJP, Maharashtra), Gopal Chinayya Shetty (BJP, Maharashtra), Sudhir Gupta (BJP, Madhya Pradesh) and Dr Amol Ramsing Kolhe (NCP, Maharashtra) for their performance in the 17th Lok Sabha under various categories.

The nominations are based on members' total performance in Questions, Private Members Bills, and initiated debates from the start of the 17th Lok Sabha until the end of the Winter Session 2022.

The members' performance data was obtained from the PRS India, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha Secretariats.

In 2022, the Foundation and PreSense created a new category called "Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award" to recognise experienced leaders who have made significant contributions to Indian politics, society, and the people.

According to the Foundation, the awards will be awarded on March 25 on behalf of civil society.

The Sansad Ratna Awards were established at the suggestion of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to recognise outstanding Parliamentarians. In 2010, he hosted the maiden edition of the award ceremony in Chennai. The award has been given to 90 outstanding Parliamentarians to date.

(With Inputs From PTI)