Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
Awarded by Government of India
Type
Civilian
Category
Sports (Individual/Team)
Description
Description
Highest sports honour in India
Statistics
Instituted
1992
First awarded
1992
Last awarded
2015
Total awarded
28
Cash award
₹ 7.5 lakh (US$11,000)
First awardee(s)
Viswanathan Anand
Recent awardee(s)
Sania Mirza
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour for achievement in sports and is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports .[1] The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "sports gem" in Hindi . The award is named after Rajiv Gandhi , the former Prime Minister of India . It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash component. Up to 2004–05, the monetary award was the sum of ₹ 5 lakh (US$7,400). This was increased to ₹ 7.5 lakh (US$11,000) in 2005.[2]
The award was instituted in the year 1991–92 to address the lack of a supreme national accolade in the field of sports. Predating the Khel Ratna are the Arjuna awards that have always been given to outstanding sportspersons in each of many sporting disciplines every year. The Khel Ratna was devised to be a singular overarching honour conferred for outstanding sporting performance, whether by an individual or a team, across all sporting disciplines in a given year.on 20th April 2016,BJP government in the center renamed it as "Khelo India award",that lead to many backslashes on the political vicinity.
Awardees
Explanatory notes
^ The award for the performance in 2008 is being referred to as award for 2009.[3]
References
^ "Scheme for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award" (PDF) . Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-13 .
^ Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of (2005-08-30). "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award" . NIC . Archived from the original on 2005-11-22. Retrieved 2006-05-15 .
^ a b c d e f g h i "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards" . Sports Authority of India. Retrieved 18 April 2016 .
^ a b "National Sports Awards" . Yachting Association of India. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Arjun Awards 1998 announced Ms. Jyotirmoyee Sikdar gets Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 1998-99" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Arjuna Awards to be presented tomorrow" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 30 August 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "President presents Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 29 September 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "President presents Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 29 August 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ a b "Arjuna Awards, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dhyan Chand and Dronacharya Awards given away" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 29 August 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "President gives away Arjuna Awards and Dronacharya Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 21 September 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "President gives away Arjuna Awards and Dronacharya Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 29 August 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, 2005, Arjuna awards 2005, Dhyan Chand awards, 2006 and Dronacharya awards for the year 2005 Announced" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 23 August 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "President gives away Arjuna Awards and Dronacharya Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 29 August 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna & Arjuna Awards announced" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ a b c "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards and other Sports Awards Announced" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Sports Minister Gives away Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Saina Nehwal" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards and other Sports Awards Announced" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ a b "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Awards Announced" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "National Sports Awards 2014" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
^ "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2015 and Arjuna Awards 2015" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016 .
External links
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