By TCN Newsdesk
New Delhi:President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards to 53 persons. Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of humane nature in saving the life of a person. The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan RakshaPadak.
Rukhsana Kausar has been selected for the highest award Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak along with Narender Kaushik of Delhi. Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak is awarded for conspicuous courage in saving life under circumstances of very great danger to the life of the rescuer.
Displaying rare courage, 20-year-old Rukhsana Kauser axed to death an armed Lashkar-e-Toiba commander and then, along with her 18-year-old brother, snatched guns and opened fire on two other militants, wounding one and forcing them to flee. President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram hugely praised Rukhsana for her daring act.
For Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Shri Mushtaq Ahmed and Ajaz Ahmed of Jammu & Kashmir made it to the final list along with Syed Areef Sujauddin of Andhra Pradesh. Syed Areef Sujauddin will be awarded posthumously. Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak is awarded for courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of great danger to the life of the rescuer.
Six Muslims are in the list of 44 selected for Jeevan Rakhsha Padak. Jeevan Raksha Padak is awarded for courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of grave bodily injury to the rescuer.
Names of K Faseeb and Thahir of Kerala, Rukhsana Bano of Karnataka, Shahanshah of Uttar Pradesh, Hina Quereshi and Zaheen Mateen of Rajsthan have been approved by the President for the medal.
Zaheen Mateen laid his life saving guests of Taj Hotel on 27th Nov 2008 during terrorist attack. Born in Bhilwara, Rajsthan on 20 Aug.1983, Zaheen Mateen , was working as the Assistant Chef for past four years in the kitchen of The Zodiac Grill at Taj Mahal Palace and tower, Mumbai . He will be awarded posthumously.
The decoration of the award (medal, certificate signed by the Home Minister and demand draft for lump sum monetary allowance) is presented to the awardee in due course by the respective Government of the State to which the awardee belongs. The lump sum monetary allowance is given at the rate of Rs.75,000, Rs.45,000 and Rs.30,000 to the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padakawardee respectively.
List was announced on Friday in New Delhi.