Home Ministry to PMO: Include sports as a category in Bharat Ratna
Sachin Tendulkar could well be on his way to receive a Bharat Ratna. The Home Ministry has written to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to include sports as a category in Bharat Ratna.
Sachin Tendulkar could well be on his way to receive a Bharat Ratna. The Home Ministry has written to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to include sports as a category in Bharat Ratna.
The Home Ministry's move is expected to pave way for Sachin to get the prestigious award.
Earlier, the Sports Ministry had sought the inclusion of sports as a category for the award of Bharat Ratna after calls from several quarters for Sachin to get the award.
Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Ajay Maken had written to Home Minister P Chidambaram in this regard, asking for the inclusion of sports as a separate category for the selection of Bharat Ratna award.
"Unfortunately, sports is not a separate category for the selection of awards and thus no sportsperson has yet received a Bharat Ratna. I have written to the Home Minister in this regard," said the minister.
When asked if the move came in the wake of a growing demand for conferring Bharat Ratna on cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, the Minister had said, "I took this decision after I became the sports minister. This should not be linked to anything else."
Maken had added, "The Sports Ministry does not select the candidates for the Bharat Ratna award. The Prime Minister selects the awards and the President approves them. The Sports Ministry is intervening only to help the sportspersons."
On being asked which sportsperson would be the first one to get the award, the Minister had said, "I would be pleased if any sportsperson gets a Bharat Ratna. If Sachin gets it, I will be happy that a sportsperson got a Bharat Ratna."