Institution winning Subhash Chandra Bose Award to utilize cash prize for disaster management activities only: MoS Home

Institutions that are conferred with the 'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puruskar Award' are to utilize the cash prize of Rs 51 lakhs for disaster management activities only, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha in response to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP A. Vijayakumar's question about any award that has been instituted in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rai stated: "In 2018, the government instituted annual 'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puruskar Award' to recognize excellent work by individuals and institutions in India in disaster management, like prevention, preparedness, rescue, response, rehabilitation, research/innovations or early warning."

He further informed the Upper House that the award is announced on January 23, each year, on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

"There will be upto three awards to be conferred every year. Both institutions and individuals are eligible for these awards. In case of the winner being an Institution, it shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh," Rai said.

"This cash prize shall be utilized by the winning Institution for Disaster Management related activities only. In case of the winner being an individual, the winner shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh," he added.

On the question of transparency in the selection of the Netaji awards, Rai said, "The selection of the award winner is done in a transparent manner."

For the year 2022, the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (in the Institutional category) and Professor Vinod Sharma (in the Individual category) were selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for their excellent work in Disaster Management.

( With inputs from ANI )