"Honouring good minds and serving minds is indeed a great task." This profound message from Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2010 laid the foundation for the Sansad Ratna Awards—India's premier civil society initiative instituted to identify and felicitate outstanding Parliamentarians.
The Genesis: Guided by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
Established in December 1999 by Prime Point Srinivasan, the Prime Point Foundation has completed over 25 years of public service, promoting constructive communication, youth leadership, and transparent governance. Following the suggestion of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the Foundation launched the digital-only monthly eMagazine PreSense in 2006 to champion positive journalism.
In 2010, Dr Kalam inspired the conceptualisation of the Sansad Ratna Awards to honour top-performing Members of Parliament. He launched the inaugural edition via teleconference. Across 15 editions up to 2025, a total of 143 awards have been conferred on distinguished Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, as well as crucial Departmentally Related Parliamentary Standing Committees.
Recognised by India's Constitutional Leadership
The credibility and non-partisan nature of the Sansad Ratna Awards have earned commendations across the highest echelons of the Republic:
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has commended the awards on multiple occasions, highlighting the vital role civil society plays in encouraging parliamentary diligence.
- President Smt. Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar hosted special felicitation and photo sessions at Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Vice President's Enclave to honour the awardees of the 17th Lok Sabha.
- The 15th Edition, held in New Delhi, witnessed Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju conferring honours, including a historic first award for an outstanding Parliamentarian from the Northeast.
A Rigorous and Transparent Selection Process
Unlike conventional awards, recipients do not apply. A distinguished Jury Committee comprising eminent Parliamentarians, retired constitutional authorities, and civil society leaders selects the awardees strictly based on empirical performance data (debates, private members' bills, questions raised, and committee engagement) sourced independently from PRS Legislative Research and Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha records.
Dr Kalam was so moved by the impact of this movement that he devoted an entire chapter to the Sansad Ratna Awards in his seminal book, A Manifesto for Change, featuring detailed interviews with awardees.
Introducing 'Sansad Ratna Parivar'
To further channel this legislative expertise into national development, Prime Point Foundation has established the Sansad Ratna Parivar—a national think tank uniting past, present, and future awardees across party lines to deliberate on key policy initiatives and good governance.
Currently headed by Smt. Priyadharshni Rahul (Advocate, Supreme Court of India) as Jury Committee Chairman, with Founder Chairman Emeritus Prime Point Srinivasan mentoring the team, the initiative continues to set the benchmark for democratic accountability in India.
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