Superstar Rajinikanth, tennis icon Sania Mirza and actress Priyanka Chopra were among the 56 eminent persons who were honoured with Padma awards on Tuesday.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was at the centre of a fresh controversy over reports suggesting that she had recommended former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi for a Padma award in 2007.
The actors were awarded at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Darbar Hall on April 5.
Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat raised questions about the manner in which Padma awards are given to sportspersons, terming the process as an 'unfair one' after facing the snub for the third time. The current World Championship bronze medallist and one of India's biggest medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics, Vinesh hit out at the government accusing them of leaving out 'deserving' candidates.
A distinguished jurist and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, 75-year-old Venkatachaliah was presented the prestigious Padma Vibhushan by President Kalam.
The awardees included one Padma Vibhushan, 11 Padma Bhushan and 44 Padma Shri.
Information about the Padma Awards should not be shared with the media, the Home Ministry told a Right To Information applicant though there is no such provision in the transparency law.
President Pratibha Patil has approved the conferment of Padma Awards 2012. This year the president has approved 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of foreigners/non-resident Indians/ Persons of India Origin/ posthumous. These comprise five Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri Awards. There are 19 ladies among the awardees.
The government defended the decision to confer a Padma award to former militant Ghulam Mohammed Mir saying he has extended a "yoeman's service" to the national cause. "From the records available with us, Ghulam Mohammed Mir has performed a yeoman service for the national cause. Besides, we have glowing testimonials from eminent personalities like Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, Union Minister and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.
In a bid to give increased recognition to their achievements, the medallists from the Rio Paralympics will be recommended for the Padma awards this year by the Sports Ministry.
A Padma award, after all, adds greatly to a businessman's prestige. Walk into the office of anybody who's got it and you won't miss his picture with the President.
Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle has died at the age of 92. She will be cremated with state honours in Mumbai.
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who passed away at 92, made her last public appearance at Arjun Tendulkar's wedding reception on March 5, 2026.
Eminent scientist R A Mashelkar was on Monday conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, while acclaimed artiste Kamal Haasan and ace shuttler P Gopichand were among the 12 personalities conferred the Padma Bhushan by President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir, actor Manoj Bajpayee, mountaineer Bachendri Pal, ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan and Odisha tea seller D Prakash Rao were among the recipients of the honour.
PR Sreejesh was among the 19 recipients of the Padma Bhushan in 2025, it's the third highest civilian honour.
I think it is best to abolish the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan -- they dilute the value of the Padma Shri, says RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal in an interview to Indulekha Aravind
Asha Bhosle, the iconic Indian playback singer known for her unparalleled versatility and a career spanning over eight decades, has passed away at the age of 92 due to multi-organ failure.
For women's hockey goalkeeping stalwart Savita Punia, the Padma Shri is more than a national honour -- it is a quiet acknowledgement of years marked by sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering belief, both her own and that of a family that stood by her when the odds were firmly stacked against her.
To make the process of conferring Padma awards more transparent, the home ministry has issued a revised proforma for people who wish to apply for the prestigious civilian honours.
Dr Raja Chelliah, who has been given a Padma Vibhushan is another old friend of Manmohan Singh. He was Singh's single most important adviser on tax reform when he became finance minister in 1991.
Raghu Rai, one of India's most celebrated photographers, passed away at a private hospital in New Delhi at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, son, and three daughters.
President Pranab Mukherjee presented five Padma Vibhushan, eight Padma Bhushan and forty-three Padma Shri awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
New York businessman Sant Singh Chatwal received his Padma award from President Pratibha Patil at a colourful ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Chatwal's name was read out after 19 distinguished figures had been conferred the Padma awards.
President of India Pratibha Patil will be conferring the Padma Awards to the selected recipients on March 31 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan -- a senior official from the president's office confirmed this.
The home ministry on Thursday announced the Padma awards which included five Padma Bhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri.
'I felt that this, the entire event, was like my temple.'
'It was because of this overwhelming feeling that I thought I should accept the award and walk up on the stage barefoot.'
'Ashaji was unlike any other, a voice that defined not only one generation but across a span of cinematic universe! I was and have been the massive fan of her voice, her art, her personality...'
Former hockey captain P R Sreejesh was chosen for the Padma Bhushan, while Ravichandran Ashwin was among the Padma Shri winners.
The Padma Vibhushan for this year has been awarded to a total of seven prominent personalities, while 16 have been given the Padma Bhushan, 118 have been given the Padma Shri on the 71st Republic Day this year, they said.
IIT-Gandhinagar is reviewing Michel Danino's position as guest professor after the Supreme Court directed institutions to disassociate from him due to a controversy over a chapter on judicial corruption in a withdrawn NCERT textbook.
Folk artist from Chhattisgarh Teejan Bai, Guelleh, Naik and theatre actor from Maharashtra Balwant Moreshwar Purandare will be honoured with Padma Vibushan.
Usha Uthup and Mithun Chakraborty were among those who were conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award for their outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
The list of recommendations for this year's Padma awards shows that some people had suggested multiple candidates while others had pushed for their relatives and friends for the coveted civil honours, a Right To Information reply revealed.
'I desperately needed that job then, and it didn't happen.'
Eminent journalist HK Dua, who led editorial operations at three of India's leading newspapers, has died at the age of 88. He was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and served as media advisor to two prime ministers.
Yoga guru Ramdev, who had declined Padma Vibhushan award, on Saturday said that a lot of lobbying takes place behind the selection of Padma and even Nobel prize awardees and those with political influence succeed.
The multi-generational ensemble of world-class musicians dedicated to the masterful compositions and enduring legacy of the legendary sitar-musician.
Former Indian football captain I.M. Vijayan has declined offers from multiple political parties to contest in the upcoming elections, but would consider a Rajya Sabha nomination.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances