13.Thus, having regard to the admitted fact that the Kalaimamani Award is a prestigious State award given to the artistes in different fields, for their skill, hard work and dedication towards art and culture, this court is of the opinion that it has to be conferred only to those, who truly deserve it, upon complying with all the eligibility criteria, regardless of any factors such as their race, gender, religion, or any other personal characteristics, and the selection process should be transparent, open and unbiased, so as to enable the people from all walks of life to participate. At this stage, the learned Government Pleader appearing for the respondents, on instructions, submitted that the Manram, on perusing the information and feedback received from the various sectors, has made recommendations to the Government to formulate guidelines and the same is under process; and that, as soon as the same is completed, the Manram would duly publish and bring that into force as early as possible. Thus, considering the petitioner's specific allegation against the manner in which the selection has been done by the Expert Committee and also taking note of the submission now made by the learned Government Pleader appearing for the respondents, this court deems it fit and appropriate to issue certain directions to the respondent authorities, to ensure that the selection process is fair, transparent and unbiased and the award is conferred to those, who truly deserve it, based on achievement, contribution, experience, etc., by reconstituting the Expert Committee.
