Hukumdev Narayan Yadav & Ghulam Nabi Azad among five MPs conferred Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards

Announcing the awards for the last five years, Indian Parliamentary Group said Najma Heptulla will be awarded for the year 2013. Then Rajya Sabha MP and a former union minister, Heptullah is currently the governor of Manipur.

For 2014, BJP’s Lok Sabha MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav will be given the award.

Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has been named outstanding parliamentarian for 2015.

For 2016, Lok Sabha member from TMC, Dinesh Trivedi will be given the award.

For 2017, BJD’s Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahatab has been named outstanding parliamentarian.

The names were shortlisted by an award committee headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP veteran LK Advani, Deputy Chairman of the Upper House PJ Kurien, Congress leader Karan Singh and Ram Bhadur Rai, head of the Indira Gandhi National Centre For Arts.

The awardees were selected on the basis of their experience, debating skills, awareness of issues and the depth with which issues were raised.

The committee also considered the member's observance of the rules of procedure, maintenance of dignity and contribution in parliamentary committees among others.

The Outstanding Parliamentarian Award was established in 1992 by Shivraj Patil who was then the Speaker of Lok Sabha.