NEW DELHI: The sixth edition of the auction of Prime Minister's mementoes offers a unique opportunity to acquire footwear and sports gear used by Indian medalists from the recently concluded Paris Paralympics.
Among the items available for auction are a pair of spike shoes presented by silver medalist javelin thrower Ajeet Singh Yadav, along with sports gear from para-athletes Simran Sharma and high jumper Nishad Kumar, both silver medalists.
Also included is a white cap signed by high jumper Sharad Kumar, who won a silver medal at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. The auction portal will go live on Tuesday, as announced by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
With a reserve price of ₹8.26 lakh, these four items hold the highest bid value.
Other items up for auction this year include a discus presented by Yogesh Khatuniya, two badminton rackets from Nithya Sre Sivan, silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, and Sukant Kadam, a renowned Indian para badminton player.
Khatuniya won a silver medal in the discus throw F56 event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. The base price for these sports goods is set at ₹5.50 lakh.
Lower-priced memorabilia include a white Nagpuri cotton angavastram (stole) with a detailed woven border, along with a couple of traditional headgears from different states. These have the lowest base price, starting at ₹600.
“A committee evaluates the mementoes and decides the base price. The total value of articles under auction this year, as decided by the committee, is ₹1.5 crore. However, these souvenirs given to the PM have sentimental value, and hence they are priceless. Their monetary values are symbolic,” said Minister Shekhawat.
Shekhawat also revealed that this year, 602 memorabilia, including paintings, idols, shawls, and items from different states presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are part of the auction. Last year, a total of 912 articles were auctioned, fetching ₹11 crore, while the reserve price of the items was ₹2.8 crore.
To date, the government has collected ₹54 crore through these bids. The annual auction of PM mementoes first began in 2019, with proceeds directed towards the Namami Gange Programme—a project launched in 2014 to clean, preserve, and protect the Ganges.
Approximately 100 of the mementoes are on display at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi for public viewing. The auction will continue until October 2.