National Awards instituted to eradicate untouchability

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) The government today announced institution of four National Awards for NGOs or individual human rights activists who have done outstanding fieldwork in the area of eradicating untouchability and in combating offences of atrocities.

Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar said the awards would be given every year from 2007.

The award to an individual activist would carry an amount of Rs two lakh and the amount would be Rs five lakh in the case of an institution.

The awards would be given to outstanding NGOs or HRAs in each of the four regions of the country -- North, South, East and West -- for rendering yeomen services under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The award may be shared by more than one recipient or organisation.

The award is open to all Indian NGOs and HRAs without any distinction or discrimination on grounds of race, sex, caste or creed. A screening committee and finally the selection committee constituted for the purpose would consider the achievement of the NGOs and the individual HRAs nominated/recommended for the award by the prescribed authority.

For the 2007 awards, the screening committee and the selection committee would consider nominations received upto January 31, 2007.

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