The Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Awards is a surrogate tobacco brand promotional activity of Godfrey Phillips India, instituted in 1990, as a PR campaign to promote its cigarette brand "Red and White" by honoring courageous people in Indian society. It is supported by a parallel advertising campaign, "Red & White Piney Walon Ki Baat hi Kuch Aur Hai." The award purports to recognise the ordinary citizens who have selflessly performed extraordinary, little-known acts of physical bravery and social acts of courage, thereby setting an example for others to follow. Presented annually, these awards are the only ones of their kind instituted by a tobacco company which uses its corporate identity to give awards. The surrogate activity is under challenge by the public health community and the government as being a violation of Section 5 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003. Many recipients like actor Vivek Oberoi and activist Harman Siddu have returned these awards after realising that the award is a surrogate activity of the tobacco industry. It was formerly known as Red and White Bravery Awards but its name was changed in 2003, in response to protests from various quarters about surrogate advertising for the Red and White cigarette brand. In 2006, film actorPreity Zinta was appointed as the brand ambassador of the awards.
Jury
Tobacco company Godfrey Phillips claims that the award is judged by a panel comprising personalities from fields like administrative services, police and retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, social workers and media celebrities. It also claims that the selection process involves thorough checking of cited events, persons and places, in order to ensure that only deserving individuals are given the awards.
Bravery categories
The awards include three main categories, and one category for lifetime achievement. Until 2003, the awards were presented in two main categories, "Physical Bravery" and "Social Acts of Courage". Winners in each category were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals, which entailed cash prizes of Rs. 20,000, Rs. 15,000, and Rs. 10,000 respectively. In 2003, a major new category, the "Mind of Steel Award", was added to the two main categories; its first recipient was actress Preity Zinta. The "Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Service", was instituted in 1997.
