New Delhi: ActorRajkummar Rao, whoseportrayal of an official taskedwith conducting polls in theNaxal-affected areas ofChhattisgarh in the Hindi film”Newton” won accolades, wason Thursday inducted as aNational Icon by the ElectionCommission.Facing youth and urbanapathy with many preferring tostay home than turn up at polling stations to cast their votes, the EC appoints prominent Indians as national icons to motivate voters to participate in elections.The poll panel comprisingChief Election CommissionerRajiv Kumar and Election-commissioners Anup ChandraPandey and Arun Goelexchanged a memorandum of understanding with Raoappointing him as an EC icon.
Rao’s portrayal as aprincipled government clerkwho is determined to conduct a free-and-fair election in the Naxal-affected areas ofChhattisgarh, overcoming the cynicism and apathy of security officer, won accolades. The movie won the NationalAward for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was also India’snominee for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the90th Academy Awards, popularly known as Oscars. Earlier,the EC recognised actors Pankaj Tripathi and Aamir Khan,and sportspersons such as Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni andM C Mary Kom, as national icons.
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