Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak, and renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam were honored with Padma Awards at a prestigious ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards, with Naidu and Pathak receiving the Padma Vibhushan, and Pathak being honored posthumously. Notable personalities like actor Mithun Chakraborty, singer Usha Uthup, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, and industrialist Sitaram Jindal were also bestowed with the Padma Bhushan.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other dignitaries. The Padma Awards, considered among the highest civilian honors in India, are presented in three categories: Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.
These awards cover various domains such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature, education, sports, and civil service. The recipients, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day, were selected for their outstanding contributions across different fields. This year, President Murmu approved the conferment of 132 Padma awards, including two duo cases, comprising five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri recipients.
Among the awardees, 30 are women, and the list includes eight individuals from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, as well as nine posthumous honorees. While nearly half of the awardees received their honors during Monday’s ceremony, the remaining recipients are expected to be conferred with their awards in the following week. The Padma Awards recognize and celebrate the remarkable achievements and contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields of expertise, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and excellence of India.
