Azad, who was part of the group of 23 which has been critical of the party leadership and has sought an organisational overhaul, has also been awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to public affairs.
''Banerjee has made a statement on Mukherjee being given the Padma Vibhusan, which is unsavoury and against all decency. She should apologise with folded hands for her remark,'' said West Bengal Congress General Secretary Manas Bhuyian.
The BCCI has decided to recommend the names of former Indian captain Rahul Dravid and opener Gautam Gambhir's names for the prestigious Padma Bhusan and Padma Shri awards respectively.
Raveena Tandon and MM Keeravani recieved the Padma Shri from President Draupadi Murmu.
The Punjab CM said he was overwhelmed at receiving the Padma Vibhushan.
She stressed that this was a 'purely personal decision'.
One of India's finest journalists and writers has been awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan award this year. Thayil Jacob Sony George better known as TJS George, is the founder editor of Asiaweek Magazine and also editorial advisor of the The New Indian Express.
'To the youth, I will say work hard. One minute of work will not get you anything. I have worked hard for the past 20 years, 2002 was the first time I won a gold medal.'
Part of the problem with the Padma awards is that there are just too many. Instead of doling out 130 awards, may be the time has come to restrict it to no more than 30 -- five Padma Vibhushans, 10 Padma Bhushans and 15 Padma Shris. This would elevate the awards, even if it intensifies the lobbying, and reduce the scope of some gatecrashers getting in!
Hitting out at actor Kangana Ranaut for describing India's Independence in 1947 as bheek or alms, the Congress on Thursday said her remarks amounted to 'treason' and demanded the government take back the Padma Shri bestowed on her recently as she has 'insulted' the country's Independence movement.
Embarrassed by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's failure to turn up for the Padma Shri awards last Wednesday, the government issued a notification saying National sports awards, like the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dhronacharya and Dhyanchand, will be withdrawn if the recipient is absent from the ceremony without intimation.
Does the fact that Olympic medallists Sushil Kumar and Vijender Kumar were overlooked raise questions about the fairness of the selection process? Do Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai deserve Padma Shris, considering the foremost criterion for the award is public service? Have the awards become irrelevant?
Other noted personalities to be bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan include noted playback singer Asha Bhosle, chess wizard Vishwanathan Anand, mountainer Edmund Hillary and industrialists Ratan Naval Tata, Infosys mentor N R Narayana Murthy, steel tycoon Lakshmi Narayan Mittal and hotelier P R S Oberoi.
Noted scientist R A Mashelkar and yoga guru B K S Iyengar were on Saturday chosen for this year's Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India, while cine star Kamala Haasan, author Ruskin Bond and late former chief justice J S Verma were selected for the Padma Bhushan.
With controversy erupting over Padma Bhushan for Non Resident Indian hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, the government stepped in to clear the air saying 'due diligence' was done before selection and that the Central Bureau of Investigation had closed three cases of financial irregularities against him.
Against the backdrop of US-based hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal getting a Padma Bhushan, the Congress on Tuesday said these awards should be given to people who enhance its prestige and not to those with a "taint".
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is among six personalities chosen for this year's Padma Vibhushan.
Khali, who hails from Dhiraina village of Sirmour district of the state, shot into fame with his performances in US' popular wrestling events -- World Wrestling Entertainment. The one-time World Heavyweight Champion was honoured by the state government during his widely-publicised visit to the country in May this year.
Saxena, who held the post of chairperson of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), was appointed the Lt Governor of Delhi on May 23.
"NDA is a beautiful rainbow of regional aspirations... So nation's development through the development of states... At a time when we are working for a developed India, NDA is taking the lead in showing the spirit of sabka prayas," he said.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a veiled dig at Azad who was conferred with the award.
Star para athlete Devendra Jhajharia was named for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in the country while Olympic gold winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was among eight sportspersons named for the Padma Shri.
'Somehow, Rahul Gandhi is not able to connect with the youth of the country.' 'While Modiji is 72, Rahul is only 52.' 'But the popularity of the prime minister among the young population is a lot more than Rahul's.'
The Padma Bhushan was conferred on 17 personalities including N Chandrasekharan, chairman of Tata Sons, Krishna and Suchita Ella of Bharat Biotech, Cyrus Poonawalla, Satya Nadella, chairman of Microsoft, Sunder Pichai, chairman of Google.
'I feel the more I'm trolled by Pakistanis, the more I am on the right path.' 'I must be doing something right for them to be so angry.'
'Nothing has been removed or added to my Twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier'
I suggest we build a Vigyan Mandir (Temple of Science) with the ambience of a place of worship, so that it becomes a destination for pilgrims. We should embed on its walls bronze plaques describing each scientist mentioned here along with about a dozen of our ancient mathematicians, recommends Professor Kalyan Singhal, historian of science and technology.
Illayaraja, 74, who has been conferred with Padma Bhushan in 2009, was selected for Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna.
Saxena, 64, will succeed Anil Baijal who resigned from the post last week citing "personal reasons".
Renowned social worker Sindhutai Sapkal, fondly known as 'orphan children's mother', died following a heart attack at a private hospital here, doctors said.
While a tweet from a close aide of the Gandhi's and the Chief Whip of the party in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh took a dig on Azad for accepting the award, Congress stalwarts from the G-23 group have congratulated him for the 'well-deserved' award.
On Monday night, when President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Padma awards at a civil investiture ceremony in the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the loudest applause was reserved for Swami Sivananda, the 125-year-old yoga guru who walked barefoot to receive the Padma Shri -- after prostrating before Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and President Kovind.
'Children are curious by nature, so I thought of writing these books, which provide creative but convincing explanations and also teach values like sharing is caring,' Sudha Murty tells Chintan Girish Modi.
Why the 2020 Padma Shri Awards are an honour truly worth celebrating.
'I feel I must decline as there is a general election looming and the timing of the award might be misconstrued, causing embarrassment both to the government and myself, which I would much regret,' Gita Mehta said.
Sania Mirza has expressed that she felt ' honoured' and ' humbled' after being conferred with India's third highest civilian honour, Padma Bhushan for her contribution in the sport of tennis.
Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that his Ministry on Monday recommended Saina's name for Padma Bhushan.
Born on 8 August 1896 in Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh) of undivided India, Swami Sivananda lost his mother and father at the age of six. Due to abject poverty, his beggar parents could feed him mainly boiled rice water during his childhood days.
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