Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will present the National Film Awards (NFA) to the winners this year, instead of President Ram Nath Kovind.
Last year, a controversy had erupted over Kovind giving away the national awards to just 11 of the total awardees.
More than 50 winners of the 65th NFA had skipped the award presentation ceremony in 2018 in mark of protest, expressing their “disappointment” as only a few of them had opportunity to receive the award from the President and the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry had informed them about it just a day before the event.
The President's office had later conveyed its displeasure with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) over dragging it into an unnecessary controversy due to what it saw as mismanagement on the part of the I&B ministry. The 66th National Film Awards function will be held on December 23 in New Delhi. I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar will be present as the guest of honour.
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