Sansad Ratna Award Rules for 16th Lok Sabha

(Advisory Committee meeting - At the centre stage: Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, 

Shri Hansraj G Ahir and Shri Anandrao Adsul)

Shri Adsul, Shri Hansraj and Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal were the outstanding Parliamentarians of 15th Lok Sabha and secured No 1 position in Questions, Private Members Bills and Debates during the 15th Lok Sabha.  They will be shortly inducted into 'Sansad Ratna - Hall of Fame'.  Sansad Ratna Award Team has requested them to be the 'Committee of Judges' to guide the team to select the Award winners for 16th Lok Sabha.  

Sansad Ratna Award Advisory Committee Meeting was held on Wednesday the 11th March 2015 at Delhi.  

Shri Ponraj (Advisor to Dr Abdul Kalam), Shri T Theethan (Director General Audit of Indian Railways), Shri Srinivasa Prabhu (Director of Lok Sabha), Shri Kulasekaran (Retd. Director of Lok Sabha), Shri T N Ashok (Senior Journalist), Shri Bharath Matha Mohan (Social worker), Shri G A Prithvi (youth political aspirant) were present on special invitation to share the views.  Another Special invitee Shri Madhavan, President of PRS India was out of station and hence he could not participate.

K Srinivasan, Chairman of Prime Point Foundation and Convenor of Sansad Ratna Award Committee welcomed all and explained how the Awards concept was conceived in 2009 and developed over the period of five years.  He also presented a background note.

Presently, he said, that the awards were given based on the performance data on (a) Questions, (b) Private Members Bills and (c) Debates, provided by Lok Sabha Secretariat and PRS India.  He also explained that the three MPs viz. Shri Adsul, Shri Hansraj and Shri Arjun Ram, who scored No 1 position in Questions, Private Bills and Debates were selected for induction into Sansad Ratna Hall of Fame so that they could guide the team for framing the rules for 16th Lok Sabha.  He also congratulated the thee outstanding Parliamentarians for their wonderful and consistent performance during the entire 15th Lok Sabha.  The participants gave standing ovation to the outstanding Parliamentarians of 15th Lok Sabha. 

Then the participants were requested to share their views on framing of new rules for 16th Lok Sabha.  Generally, the following views were shared by the participants.

1.  The achievements of First Time MPs should be recognised.

2.  Ruling party members have some disadvantage over the opposition members, in various participation.

3.  The attendance in the House, Standing Committees and the MPLad usage also should be taken into account while considering the Award.

4.  On Single Super Sansad Ratna Award can also be considered at the end of the 16th Lok Sabha to identify the 'single super performer'.

5.  Besides Quantify of the participation, quality of the participation also should be considered.

K. Srinivasan after hearing all the suggestions, informed the participants since the Speaker approved all the debates, private bills and questions before they get published in the website, in the past, they did not want to sit on judgement on the Speaker's decision.  Hence, he felt that measuring the quality can be controversial and cannot be defined or quantified.   

After the suggestions, it was left to the Committee of Judges for guidance.  

Shri Adsul felt that ruling party members also have the same right and opportunity like any opposition members.  The only difference is that they may not press too much on their motions, like opposition members.  Hence, he felt that there should not be any difference between ruling and opposition members. 

The Committee of Judges agreed with the suggestions of separate award for the first time MPs (common to both genders). They also agreed for the attendance to the House, Standing Committees and Usage of MP Lad to be incorporated in the rules.  Like earlier years, they wanted to continue the awards to top performers among the women MPs.

Finally, after deliberations, the following rules were framed. There will be 3 categories of Awards viz. General, Women and First Time MPs. 

General category - Sansad Ratna (followed by the year)

3 MPs will get Award under this category.

1.  The top performers under the categories (a) Questions (b) Private Members Bills and (c) Debates, based on the data provided by Lok Sabha Secretariat an PRS India can be honoured every year on cumulative performance basis preferably after Budget Session, subject to the following.

(a) The selected top performer should have scored a minimum of 70% attendance in the House; and

(b) should have scored a minimum of 70% attendance for Committee Meetings; and

(c) should have spent a minimum of 50% MPLad fund.
(d) Should have secured within the Top 10 performers for overall tally.

Women category - Sansad Mahila Ratna (followed by the year)

One  MP will get the Award 

One top performer among the women MPs on the basis of cumulative  total tally (Questions + Private Bills + Debates) every year after the second part of Budget Session.  (Subject to the conditions laid in a,b and c above).  If a women top performer ranks in the General / First Time MP  category, the Committee of Judges will take suitable decision, based on the data at that particular time).  

First Time MPs - Sansad Navodit Ratna (followed by the year)

1 MP will get the Award

3.  One top performer among the First Time MPs on the basis of cumulative  total tally (Questions + Private Bills + Debates) every year after the second part of Budget Session.  (Subject to the conditions laid in a,b and c above).  If a First time MP ranks in the General / Women category, the Committee of Judges will take suitable decision, based on the data at that particular time). 

(The Committee of Judges will have the right to relax the attendance and MPLad condition, in exceptional cases for genuine reasons, without being quoted as precedent).

Sansad Maha Ratna

There will be one Award at the end of 16th Lok Sabha based on the overall performance.  The Committee of Judges will decide based on all parameters at the end of the 16th Lok Sabha.

It was  decided to hold the first Award function at Delhi some time in the first fortnight of July 2015, to hounour the top performers based on the data till the end of Part II of Budget Session.  

It was  decided to invite Dr Abdul Kalam ji, Former President of India and Hon'ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha.    

On the next day, the Team met Dr Abdul Kalam and briefed him on the rules.  He was quite happy about the initiative to create awareness about Parliamentary functions.  

K Srinivasan, proposed vote of thanks.