Nominations sought for Communal Harmony Awards 2012

The Government is seeking nominations from individuals and organisation for the National Communal Harmony Awards, 2012.

The awards, conferred by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous organisation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, recognise people with outstanding contribution in promotion of communal harmony and national integration.

Consisting of a citation each and cash award or Rs 2 lakh for an individual and Rs 5 lakh for an organisation, the awards are given on the basis of contribution over a period of ten years for an individual and five years for an organisation.

He/she must be working in the area of national integration and communal harmony and must not be holding any effective office in Parliament, state legislature or local body local body constituted under an act of Parliament.

In the case of an organisation, it is essential that the organisation is registered under an appropriate act of Parliament or state legislature and must have been working at the all-India level or at least state level.

Nominations complete in all respects may be sent to the NFCH through state government/Union Territory Administration; local bodies (like Municipal Corporation Board, Zilla Panchayat); Speaker of Lok Sabha / State Vidhan Sabha; Members of Parliament and State Legislatures.

The nominations can also be sent through members of the National Integration Council; Governing Council or Executive Council of the NFCH; Vice-Chancellors of Universities; Recipients of the National Communal Harmony Awards and organisations of repute dedicated to promotion of communal harmony and national integration.

The last date for receipt of the nominations is June 30, 2012. Presentation of the awards shall be made at a ceremony to be organised by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony.

The Jury will have the vice-president of India as chairman, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, two eminent persons nominated by the Union home minister and home secretary.

Khamliana from Mizoram and Mohammed Abdul Bari of Odisha were jointly selected for the prestigious award last year.

Asghar Ali Engineer, Maulana Wahidudin Khan, Jagadguru Tontada Siddalinga Mahaswamiji, Begum Syeda Naseem Chishti, Dominic Emmanuel are among those who were conferred with the award in the past.