New Delhi | Late musicians Sharda Sinha, Pankaj Udhas, Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar, veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and singer Arijit Singh were among 139 recipients of the coveted Padma Awards for the year 2025 announced on the eve of Republic Day.
Folk singer Sinha and noted screenwriter-director M T Vasudevan Nair have been posthumously honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award for exceptional and distinguished service.
Renowned Ghazal singer Udhas has been posthumously honoured with third highest honour Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order.
Kapur, Ajith, Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, cinema veteran Anant Nag and Bharatnatyam dancer-actor Shobana have also been honoured with Padma Bhushan.
Theatre personality Barry John, known to have played a crucial role in the formative years of stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee, as well as Arijit Singh, veteran Ashok Saraf and four-time Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej and singer Jaspinder Narula are among the names to be selected for Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.
Sinha, who died in November 2024, was known as ‘Bihar Kokila’ for her melodious rendition of Chhath and folk songs such as “Kartik Maas Ijoriya”, “Suraj Bhaile Bihaan” and Bollywood hits “Taar Bijli” and “Babul”. She was bestowed with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 2018.
Nair, a literary icon, authored nine novels, 19 short story collections, 54 screenplays, six films, and several essays and memoirs over seven decades. He passed away at the age of 91 in December 2024,
His novel "Naalukettu" is a Malayalam classic, alongside acclaimed works like "Asuravithu", "Manju", and "Kaalam". Nair was honoured with the Jnanpith Award in 1995 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Renowned Ghazal singer Udhas has been posthumously honoured with Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order.
Udhas, who ruled the world of ghazals for several years, was best known for tracks such as “Chitthi Ayee Hai” and “Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein”. He died in February 2024 after a prolonged illness. In 2006, Udhas was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.
Kapur is an influential name in Indian cinema and one of the earliest directors to establish a name for himself in Hollywood with his film "Elizabeth" and its sequel "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".
He has directed critically-acclaimed films such as "Masoom", "Mr India" and "Bandit Queen" in India.
Ajith is one of Tamil cinema's most celebrated stars and has delivered numerous blockbusters that have solidified his superstar status. Known for his versatility and larger-than-life screen presence, Ajith has headlined films like "Veeram", "Vedalam", "Viswasam", "Mankatha", "Valimai", "Billa" and "Thunivu".
Balakrishna is the sixth son of Telugu cinema icon NT Rama Rao and uncle of superstar JR NTR. Fondly called "Balayya" by his ardent fanbase, he has starred in many commercial blockbusters like "Samarasimha Reddy", "Narasimha Naidu" and "Legend".
Nag has appeared in over 300 films, including over 200 Kannada films as well as Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam, and English films. He has appeared in plays, parallel cinema, and television shows.
He frequently collaborated with late Shyam Benegal on his critically-acclaimed movies “Nishant”, “Bhumika”, "Manthan”, "Kondra” and “Kaliyug” in the 1970s and 1980s.
Shobana is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and has appeared in over 230 films across multiple languages.
She has won two National Film Awards for Best Actress for her exceptional performances in the Malayalam classic "Manichitrathazhu" (1993) and the English film "Mitr, My Friend "(2001).
Renowned violinist L Subramaniam, classical vocalist Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande and sculptor Adwaita Charan Gadanayak have also been named for the Padma awards.
While Subramaniam has been honoured with Padma Vibhushan, Gadanayak and Bhide-Deshpande have been bestowed with the Padma Shri for their respective works.
Kathak doyenne Kumudini Lakhia has been recognised with Padma Vibhushan for her contribution to the classical dance form.
Economist and author Bibek Debroy, who is known for having translated Hindi scriptures such as Mahabharat, Gita, and Valmiki's Ramayan, has been posthumously honoured with Padma Bhushan .
Sattriya exponent Jatin Goswami, who has earlier received the Padma Shri in 2008, has been named for the Padma Bhushan this time.
Other luminaries to receive the Padma Shri include musicologist Bharat Gupt, calligrapher Achyut Ramachandra Palav, poet Chandrakant Sheth (posthumous), Odissi dancer Durga Charan Ranbir, Rajasthani folk singer Begam Batool, and American author Stephen Knapp.
Percussionist Guruvayur Dorai, chef K Damodaran, carnatic vocalist K Omanakutty Amma, poet Ramdarash Mishra, and sculptor Radhakrishnan Devasenapathy will also receive the Padma Shri.
The list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 posthumous awardees.
The awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year.
New Delhi | Indian-American engineer Vinod Dham, widely known as the 'Father of the Pentium chip', prominent malaria researcher Chetan Chitnis, noted chemical engineer and President of the Indian National Science Academy Ashutosh Sharma figure among the Padma awardees in the field of science and engineering.
Dham, inventor and entrepreneur, has been chosen for the Padma Bhushan award, while Chitnis and Sharma will receive the Padma Shri.
The government announced the Padma Awards on the eve of the 76th Republic Day.
Ajay V Bhatt, a prominent technologist and the creator of the Universal Service Bus (USB) and Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), will also receive the Padma Shri.
Physicist M D Srinivas, agriculture scientist Surinder Kumar Vasal and Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Director of the National Science Foundation of the US are also among the Padma Shri recipients.
Engineer-turned-administrator Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre and former Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra will also receive the Padma Shri.
New Delhi | Former Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, former chief of Suzuki Motor late Osamu Suzuki, Ram temple architect Chandrakant Sompura, folk singer late Sharda Sinha and hockey player P R Sreejesh are among 139 Padma awardees announced on the eve of the 76th Republic Day on Saturday.
The highest civilian honours of the country announced by the government include seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri decorations.
"Twenty-three of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of foreigners, NRI (Non-resident Indians), PIO (Person of Indian Origin), OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) and and 13 posthumous awardees," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.
Publisher of Tamil daily Dinamalar Lakshmipathy Ramasubbaiyer has been awarded Padma Shri for literature, education and journalism.
Former CJI Justice (retd) Jagdish Singh Khehar, Chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals D Nageshwar Reddy, Kathak dancer from Gujarat Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia, violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam have been awarded Padma Vibhushan, the statement said.
Former chief of the Suzuki Motor Corporation Osamu Suzuki, folk singer Sharda Sinha and author M T Vasudevan Nair have been awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
The awards are given in various disciplines and fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service among others.
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.
Former Bihar Deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, economist Bibek Debroy, gazal singer Pankaj Udhas have been given Padma Bhushan posthumously.
Telugu Superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna also known as Balayya, film-maker Shekhar Kapur and former hockey goalkeeper P R Sreejesh have been given the Padma Bhushan.
Former Maharashtra chief minister and Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi has been given the Padma Bhushan posthumously.
Former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya, recently-retired cricketer R Ashwin, vice chancellor of Lucknow's KGMU Soniya Nityanand and industrialist Pawan Goenka have been given Padma Shri.
The President has also awarded 30 Padma Shri to unsung heroes that includes 100-year old Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa's freedom movement. She cofounded an underground radio station -- 'Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)' -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule.
Wildlife researcher and Marathi author Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli (92), who gave unique dictionaries on birds, animals and trees; 68-year-old bhajan singer Batool Begum from Jaipur; percussionist Velu Aasaan (58) from Tamil Nadu, who is standardising and reviving traditional Parai Isai artform, are also among the Padma Shri awardees.
Togalu Gombeyaata (leather puppetry) master puppeteer Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara, who was one of the first women to practise the art form, has also been awarded Padma Shri. The 96-year old 'Grandmother of Gombeyaata' mastered the art just 14 and has performed in more than 12 countries.
Lavjibhai Nagjibhai (64), a Tangaliya weaver from Dangasia community in Surendranagar Parmar; Vijayalakshmi Deshamane, a veteran oncologist from Kalaburgi who provides free treatment to poor cancer patients; and Chaitram Devchand Pawar, who conserved 400 hectare of forest in Maharashtra, are also among the unsung heroes who have been given the coveted Padma Shri.
Pandi Ram Mandavi, a traditional tribal musician and the creator of bamboo wind whistle called 'Sulur' or 'Bastar flute', is also amoing the Padma Shri awardees.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the awardees, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reimagined the Padma awards as a platform to honour the iconic personalities who have empowered and elevated communities to progress.
"Congratulations to the luminaries who have been selected for the Padma Awards by the Honorable President today. PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has reimagined the Padma Awards as a platform to honor the iconic personalities who have empowered and elevated communities to progress. I firmly believe that this honor will stir our society with a new zest for nation-building," he wrote on 'X'.
Tamil actor S Ajith Kumar, veteran archaeology Kailash Nath Dikshit, chairperson of the Zydust Life Sciences Pankaj Patel, veteran journalist Ram Bahadur Rai, dancer Shobana Chandra Kumar were awarded Padma Bhushan.
Bollywood singer Arijit Singh, former AIIMS and SGPGI director A K Mahapatra, Marathi actor Ashok Laxman Saraf, noted theatre artist Barry Godfray John, Punjabi singer Jaspinder Narula have been awarded with Padma Shri.
New Delhi | Former men's hockey captain P R Sreejesh was chosen for the Padma Bhushan, while recently-retired cricket star Ravichandran Ashwin was among the Padma Shri winners as four athletes and a para-athletics coach figured in the list of 139 that was unveiled for the coveted civilian awards on Saturday.
Legendary Indian footballer I M Vijayan and India's first Paralympic gold medal-winning archer Harvinder Singh too were named for the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour.
Para athletics coach Satyapal Singh, who mentored Paris Paralympics gold-winning and Khel Ratna-awardee high-jumper Praveen Kumar, would also be bestowed with the Padma Shri.
"It's (award) because of the faith reposed in me by so many people. I have been associated with Praveen Kumar since 2018 and a lot of credit goes to my ward for this award," Satyapal told PTI.
The five were picked for the Padma awards by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of the 76th Republic Day.
The 36-year-old Sreejesh, who retired after winning a second successive Olympic bronze with the national team in Paris Olympics, is currently the head coach of the junior men's team.
Considered one of the greatest hockey goalkeepers of all times, Sreejesh had a stellar role in India's Olympic resurgence. He played a whopping 336 games in his career that spanned 18 years and also yielded two Asian Games gold medals.
Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian honour after Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.
Off-spin great Ashwin, 38, bid adieu to international cricket during the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia in December last year, finishing as India's second highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games.
The Chennai-star, who will continue to compete in the IPL and other domestic events, was a part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup-winning and the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams.
He was named in the ICC's Test team of the decade for the 2011 to 2020 period, highlighting his stellar role in India's success.
The 33-year-old Harvinder, whose legs were impaired due to side effects of ill-advised injections for treatment of dengue when he was a toddler, clinched gold in the Paris Paralympics last year in the individual recurve open category.
Hailing from a family of farmers in Ajit Nagar, Haryana had also won a bronze in Tokyo in 2021.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, his father turned their farm into an archery range to support his training. In recurve open class, archers shoot from a standing position at a distance of 70m at a 122cm target made up of 10 concentric circles, scoring from 10 points down to 1 point from the centre outwards.
The 55-year-old Vijayan led India from 2000 to 2004 and formed a formidable strike force with the immensely popular Bhaichung Bhutia at the peak of his prowess.
At the club level, he had memorable stints with Mohun Bagan, Kerala Police, the now defunct FC Cochin and JCT Mills Phagwara.
He joins the likes of other legendary footballers Gostho Paul (1962), Sailen Manna (1971), Chuni Goswami (1983), PK Banerjee (1990), Bhutia (2008), Sunil Chhetri (2019) and Bembem Devi (2020) and Brahmanand Sankhwalkar (2022) to receive the prestigious award.
Hailing from Kerala, Vijayan bestowed the Arjuna award in 2003. He was also awarded the Indian Player of the Year in 1993, 1997 and 1999.
Nicknamed the 'Black Buck' because of a 1998 biopic on him called 'Kalo Harin', the former India striker, who made his national debut in the early 90s, scored 40 goals in 79 matches for India.
He was a part of the Indian team that won SAFF Championships in 1993, 1997 and 1999.
The Padma awards are given for distinguished services to public across fields.
This year's annual honours' list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri award-winners.