[icernet] No more gold medals for artists: report

[Arul Selvan]

The Indian Express' newspaper said the Information Ministry awards about 
150 medals -- including the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) -- at the annual 
national awards ceremonies and international film festivals it 
organises, the paper said.

The report said about 52 grams (1.8 ounces) of gold is used in one 
Swarna Kamal, which costs Rs 30,545 (630 dollars). These costs, the 
Expenditure Reforms Committee said, should be reduced as part of the 
Government's attempts to prune "wasteful Government expenditure."

Instead of gold medals, the committee has suggested that the awards be 
made of burnished bronze. The Information Ministry, which has already 
brushed aside another recommendation by the committee to prune its 
staff, is yet to respond to the latest suggestion, the report added.

Source:
http://news.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?article_oid=12110054&category_oid=-20614