The BJP-led NDA government has dropped the names of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi from two awards for propagating Hindi. The two awards have been discontinued by the Home Ministry and instead launched two new schemes for doing outstanding work for promoting the progressive use of official language. According to a Home Ministry order, the 'Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Puraskar' and 'Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Gyan-Vigyan Maulik Pustak Lekhan Puraskar', launched more than two decades ago, have given away for 'Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar' and 'Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar'. Home Ministry officials have denied that the earlier two awards, named after two former Prime Ministers belonging to Congress party, have been changed due to political consideration by the BJP-led NDA government. "It is purely an administrative decision to make the awards more useful," an official said. Earlier, there were four categories of Rajbhasha awards of which two were named after the two former Prime Ministers. The four awards were merged into two now. Under the 'Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar Scheme', awards will be given to any citizen of India for writing original book in Hindi on knowledge and science based subjects, to central government employees (including retired one) for writing original book in Hindi and to Central Government Employees (including retired one) for writing an excellent article in Hindi. 'Rajbhasa Kirti Puraskar' will be given for outstanding work in promoting the progressive use of official language to Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings, banks and in-house Hindi magazines.
