The Department of Sports, Government of India, on Monday decided to recommend the name of badminton star Saina Nehwal for the Padma Bhushan award.
The Padma Bhushan award is the country's third highest civilian award, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
The Union Home Ministry also clarified on why Nehwal was not recommended earlier for the Padma Bhushan award.
According to a PIB release, on 1st May, 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs invited nominations for the Padma awards. The last date for forwarding the nominations to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was 15.09.2014.
The Ministry had not received any nomination for Saina Nehwal from the Badminton Association of India or any other agency, for the Padma Bhushan awards for 2014.
It is also clarified that it had not received any nomination for Saina Nehwal in the last year either.
"The Ministry has since received the nomination of Saina Nehwal for Padma Bhushan on 3rd January, 2015, from the Badminton Association of India. In view of the achievements of Saina Nehwal, the Department of Sports has decided to recommend her case for the Padma Bhushan to the Ministry of Home Affairs as a special case although the last date for making the recommendation is long over," said the press release. (INN)