Zee
News: New Delhi: Friday, 13 March 2015.
The five
Bharat Ratna medallions ordered by the Home Ministry, which fuelled speculation
in the media about the latest honorees' list, were not meant to be awarded and
were for display in the newly-opened President's Secretariat museum, reveals an
RTI query.
The order for
five medals in the middle of last year had fuelled speculation that the
nation's highest civilian award would be given to as many persons with several
names, including that of revolutionary leader Subhash Chandra Bose, doing the
rounds.
However,
according to the rules, the number of Bharat Ratna awards is restricted to a
maximum of three in a particular year.
The
recommendation for Bharat Ratna is made by the prime minister himself to the
President.
The
government had last year in December announced the names of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter and founder of Banaras Hindu
University, Madan Mohan Malviya, as the latest recipients of the award.
Ending all
speculation, the response to the RTI query filed by Subhash Agrawal says that
the President's office had requested original medals of the civilian and
gallantry awards for display at a new museum which has opened at Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
It, however,
said that miniatures of the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and
Padma Shri medallions were handed over to the President's Secretariat even
though the office had asked for the original medals for display at the new
facility.
"As per
the stock available with the public section, no medal for Bharat Ratna is
available in the Section... As per rules governing Bharat Ratna, three awards
can be given in a year.
"As we
have no medal in stock, if approved, an order for 5 Bharat Ratna Medals along
with miniature may be made to the Government Mint, Kolkata," the file
notings said.