Another govt award named after Nehru-Gandhi family

New Delhi, 28 December 2013

Citing an RTI query, BJP recently pointed out that Nehru-Gandhi family names were used for 450 difference schemes, projects and institutions. As per the RTI, 12 Central and 52 state schemes, 28 sports tournaments and trophies, 19 stadiums, 5 airports and ports, 98 educational institutions, 51 awards, 15 fellowships, 15 national sanctuaries and parks, 39 hospitals and medical institutions, 37 institutions, chairs and festivals and 74 roads, buildings and places are named after 3 members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Did this RTI query cover numerous other things like ship, awards etc? Recently when 17 containers slipped from a vessel owned by government run Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) off Gujarat coast, we came to know that the vessel was named as MV Rajeev Gandhi!

And about awards? Well there are several awards also named after various members of Nehru-Gandhi family. But here is the story about the latest one, declared just today. The Prime Minister while addressing the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi today, announced instituting awards in the name of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru for individual excellence in the areas of Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Technology, Fine Arts and Culture.

So we have now another award named after a family member. And our children may perhaps in future also see Rahul Gandhi award, Priyanka Vadra award and Robert Vadra award….

And what are the names of Priyanka and Robert Vadra’s children?