HISAR, July 2 — If an award is what you always wanted in life but it has kept eluding you, do not despair. You can always buy one. In addition, you can even choose between the desi variety or one from distant USA. That’s not all. You can even opt for a variety of impressive wall plaques to handcrafted exclusive medals finished in 24 carat gold as the insignia of the award to display in your office or home as you desire. If even that is not enough, you can have an entire page devoted to your profile in a book for posterity to remember.

Impossible, you say. How can any one win an award without accomplishing anything big? Well, these awards are given for nothing else but your ability to dish out anything from Rs 3500 to (US) $ 895, depending upon the kind of the award and the choice of the insignia. Nothing more, nothing less. No more strings attached. In addition, you can gift awards too.

But how can one bestow a similar honour upon my loved ones, you ask. Well, actually it’s simple. When you buy one for yourself, just recommend a minimum of 10 persons who you think can afford it like yourself. And they can buy it too.

If you still think, its all fiction, let’s study the classic case of Dr Neelam Khetarpaul, a modest Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Haryana Agricultural University here. She is one of the thousands who receive offers of buying these awards every year in India. In May, 1997, she received a letter from the American Biographical Institute (ABI) Inc, based in North Carolina, USA, informing her that she had been nominated to the Institute’s Governing Board of Editors for biographical inclusion in the sixth edition of Five Hundred Leaders of Influence. “Such nominations reflect a respect for leadership and personal accomplishment,” it said.

The communication went on to say that as a nominee she could have two copies of de luxe leather-bound gold engraved copies of the volume which will never be reprinted. Besides, she could also have a Twentieth Century Achievement Award framed in hand polished brass. It added that though purchase was not a pre-requisite for inclusion, but she may wish to consider these personal keepsakes for such an honour at a price of $ 895.

There in lay the catch. What use is the nomination if you can’t flout it in the form of volumes and framed certificates? Dr Khetarpaul did not respond to the offer.

In February, 1998, she again received a communication announcing her nomination for inclusion in the Sixth Edition of International Who’s Who of Professional and Business Women. The cost of the volume and executive plaque was $ 285 for the deluxe edition. She could also choose from cheaper options ranging between $ 99.50 and $ 189. She did not respond.

Nevertheless, the ABI did not give up. In April 1999, she was again told that she had been selected for award of the title — Woman of the Year-1999. The insignia of the title offered was a decree. It cost $ 195 for unlaminated version and $ 295 for custom decree laminated on to Finland Birchwood. Dr Khetarpaul again did not respond to the offer. Three weeks later, the ABI wrote to her that it was establishing a professional Women’s Advisory Board to select successful women in business and professional spheres. She was invited to be a board member for which no fee would be charged.

But she was asked to recommend a minimum of 10 names for inclusion in a volume of International Who’s Who of Professional and Business Women. Needless to say, the nominees would be approached to pay a fee and get the name included in the volume and receive a plaque. In July that year, the same institute offered her “the century’s most notable medal commemorating extraordinary achievement during the past 100 years.” It was called the 2000 Millennium Medal of Honour. The cost was pegged at $ 295 and $ 199.50 for each additional medal. She could buy as many as she liked. The offer was refused once more.

However, what surprised her most was that later in October that year, she was nominated for having her name included in the International Who’s Who of Professional and Business Women, ignoring the fact she had months ago been asked to be a member of its advisory board. Then again in December, she was asked to accept inclusion of her name in the same institute’s 15th edition of The World’s Who’s Who of Women. She was offered Woman of the Year 2000 award in February this year, the 2000 New Millennium Medal of Honour in May and Woman of the Year 2000 for the second time in the year in June.

The legendary American hardsell did not end here. Simultaneously, the ABI kept pestering her husband, Dr N.K. Khetarpaul, a leading local physician, with similar offers which were never accepted. In three years, he received more than a dozen such offers.

Interestingly, most of the information sought in a questionnaire from the would-be awardees pertains to their academic qualifications and areas of interest. The institutes make no effort whatsoever to know or judge their accomplishments.

We now come to the desi variety. Enterprising persons have set up various societies in New Delhi which hold conferences every year in five star hotels where awards are conferred en masse.

A local industrialist, Mr Vijay Bansal, incorporated a new company three years ago. Even before the certificate of incorporation had arrived, he received a communication from one such society offering him Udyog Rattan award. All he had to do was to pay Rs 8000 to become a member of the society. Several other local industrialists keep receiving such offers regularly. A brochure depicting photographs of celebrities receiving similar awards from political bigwigs accompanies the offers for obvious reasons.

Most of these societies have leading politicians as patrons. Their cronies manage these. The big names help them rope in a large number of persons every year to buy the award. However, the celebrities are offered these awards free of cost because the societies can later include their pictures in the brochures for added impression. It is learnt that these societies make a hefty profit and are ostensibly engaged in charitable activities. They get hold of address lists from the internet, credit card companies and social service clubs.