Overview

• BJP MP Tapir Gao formally called for India’s highest civilian honour for the 90-year-old Dalai Lama during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha on July 30
• Sujeet Kumar spearheaded a cross-party petition that has amassed more than 80 signatures to present the award proposal to Prime Minister Modi
• The Dalai Lama vested authority over his succession in the Gaden Phodrang Trust, directly challenging China’s requirement for a golden urn lottery and state approval
• Union Minister Kiren Rijiju publicly endorsed the spiritual leader’s succession decision even as the Government of India affirmed it takes no position on religious matters
• China reiterated that only a reincarnation chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn and sanctioned by its central government can be deemed legitimate