Kottayam: There seems to be a dearth of worthy contenders to be nominated for the state government's 'Padma' awards. The award selection committee has been given the additional responsibility of finding the eligible people and finalising the nomination list.
The Kerala government had last year instituted the state awards, 'Kerala Puraskarangal', on the lines of the central government's Padma awards.
The awards have to be declared on November 1, Kerala Piravi day.
128 nominations
The three categories of 'Kerala Puraskarangal' are - 'Kerala Jyothi', 'Kerala Prabha', and 'Kerala Sree'. Comprehensive contributions in various fields are being considered.
Though 128 nominations have been received, it has been found that there are not enough nominations for all categories. Therefore, the government has directed the secretary-level screening committee to identify the deserving people. It has also been directed to exclude from the list those who have received the Centre's Padma Awards.
The 'Kerala Jyothi' will be awarded to one person, the 'Kerala Prabha' award will be given to two people and the 'Kerala Sree' award to five people.
