No one was selected for the Bharat Ratna, the highest honour for second consecutive year.

Renowned Mexican scientist Norman E Borlaug was among five foreigners who were awarded with this year\'s prestigous Padma awards.

Borlaug was awarded with prestigious Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, for his contribution in the field of science and engineering.

Czech scholar Dusan Zbavitel and Russian academician Gregory Maximovich Bongard-Levin have been awarded with the Padma Bhushan.

Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud from Qatar and German litterateur Lothar Lutze were awarded with Padma Shri.

Renowned author and crusader for tribals rights Mahasveta Devi, eminent playback singer Pankaj Udhas, aviator Vijaypat Sighania, leading banker Deepak Parekh of HDFC [Get Quote], and industrialist Tarun Das of FICCI, Tata Consultancy Services [Get Quote] chief S Ramadorai, filmmaker Sai Paranjpye, litterateur Ajeet Caur, veteran actor A K Hangal, defence analyst Air Comodore (retd) Jasjit Singh, industrialist K P P Nambiar, Telugu Actor K Chiranjeevi [Images], also figure in the list of distinguished persons selected for the honours.

Sania Mirza, shuttler Madhumita Bisht, former national champion, and shotputter Bahadur Singh are three sportspersons in the list of Padma Shri winners.

The world of art and literature has recorded a strong presence in this year's list, with 34 people getting the different categories of Padma awards.

While Adoor and Mahasveta Devi are recipients of the Padma Vibhushan, filmmaker Sai Paranjpye and Telugu actor K Chiranjeevi have been chosen for the Padma Bhushan. Singer Pankaj Udhas was selected for the Padma Shri.

There are 17 personalities from the fields of science, engineering and medicine who have been picked up for the Padma awards and among them are Kerala's [Images] K P P Nambiar (Padma Bhushan) and Charles Correa (science and engineering) of Maharashtra and Prakash Narain Tandon (medicine) for the Padma Vibhusan.

Nine leading social workers spearheaded by Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande (Padma Vibhushan), Devaki Jain, Ganga Prasad Birla (both Padma Bhushan), Sudha Murthy (Padma Shri), wife of Infosys chief N R Narayanamurthy, are also among the Padma awardees.

The world of journalism has two two well known faces for Padma Shri titles and both are women -- Sucheta Dalal, who specialises in analysing stock markets, and Mrinal Pande, popular television news channel anchor.

Sania, the first Indian woman tennis player to find a place in the top 50 world rankings, was chosen for the Padma Shri while industrialist-aviator Vijaypat Singhania, who recently set a record of flying at a maximum height in a hot air balloon, got the Padma Bhushan. They are among six sportspersons in the Padma awardees' list.

Tennis sensation Sania is one of the youngest sportspersons to receive the honour.

Veteran shotputter Bahadur Singh, who won a gold medal in the Busan (South Korea) Asian Games in 2002, world champion boxer M C Mary Kom, former national champion shuttler Madhumita Bisht, aviator Singhania and Gunjyal (adventure sports) were the other sportspersons selected for the award for outstanding contributions in respective disciplines.

Mary Kom, world champion for two consecutive years in the 48 kg category, has been India's great hope in the boxing ring.

Punjab shotputter Bahadur Singh did India proud by striking gold in the 2002 Busan Asian Games. He also won the gold for India in the 2002 Asian Grand Prix in Hyderabad.

Magsaysay award winner and eminent caner specialist Dr V Shanta has also been named for the Padma Bhushan award.

Some of the Padma Vibhushan awardees are C R Krishnaswamy Rao, former Principal Secretary to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi [Images], eminent architect Charles Correa, Obaid Siddiqui (Science), gastroenterologist P N Tandon and former Chief Justice of India V N Khare.

Among the other Padma Bhushan awardees were Devki Jain (social work), Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan (art), Jaiveer Aggarwal (medicine), Prof M Y Pylee (education), playback singer the late P Leela, eminent lawyer P P Rao, film director Sai Paranjpye and Vijaypat Singhania (sports).

The list:

Padma Vibhushan

Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Art, Kerala.
C R Krishnaswamy Rao, civil Service, Tamil Nadu.
Charles Correa, science and engineering, Maharashtra.
Mahasveta Devi, Literature and Education, West Bengal.
Nirmala Deshpande, Social Work, Delhi.
Norman E Borlaug, Science and Engineering, Mexico.
Obaid Siddiqui, Science and Engineering, Karnataka.
Prakash Narain Tandon, Medicine, Delhi.
V N Khare, Public Affairs, Uttar Pradesh.

Padma Bhushan

A K Hangal, Art, Maharashtra.
Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, Art, Maharashtra.
Deepak Parekh, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra.
Devaki Jain, Social Work, Karnataka.
Dinesh Nandini Dalmia, Literature and Education, Delhi.
Dusan Zbavitel, Literature and Education, Czechoslovakia.
Ganga Prasad Birla, Social Work, West Bengal.
Ustad Ghulam [Images] Mustafa Khan, Art, Maharashtra.
Gregory Maximovich Bongard-Levin, Literature and Education, Russia [Images].
The late Dr Gunter Kruger, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra.
Hira Lall Sibal, Public Affairs, Chandigarh.
Jaiveer Agarwal, Medicine, Tamil Nadu.
Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, Defence Services, Haryana.
Prof K G Subramanyam, Art, West Bengal.
Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena, Literature and Education, Delhi
Prof (Dr) Kewal Kishan Talwar, Medicine, Chandigarh.
Konidala Chiranjeevi, Art, Andhra Pradesh.
K P P Nambiar, Science and Engineering, Karnataka.
Lokesh Chandra, Literature and Education, Delhi.
Madhav Gadgil, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra.
M V Pylee, Literature and Education, Kerala.
N S Ramaswamy, Social Work, Karnataka.
Nandan M Nilekani, Science and Engineering, Karnataka.
The late P Leela Art, Tamil Nadu.
P P Rao, Public Affairs, Uttar Pradesh.
P S Appu, Civil Service, Karnataka.
Ramakanta Rath, Literature and Education, Orissa.
S Ramadorai, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra.
Ustad Sabri Khan, Art, Delhi.
Shanno Khurana, Art, Delhi.
Shashi Bhushan, Public Affairs, Delhi.<
Tarun Das, Trade and Industry, Haryana.
V Shanta, Medicine, Tamil Nadu.
Vijay Shankar Vyas, Literature and Education, Rajasthan.
Vijaypat Singhania, Sports, Maharashtra.

Padma Shri

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Public Affairs, Qatar.
Ajeet Cour, Literature and Education, Delhi.
Anil Prakash Joshi, Social Work, Uttaranchal.
Aribam Shyam Sharma, Art, Manipur.
Bahadur Singh, Sports, Punjab.
Bhuvaraghan Palaniappan, Medicine, Tamil Nadu.
Billy Arjan Singh, Wildlife Conservation, Uttar Pradesh.
Bonbehari Vishnu Nimbkar, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra.
Devappagowda Chinnaiah, Medicine, Karnataka.
Fatma Rafiq Zakaria, Literature and Education, Maharashtra.
Gayatri Sankaran, Art, Tamil Nadu.
Ghanashyam Mishra, Medicine, Orissa.
Hakim Syed Zillur Rehman, Medicine, Uttar Pradesh.
Harbhajan Singh [Images] Rissam, Medicine, Delhi.
Swami Hari Govind Maharaj, Art, Uttar Pradesh.
Harsh Kumar Gupta, Science and Engineering, Andhra Pradesh
J N Chaudhry, Civil Service, Delhi.
Kamal Kumar Sethi, Medicine, Delhi.
Kanaka Srinivasan, Art, Delhi.
Kashmiri Lal Zakir, Literature and Education, Chandigarh.
Kavungal Chatunni Panicker, Art, Kerala.
Laltluangliana Khiangte, Literature and Education, Mizoram.
Lothar Lutze, Literature and Education, Germany [Images].
Madhumita Bisht, Sports, Delhi.
Madhup Mudgal, Art, Delhi.
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, Sports, Manipur.
Mehmood Dhaulpuri, Art, Delhi.
Ilena Citaristi, Art, Orissa.
Mehmooda Ali Shah, Literature and Education, Jammu and Kashmir [Images].
Melhupra Vero, Social Work, Nagaland.
Mohan Kameswaran, Medicine, Tamil Nadu.
Mohan Singh Gunjyal, Sports, Arunachal Pradesh.
Mrinal Pande, Journalism, Delhi.
Narendra Kumar, Science and Engineering, Karnataka.
P S Bedi, Social Work, Delhi.
Pankaj Udhas, Art, Maharashtra.
Prasad Sawkar, Art, Goa [Images].
R Balasubramanian, Science and Engineering, Tamil Nadu.
Rajendra Kumar Saboo, Social Work, Chandigarh.
Ustad Rashid Khan, Art, West Bengal.
Sania Mirza, Sports, Andhra Pradesh.
Sanjeev Bagai, Medicine, Delhi.
Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain, Science and Engineering, Andhra Pradesh.
Shahnaz Hussain, Trade and Industry, Delhi.
Shobana [Images] Chandrakumar, Art, Tamil Nadu.
Shree Lal Joshi, Art, Rajasthan.
Guru Shyama Charan Pati, Art, Jharkhand.
Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Literature and Education, Gujarat.
Sucheta Dalal, Journalism, Maharashtra.
Sudha Murthy, Social Work, Karnataka.
Sister Sudha Varghese, Social Work, Bihar.
Sugathakumari, Literature and Education, Kerala.
Suresh Krishna, Trade and Industry, Tamil Nadu.
Surinder Kaur, Art, Haryana.
Suwalal Chhaganmal Bafna, Social Work, Maharashtra.
Swaminathan Sivaram, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra.
Tehemton Erach Udwadia, Medicine, Maharashtra.
Tsering Landol, Medicine, Jammu and Kashmir.
Upendra Kaul, Medicine, Delhi.
Vasundhra Komkali, Art, Madhya Pradesh.
Yashodhar Mathpal, Art, Uttaranchal.