JOIN USPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government has overhauled the Padma award process.
Sifarish (recommendations from VIPs) will not be necessary to receive the award, he said.
In his Mann Ki Baat monthly radio address, the prime minister said the awards are being bestowed on people "who do not live in big cities and are not visible in newspapers and TV".
The emphasis is no longer on the name of a nominee, but on the work done. Taking the nomination process online has led to transparency, he said.
"The selection process for these awards has undergone a transformation. Now the identity of the awardee is not the deciding factor for the award. It is the importance of the work done," Modi said.
There was "a certain methodology" for awarding Padma awards but this process has been revamped "in the past three years", he said.
"Now any citizen can nominate any person in the country," the prime minister said.
Women's contributions
The prime minister also hailed all the 112 women who received awards from President Ram Nath Kovind for their outstanding contributions to various fields, observing that the country's women were "playing a pioneering role and establishing milestones".
"Our woman power has achieved extraordinary feats, breaking the age-old shackles of social mores, setting new records," he said.
He described the women as "beacons of inspiration" not just to their contemporaries but for generations to come.
"Today our nari shakti is assuming leadership roles. It is becoming self-reliant," he said.
Responding to a request from Shriman Darshan of Mysuru, the prime minister said over 3,000 'Jan Aushadhi Kendras' have been set up across the country "to make healthcare affordable and encourage ease of living".
"This has also created employment opportunities for individual entrepreneurs. Medicines available at the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras are 50% to 90% cheaper than branded drugs available in the market," he said.