The Distinguished Contribution to Diplomacy Medal, presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, is an award celebrating outstanding individuals who has positively contributed to the development of international relations between Czechia and other countries, particularly in the field of public diplomacy. Since its inception in 2018, the Medal has been granted to prominent figures of international relations such as U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright or NATO Secretary General Javier Solana.
Professor M. L. Sondhi was an Indian diplomat, politician, and academic whose life and work were deeply intertwined with the history, culture, and politics of the Czech Republic. As a cultural attaché at the Embassy of India in Prague, serving from 1958 to 1960, M. L. Sondhi has immersed himself in Czech culture, studied Czech language, and connected with dissident intellectuals and artists.
His engagement with Czechoslovakia went far beyond his diplomatic tenure. He later became a Member of Parliament in India and a professor of international relations continuing to advocate for the values of democracy and human rights. He was a vocal critic of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, and actively worked to enhance understanding between India and the Czech Republic through his scholarly work and political efforts. 
One of Professor Sondhi’s most enduring legacies was his role in fostering the friendship between His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Václav Havel, the first post-revolutionary president of Czechoslovakia.