President Droupadi Murmu, on Monday, conferred 66 Padma awards including two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 58 Padma Shri awards, as the nation honoured people from different fields for their exceptional contribution to the society. The event took place at a Civil Investiture Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day and distributed on a convenient date later in the year. Under this ceremony, the awards are distributed in three categories:
- Padma Vibhushan – For exceptional and distinguished service
- Padma Bhushan – For distinguished service of higher order
- Padma Shri – For distinguished service
Who All Have Been Honoured At Padma Awards 2026
President Murmu conferred the Padma Bhushan on Bhagat Singh Koshyari, former Uttarakhand chief minister; Shatavadhani R Ganesh, acclaimed polymath who revived the challenging classical Indian art form ‘Avadhana’; Uday Suresh Kumar Kotak, founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank; and gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy.
She also conferred the award posthumously on ad guru Piyush Pandey and former parliamentarian Vijay Kumar Malhotra. Pandey’s wife and Malhotra’s son received the awards.
The President conferred the Padma Vibhushan honour on Bollywood actor Dharmendra posthumously and classical musician and violinist N Rajam.
As the name of Dharmendra’s wife Hema Malini, a BJP MP, was announced to receive his award for his exceptional and distinguished service in the field of art, their daughter Ahana Deol, sitting in the audience, broke down in tears.
Rajam was honoured for her pioneering contribution to Indian classical music, especially for revolutionising violin performance through the ‘Gayaki Ang’ style that replicates vocal music on the instrument.
Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, para athlete Praveen Kumar and former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director general K Vijay Kumar received the Padma Shri.
Folk musician Mir Haji Kasam, Tamil devotional music artist N Swaminathan and Rajasthan folk artist Taga Ram Bhil, known for playing the traditional wind instrument Algoja, were among those honoured for their contribution to art and culture.
Silambam master K Pajanivel was awarded for promoting the ancient Tamil martial art, while hockey coach Baldev Singh was honoured for mentoring several top Indian players. Kantha embroidery artist Tripti Mukherjee was also among the honourees.
Social worker Janardan Bapurao Bothe was honoured for rural upliftment and promotion of the Gramgeeta philosophy and husband-wife duo Ramchandra Godbole and Suneeta Godbole for providing healthcare and social support to tribal communities for over three decades in the once Naxal-infested Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
The President also conferred the Padma Shri on bibliophile Ankegowda M, environmentalist Devaki Amma G, Sanskrit scholar Vempaty Kutumba Shastry, botanist Gambir Singh Yonzone and environmentalist Hally War, among other notable citizens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71FtXpAdbQY
Every Padma Award Has An Inspiring Story: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s strength lies in such remarkable individuals whose work “enriches our collective journey”.
“Every Padma awardee has had an inspiring life journey,” he said on ‘X’.
Home Minister Amit Shah Hosts Dinner For Padma Awardees
Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the awardees and hosted a dinner for them where he personally met each of them.
In a message posted on ‘X’, Shah said Prime Minister Modi has “reoriented Padma Awards as an institution to drive socio-economic progress by honouring the real change makers strengthening our society at grassroots”.
“The awards ceremony advances this vision and inspires more people to contribute to India’s journey towards greatness,” he said.
Govt Announces 131 Padma Awards For 2026
For 2026, the President has approved conferment of 131 Padma awards — five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri. At the ceremony on Monday, she conferred two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 58 Padma Shri awards.
The remaining Padma awardees will be conferred in the second round of the ceremony to be held later, sources said.
The ceremony, which was held in the Gantantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, began with an instrumental rendition of the national song, ‘Vande Mataram’, followed by the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
It was attended by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah, among others.
The coveted civilian honours are given in various fields — art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
With inputs from PTI
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