Sharda Sinha, Shekhar Kapur to be honoured with Padma awards
Padma awards are given in disciplines like art, social work, public affairs, science, trade, medicine, literature, sport, and civil service.
Suzuki Motor’s former chief Osamu Suzuki and former Chief Justice of India JS Khehar are among the seven eminent personalities to be honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, the government announced on Saturday. Besides, President Droupadi Murmu also approved 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri.
Indian American entrepreneur, Vinod Dham, businessman Pawan Goenka, Chandrakant Sompura were also among the awardees.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Union home ministry said that the President Droupadi Murmu “approved conferment of 139 Padma awards include 1 duo case (two persons are given one award), - including seven Padma Vibhushan (second highest civilian award), 19 Padma Bhushan (third highest), and 113 Padma Shri awards (fourth highest)”.
It added that 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 people from the category of foreigners or non-resident Indians or OCI card holders and 13 those who have been awarded posthumously.
The prestigious Padma awards are given in various disciplines of activities, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sport, and civil service.
Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.
These awards are conferred by the President at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan usually around March or April every year.
Among the seven Padma Vibhushan awardees were Osamu Suzuki, who launched Maruti 800 car in India, Sharda Sinha – celebrated Bihar Kokila, MT Vasudevan Nair – author and screenplay writer (all three awarded posthumously), former chief justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, noted gastroenterologist Duvvar Nageshwar Reddy, Kathak dancer Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia and violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam.
Nineteen Padma Bhushan awardees included – A Surya Prakash, Kannada actor Anant Nag, Tamil actor S Ajith Kumar, Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, former India hockey team player P R Sreejesh, Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, Bollywood singer Arijit Singh, Sadhvi Ritambhara – who participated in the Ram Temple movement, and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
Others who were conferred with the prestigious third highest civilian honours were former economist Bibek Debroy, who passed away last year and Indian American entrepreneur Vinod Dham.
The Padma Shri – fourth highest civilian honour – was given to 113 individuals including Indian American businessman Ajay V Bhatt, businessman Pawan Goenka, former chairperson of State Bank of India and currently Chairperson of Salesforce Arundhati Bhattacharya, former Uttar Pradesh politician Hriday Narayan Dikshit, former football player I M Vijayan, chef K Damodaran and cricketer R Ashwin, who recently retired from the international cricket.
There were 30 unsung heroes in the list of Padma Shri – from the fields of music, promotion of yoga, social work, cancer treatment, homeopathy, fruit growers, authors and a Paralympian.
These include 102-year-old freedom fighter from Goa – Libia Lobo Sardesai – who played a pivotal role in Goa’s liberation from Portuguese colonial rule; Harvinder Singh (33), a para-archer, who won first ever gold for India in 2024 Paris paralympic as well as a bronze medal in 2020 Tokyo Paralympic and several folk singers from different parts of the country.
