The award was instituted in 1965, at 13th National Film Awards and awarded annually for films produced in the year across the country, in all Indian languages.
Winners
Award includes 'Rajat Kamal' (Silver Lotus) and cash prize. Following are the award winners over the years:
List of films, showing the year (award ceremony), language(s), producer(s), director(s) and citation
For an honest and bold depiction of caste conflict in rural India. The film starkly brings out the traditional beliefs which grip the entire rural society including the down-trodden putting an extra chain on the poor in addition to their economic helplessness. Cinematically a very powerful film.
For tracing the history of social evil of untouchability through popular folk drama form, for synthesizing diverse performing arts into socially relevant communication, for depicting the untouchable's fight for their rights.
For focusing on the problems of the society whose orthodoxy inflicts grave injustice on the under-privileged, for the dilemma faced by a Brahmin disciplinarian in confronting his grand-daughter's love for Harijan, for resolving the problem in a rational manner, worthy of the country's best secular traditions.
For presenting vertical as well as horizontal social integration on a musical plane and thus offering a cultural revolution as solution to maladies of the rural population.
For its depiction of unity of religions at the popular mystical level illustrated by the life and lyrics of a famous Muslim saint who has a Hindu guru.
For its strong appeal for integration and upholding of human values brought about through a remarkbly understated treatment of incidents from everyday life.
For presenting a thrilling drama of the abduction of an Indian scientist by a self-proclaimed liberation army which later realises the futility of its anti-social activities.
For presenting a panoramic view of India in a period of transition to reveal the goals of nationalism by the integration of a mass disparate materials and shaping them into a coherent saga of Indian nationalism in an epic style.
For mapping a sharply defined dramatic style on to a canvas of national caste oppression and for unversalising the alliances of the Indian Dalit people.
For making an honest statement on patriotism, portraying the gallantry and sacrifies of the Armed forces, thereby instilling a sense of National pride.
For boldly dealing with social and religious strife, communal tensions, violence and disharmony in contemporary times. The film has a message of love and peace that is conveyed in a sensitive way.
For tackling the problem of terrorist infiltrations and the army's counter attacks. And situations where armed and civilian forces unite against the common external enemy.
For exploring the problems of a minority in the face of terrorist activities of forces across the border. Against this macro scenario, the film weaves together more intimate micro stories particularly of the bonding between a sensitive bureaucrat and an orphaned boy.
Netaji is one of the most controversial and colourful figures of modern Indian history. His struggle to fight the Britishers and bring the Indians together to do this. The idealistic dreamer turns into a revolutionary to achieve his goal. The film effectively brings alive the era.
For powerfully bringing forth the message that humanity is of much greater value than religion. The transformation of an orthodox and superstitious priest is very beautifully depicted.
For its honest look at a burning problem in Northeast India, its attempt to break down artificial boundaries and giving it a human and aesthetic appeal.
A tale of communal harmony narrated through an in-house milieu. The bonding between a Hindu and a Muslim lady in a reciprocally accommodating relationship forms the crux of the film.
A sensitive tale about the breaking of walls of orthodoxy and religious and linguistic bias in a small village in Tamil Nadu. Love and compassion of a small boy and his mother wins over not only their own blood but the whole rural community.
^"61st National Film Awards Announced"(PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
^"62nd National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
^"63rd National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 28 March 2016. Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
^"65th National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 21. Archived from the original(PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.