Sansad Ratna Awards 2025 winners list announced: 17 MPs and 2 committees honoured for exemplary parliamentary performance based on debates, bills, and attendance.
Sansad Ratna Awards 2025 – Honouring Parliamentary Excellence
Introduction: Prestigious Recognition for MPs
In its 15th edition, the Sansad Ratna Awards 2025 celebrated the exemplary parliamentary performance of 17 Members of Parliament and two standing committees. Instituted in 2010 by the Prime Point Foundation and PreSense magazine at the suggestion of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the awards spotlight MPs’ commitment to democratic accountability
Award Ceremony & Venue
The ceremony took place in New Delhi on 26 July 2025 at New Maharashtra Sadan. Key dignitaries included Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Hansraj Ahir, Chairman of the Jury Committee
Basis of Selection
Awardees were selected using performance data from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat records and PRS Legislative Research. Metrics included number of debates initiated, private members’ bills introduced, questions raised, and attendance
Prominent Individual Awardees
- Special Jury Awards honoured sustained parliamentary excellence across terms, awarded to Bhartruhari Mahtab (Odisha), N.K. Premachandran (Kerala), Supriya Sule (Maharashtra), and Shrirang Barne (Maharashtra) .
- Other notable recipients included Ravi Kishan (Gorakhpur), Nishikant Dubey (Godda), Smita Uday Wagh, Naresh Mhaske, Varsha Gaikwad, Medha Kulkarni, Praveen Patel, Bidyut Baran Mahato, P.P. Chaudhary, Madan Rathore, C.N. Annadurai, and Dilip Saikia .
Dominance of Maharashtra in 2025 Awards
Maharashtra secured a remarkable 7 out of 17 individual awards, including MPs such as Supriya Sule, Medha Kulkarni, Varsha Gaikwad, Smita Wagh, Arvind Sawant, and Naresh Mhaske — signaling the state’s robust parliamentary contribution .
Committees Recognized for Oversight Performance
Two Departmentally Related Standing Committees were recognized for their legislative oversight and report quality:
- Finance Committee, chaired by Bhartruhari Mahtab
- Agriculture Committee, chaired by Dr. Charanjit Singh Channi (Punjab, Congress) .
Message from Parliamentary Affairs Minister
At the event, Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized that frequent disruptions hinder effective parliamentary accountability and weaken the opposition’s constitutional role, underscoring that parliamentary participation, not obstruction, strengthens democracy .
B) Why This News Is Important
Relevance for Exam Aspirants
Understanding Sansad Ratna Awards helps students preparing for government exams (like PSC, IAS, banking, railways, defence, etc.) by highlighting how institutional recognition reflects active legislative performance. It ties into syllabus topics on Indian Parliament, accountability mechanisms, and democratic institutions.
Enhances Understanding of Parliamentary Accountability
This news underscores data‑driven evaluation of MPs, focusing on attendance, debates, questions, and private bills, making it a key example when studying parliamentary behaviour, oversight function, and role of PRS Legislative Research.
Significance of Representation & Regional Performance
The remarkable representation from states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan provides insights into state‑wise parliamentary engagement. It also highlights how regional political actors are recognised for national legislative contributions.
Demonstrates Role of Civil Society and NGOs
Sansad Ratna Awards, run by Prime Point Foundation and PreSense, are a non‑governmental initiative that honours MPs based on performance data. This illustrates how civil society supplements formal state mechanisms to promote governance accountability.
Insight into Parliamentary Committees
Recognition of the Finance and Agriculture Standing Committees shows the importance of parliamentary committees in governance. Exam questions often ask about committee roles, functions, and contributions to legislative scrutiny.
C) Historical Context
Origin and Evolution of Sansad Ratna Awards
Instituted in May 2010 at the suggestion of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and first held in Chennai, the award aimed to encourage parliamentary diligence by assessing MPs on objective performance indicators .
Selection Criteria Based on Legislative Metrics
Over time, the award process has refined its metrics: number of debates initiated, private members’ bills, questions raised, and attendance records drawn from official sources including PRS India and parliament secretariats — making this a model case of performance accountability .
Growth Over Editions
By 2024, the awards had recognized over 125 individual MPs and committees across 14 editions. The jury—chaired by constitutional authority Hansraj Gangaram Ahir—includes former parliamentarians and civil society representatives .
D) Key Takeaways from Sansad Ratna Awards 2025
| No. | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1 | Total of 17 MPs and 2 parliamentary committees were honoured in the 2025 edition. |
| 2 | Four Special Jury Awards were given to MPs with consistent performance across multiple Lok Sabha terms. |
| 3 | Maharashtra had the highest representation with 7 MPs receiving awards. |
| 4 | Awards are based on objective data: debates, questions, private bills, and attendance. |
| 5 | Finance and Agriculture Standing Committees were recognised for their legislative oversight and report |
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Which female MP became the first woman to receive the award for overall performance?
Smita Uday Wagh (BJP, Maharashtra) became the first woman MP to be awarded for overall parliamentary performance.
What are the Sansad Ratna Awards?
The Sansad Ratna Awards are conferred annually to outstanding Members of Parliament based on their performance in debates, questions raised, private members’ bills, and attendance.
Who instituted the Sansad Ratna Awards and when?
The awards were instituted in 2010 by the Prime Point Foundation and eMagazine PreSense, based on the suggestion of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
How many MPs were honoured in Sansad Ratna Awards 2025?
A total of 17 Members of Parliament and 2 Parliamentary Standing Committees were honoured in 2025.
Which state had the highest number of awardees in 2025?
Maharashtra led the list with 7 MPs receiving the award.
Which MP received a Special Jury Award for consistent performance in 2025?
Supriya Sule (NCP–SP), among others, was conferred a Special Jury Award for her consistent high performance.
Which committees were awarded in 2025?
The Finance Committee (chaired by Bhartruhari Mahtab) and the Agriculture Committee (chaired by Dr. Charanjit Singh Channi) were awarded.
Which Bollywood actor-turned-politician received the award in 2025?
Ravi Kishan, BJP MP from Gorakhpur, was one of the recipients.
What data sources are used to evaluate MPs for the award?
Data is compiled from Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha records and PRS Legislative Research.
Is the Sansad Ratna Award affiliated with the Government of India?
No, it is a non-governmental initiative recognizing parliamentary excellence based on public data.
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