The awards were announced on Republic Day, in which the Government of India recognises distinguished contributions in fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, literature, education, medicine, sports, trade, industry and civil service. From the world of cinema, Dharmendra (posthumous), Arvind Vaidya, Alka Yagnik, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anil Kumar Rastogi and others received Padma Awards in the first phase of the award ceremony.
