The National Awards Committee on Sunday opened the National Awards 2023 for nominations under a revised policy. The committee announced on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, its decision to revise the policy governing the National Awards.

The new policy was published in the Government Gazette today. Nominations for the awards will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

According to the revised policy, individuals aged 60 and older can now submit nominations to the National Awards of Recognition, which were previously barred. The revision also allows companies, non-governmental organisations, and associations with a service history of over 35 years to apply for the National Award of Honour. The committee also introduced two new categories to the National Awards: culinary arts and engineering.

Recipients of the National Award of Recognition—individuals, companies, and organisations—with a service history of over 35 years can submit applications for the National Award of Honour 10 years after receipt of the National Award of Recognition. According to the committee, individual nominees for the National Award of Recognition must have a minimum of seven years of service, while companies and organisations with a service history of over ten years will be eligible for the awards.

Nominations for the awards can be made through the dedicated portal: http://apply.presidency.gov.mv. It could also be submitted to the President’s Office or emailed to [email protected]. The National Awards 2023 will be presented at the official function to mark Independence Day this year.