On the eve of 71st Republic Day of India, Padma awards were announced today. The Padma Vibhushan for this year has been awarded to a total of seven prominent personalities, while 16 have been given the Padma Bhushan, and 118 have been given the Padma Shri. This year the President has approved conferment of 141 Padma Awards including 4 duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). Thirty four of the awardees are women and the list also includes 18 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 12 posthumous awardees.
Eminent personalities, including former union ministers Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and George Fernandes, Olympian boxer Mary Kom, former Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth have been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan on the Republic Day this year.
Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, industrialists Anand Mahindra and Venu Shrinivasan, Olympian badminton player P V Sindhu, former Nagaland Chief Minister S.C. Jamir and Jammu and Kashmir politician Muzaffar Hussain Baig have been awarded with the Padma Bhushan.
Producer Ekta Kapoor, director Karan Johar, actor Kangna Ranaut and singer Adnan Sami will receive the Padma Shri.
Congratulating the Padma awardees, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma Awards.” The Prime Minister said the awardees include “extraordinary individuals who have made exceptional contributions to our society, nation and humanity”.
Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘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. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.
Full List of Winners:
