NEW DELHI, Jan 25: The union home ministry on Tuesday announced the list of recipients of the Padma awards – one of the highest civilian awards of the country, on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day celebrations. 128 people have been honoured this year with the Awards that are conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards are conferred by the President at ceremonial functions held at his official residence – the Rashtrapati Bhawan – around March or April each year.
India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, who died last month in a horrific chopper crash, and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh have been posthumously awarded with Padma Vibhushan – the country’s second-highest civilian award.
Vaccine makers – Cyrus Poonawalla of the Serum Institute and Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech – have been honoured with Padma Bhushan. The heads of tech giants Microsoft and Google Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai have been named for the Padma Bhushan honours.
Singer Sonu Nigam and Olympic gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra have been honoured with a Padma Shri. The Padma Bhushan will be conferred on Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Olympians Neeraj Chopra, Pramod Bhagat and Vandana Kataria will be awarded the Padma Shri. Moreover, former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will also get the Padma Bhushan.
Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
(Manas Dasgupta)