Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday claimed that Padma awards were driven by "patronage and event management" at one point in time, but the process has seen "transformational changes" now.
Delivering his speech during a function to confer Assam's top civilian awards here, Mr Dhankhar said the state recognitions to 22 personalities have been done in a very transparent manner representing the variety of the society.
"We have seen in recent times that we have made transformational changes in Padma awards. Patronage was the driving force and event management used to secure Padmas at one point in time," he added.
Mr Dhankhar said that an award received due to patronage, friendship or event management is actually "not an award" as there is no credibility.
Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria conferred the awards on 22 people from diverse fields.
The highest state civilian award 'Assam Baibhav' was given to Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi. The second highest award 'Assam Saurabh' was given to four persons, while the third highest 'Assam Gaurav' was received by 17 people.
"I could never imagine that the fields will be so diversified, that the recipients will be spread across the strata of society. Amazing work done by the persons concerned," Mr Dhankhar said.
Assam, often referred to as the 'Gateway to the Northeast,' is a land of enchanting landscapes and diverse cultures, and a history that spans centuries, he added.
"The Act East Policy, announced in 2014, is bearing rich dividends. Owing to the government initiatives and policies, the northeastern region is assuming its rightful place in the national and historical narrative," the Vice President said.
He appealed to all to think about "economic nationalism" and voiced his reservation towards the import of goods that could be manufactured within India.
"If we import, our foreign exchange goes out as well as snatches our jobs. We need to resolve to be vocal for local," Dhankhar said, adding exporting raw material on the other hand does not allow any value addition.
"We are the trustees of natural resources, we have to optimally use the natural resources, we have to conserve the natural resources," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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