The Lok Sabha to-day [November 12, New Delhi] took up for consideration a private Constitution Amendment Bill by Mr. J.B. Kripalani (Ind) for the abolition of the practice of conferring awards like Bharat Ratna and Padma Bhushan by the Government. Mr. Kripalani said that Article 18 of the Constitution prohibited the conferring of titles on Indian citizens by the State. Not only foreign governments but even a government of the people could use the practice to offer inducements and corrupt the people. The late Sardar Patel, speaking in support of the Article had said that the government “should have no authority to give inducements or to corrupt people in order to build up its party or to derive strength by unfair means”. By calling the present titles as “awards” the Government was trying to circumvent the article. This was a violation of the Constitution.
