Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023

The objective of the award is to recognize the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years immediately preceding the year during which the award is to be given. During the years when Olympic Games, Commonwealth and Asian Games are held, achievements of the sportspersons upto conclusion of these Games will also be considered.

Eligibility

1. The spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years immediately preceding the year during which award is to be given shall be honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for excellence in Sports & Games at international level i.e. Olympic/Asian/ Commonwealth/World Games/Championships/World Cup and equivalent recognized international tournaments. During the years when Olympic Games, Commonwealth and Asian Games are held, achievements of the sportspersons in these Games and other abovementioned tournaments upto the conclusion of the Olympic Games/Commonwealth Games/Asian Games, as the case may be, will also be considered.
2. Sportspersons who have been penalized or against whom enquiry is pending/ongoing for use of drugs/substances banned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) based on a sample collected by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) or any other agency authorized by WADA and tested by National Dope Testing Laboratory or any other WADA accredited laboratory, will not be eligible for the Award.

Decoration

1. The award will consist of the following:

• A cash amount of Rs. 25 lakhs exempt from Income Tax and Wealth Tax in the year in which it is disbursed. The Award will be presented to the winners at the function for the presentation of the Award to be held at a place and on a date to be determined by the Government.
• A Certificate of honour to each sportsperson.
• One medal to each Sportsperson.

2. This Award will be in addition to any other award of the Department or otherwise, which may be available to sportspersons for the same achievements.
3. No Award will be made for a second time to the same person.
4. The award may be given posthumously if such an occasion arises.

 

No. of Awardees

There will be only one award every year to be given to an individual sportsperson. This condition will be relaxed only in exceptional circumstances.

Who can nominate ?

1. The nominations for the Award will be invited by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from all recognized National Sports Federations (NSFs) recognized by the Government of India, Indian Olympic Association, Sports Promotion and Control Boards and State/UT Government in the month of January/February each year. The National Sports Federations recognized by the Government of India, the Indian Olympic Association, Sports Promotion and Control Boards and the State/UT Governments may nominate upto two names in a particular discipline/sport in a particular year. In case of cricket, for which no National Sports Federation has been recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, nominations from the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) will be invited. For the NSFs de-recognized or under suspension, Sports Authority of India (SAI) will exercise the quota of nominations and make nominations upto a maximum of two eligible sportspersons for each sports discipline with the approval of Director General, SAI. Nominations beyond maximum two will not be considered. Only the first two nominations sent by NSFs will be considered. Last date for the receipt of nominations will be 30^th April or last working day of April. During the years when Olympic Games, Commonwealth and Asian Games are held, last date will be 10 days after conclusion of these Games.
2. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardees of the previous years can also nominate one eligible sportsperson each for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for the sports discipline for which they themselves were awarded Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna. Further, Director General, Sports Authority of India can also nominate upto two eligible sportspersons for this award, in addition to the quota to be exercised by it in respect of de- recognized/suspended NSFs.
3. Notwithstanding the above, Government reserves the right to nominate upto two sportspersons in deserving cases where no such nominations have been received from the agencies mentioned under the Scheme.
4. The authorized signatory for sending nominations will be as follows:-

• Indian Olympic Association — President/Secretary General
• National Sports Federations — President/Secretary General [In the case of Cricket, there is no federation recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Nominations for cricket will need to be sent by President/ Secretary General of the Board for Control of Cricket iii India (BCCI)].
• State/UT Governments/ Sports Control/Promotion Boards — An officer of not less than the rank of Secretary or Director (Sports) of the organization after taking due approval of the competent authority.

5. Nominations forwarded by any office bearer other than those mentioned in para above will not be considered.
6. The Award will be made in respect of the calendar year for which the applications are invited.
7. The nominations will be sent to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the prescribed proforma giving the past performance of the nominated sportspersons in International competitions.
8. Nomination agencies are expected to send nominations of most deserving sportsperson(s) irrespective of whether sportspersons have applied to them for awards.
9. The nominating authorities are required to certify in the nomination form itself that the nominees are clear from vigilance/disciplinary angles and are not involved in acts of criminal and moral turpitude nature. In case of sportspersons employed with Central Government/State Governments/PSUs or in private organizations, nominating authorities should obtain a requisite report from the concerned employers before certifying that the sportsperson being nominated is clear from vigilance/disciplinary angle and is not involved in arty act of criminal or moral turpitude nature. While seeking report from the employer, details of chargesheet/disciplinary action taken/pending, if any, should also be obtained. Copy of the report/certificate obtained from the employer of the sportsperson should be enclosed with the application of the sportsperson being nominated.
10. Copies of the nominations received from organizations other than the National Sports Federations (NSFs) will be sent to the concerned NSF for verification of the details and the achievements and for checking if the nominated sportsperson has ever been warned/penalized for any unfair practice like age fraud/sexual harassment, doping etc. All details in this regard, if any, along with verification report should be sent by the concerned NSF within a week of the receipt of letter from the Ministry.

 

Selection Process

1. The Award will be decided by a Selection Committee constituted by the Government of India as under:

• Chairperson - To be nominated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports
• Sportspersons  of eminence (Olympians or previous Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna or Arjuna Awardees) - 2 members
• Previous Dronacharya Awardees from different disciplines - 3 members
• Sports Journalists/Experts/Commentators - 2 members
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme Secretarirat - Ex-officio member
• Executive Director (TEAMS)/Officer in charge of TEAMS Division, Sports Authority of India - Ex-officio member
• Joint Secretary (Sports), Department of Sports - Member SecretarY

 

2. There should be a minimum two years gap before a member other than ex-officio is re-nominated as chairperson or member in the Selection Committee.

3. Not more than one sportsperson of eminence from a particular sports discipline shall be a member of the Selection Committee to avoid any bias in favour of a particular discipline.

4. A statement of achievements of all those sportspersons, who fulfill eligibility criteria and whose nominations have been received before last date, will be sent to the members of the Selection Committee at least a week in advance before the meeting of the Selection Committee.

5. The Chairperson, in consultation with Member Secretary, may constitute panels from amongst the members of the Committee to assist the Committee.

6. The Chairperson may seek advice of experts in specific sports disciplines wherever necessary.

7. Shortlisted nominations from team games may be sent to experts at least a week in advance for their views. The experts may also be asked to attend Selection Committee meetings to clarify the doubts of members. The evaluation criteria may include international recognition, goals scored, player of the match/player of the tournament award, etc.

8. Any person directly or indirectly related to a sportsperson nominated for the Awards shall not be eligible to participate in deliberations of the Selection Committee, concerning that sportsperson.

9. The Committee will determine its own work procedure and will keep in view the guidelines/criteria, if any, framed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. Members of the Selection Committee will give their recommendations as per the provisions of the scheme and the marks criteria of the scheme.

10. The quorum for the meeting of the Committee shall be 75% of the members of the Committee and the Chairperson.

11. The Committee shall select the Award winners by consensus failing which by a majority decision and give its report to the Government of India within 15 days of reference.

12. The Executive Director (TEAMS)/Director (TEAMS), Sports Authority of India will be present at the time of deliberations of the Committee in order to  provide information / clarifications, if any, required by the Committee.

13. All the selection proceedings will be treated as “Confidential”, The Chairperson may take necessary steps in consultation with the Member Secretary to maintain strict confidentiality of the deliberations and selection made by the Committee.

Ceremony Details

1. In order to ensure due diligence in the selection of awardees, the Ministry will make necessary character verification prior to finalizing the names of the awardees. Ministry may ask Sports Authority of India to carry out verification of character and antecedents of the recommended awardees through its regional centres, if need be, by taking help of concerned police authorities.
2. The Awards will be conferred in a ceremony by the President of India, ordinarily on 29^th August, birth anniversary of Late Major Dhyan Chand. However, during the years when Olympic Games, Commonwealth and Asian Games are held, the date of award ceremony will be finalized keeping in view the closing dates of these Games and in consultation with the Secretariat of the President of India.
3. At the time of the presentation ceremony, the awards will be conferred upon the selected awardees, who are present. No person other than the awardees will collect the award and prize money at the ceremony. The awardees who are not able to come to receive the award during the presentation ceremony may later receive the same from the Minister—in- Charge for Youth Affairs and Sports.
4. The Government of India may cancel, annual the Award of any recipient for specific reasons including doping and thereupon the recipient shall be required to surrender the medal and the certificate of honour, but it shall be competent for the Government of India to restore the Award once the cancellation and annulment has been withdrawn.
5. The decision of the Government of India in respect of matters covered by the scheme and of the interpretation of the provisions of the scheme shall be final and no appeal shall lie against such decision.
6. A person who is nominated for the Award shall be deemed to have accepted the provisions of the scheme.
7. Canvassing in any form in respect of any nominee will render that nominee liable to disqualification.
8. Minister-in-charge for Youth Affairs & Sports will be competent authority for relaxation of any clause, provided there are sufficient reasons (to be recorded in writing) for doing so.