APPLICATION DELUGE

THIS COULD be the side-effect of promoting digital governance. Bureaucrats in the Union Home Ministry have been left sweating by the unprecedented number of applications for this year’s Padma awards. Thanks to the new online system, more than 18,000 applications have already been received. This is double the number that was received last year. A highpowered committee will select about 120 names for the three categories of Padma awards next week.