"In order to ensure that people of this country get an opportunity to view such acclaimed films, it had been decided that Doordarshan, the public broadcaster would telecast these films regularly," Soni said at an ASSOCHAM event here.
Soni said that over the years, the Awards had encouraged young filmmakers to believe in the 'Essence of Good and Meaningful Cinema'.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister said that National Film Awards were an acknowledgement of good cinemas, irrespective of language barriers and budgetary constraints.
Soni also said that the recognition given to offbeat film reflected the depth of National Awards on the one hand and at the same time, encouraged filmmakers in many other regional languages to make quality films.