Keeping its promise of honouring "unsung heroes", the government on Thursday announced Padma Shri awards for personalities who served the poor, set up free schools and popularised tribal arts globally.
India's sports stars including badminton P V Sindhu was conferred the Padma Bhushan -- the country's third-highest civilian award, while women's football icon Bembem Devi, archer Tarundeep Rai and women's hockey captain Rani Rampal were conferred with the Padma Shri.
Why the 2020 Padma Shri Awards are an honour truly worth celebrating.
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Indian hockey legend PR Sreejesh, just months after receiving the prestigious Padma Shri, delighted fans by sharing a heartwarming social media post.
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'Unless you have openness when it comes to accepting what is coming your way and learning afresh, it is not going to be easy.'
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.
'She is a nice girl, simple, patient and affectionate. Because she is so empathetic, because she has the ability to feel for people, I am sure she will be able to solve the problems ordinary citizens face in this country.'
'I would like to thank everyone who believed in my father's skills and ability, and would love to share this happiness with them.'
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the coveted Padma awards on 68 eminent personalities, including former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, dancer Shobana Chandrakumar, actor Anant Nag, and Vice Chancellor of King George's Medical University Soniya Nityanand. The awards were given in various disciplines and fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. The Padma Vibhushan was awarded to Justice (retd) Khehar for public affairs, while nine individuals received the Padma Bhushan. The Padma Shri was awarded to leading immunologist and KGMU VC Nityanand, footballer Inivalappil Mani Vijayan, singer Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, actor Ashok Laxman Saraf, mask maker Reba Kanta Mahanta, and musician Ricky Gyan Kej, among others.
Congress leaders targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party government for conferring the Padma Shri on singer Adnan Sami, saying that an Indian Army soldier Mohammad Sanaullah could not find his name in the National Register of Citizens in Assam, but the son of a Pakistan air force officer had been selected for the civilian award.
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Cricketer VVS Laxman will be conferred the Padma Shri for his services to the game.
Bembem hoped the Padma Shri will act as recognition for women's football in India.
Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has been nominated for civilian honour Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to sport in the country.
'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.
Taking to 'X", Sachin said he remained grateful to his "three guiding hands," who shaped him to the person he is today and acknowledged the profound impact made in his life by his father Ramesh Tendulkar, first coach Ramakant Vitthal Achrekar, and elder brother Ajit.
Kidambi Srikanth, whose stature has grown immensely following a phenomenal 2017, was nominated for the prestigious Padma Shri award by former Sports Minister Vijay Goel.
Acharya Jonas Masetti, a Vedanta scholar from Brazil, was awarded the Padma Shri for teaching the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, Sanskrit, Yoga, Meditation and Indian spiritualism abroad.
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.
'These children possess catastrophically low birth weights -- often 1.4 kgs or less. Such extremely low birth weight results in profoundly compromised neo-natal immunity.' 'The escalation to 97 deaths in three months precipitated contemporary attention precisely because this magnitude concentrates the humanitarian emergency, rendering it impossible for the administrative machinery to ignore.'
'It is something that he always wanted to do and he has achieved phenomenal success in doing it.'
It was a beautiful Monday for many film folk, as they were conferred with Padma Awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Droupadi Murmu.
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On August 5, 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru sent a strange note to the foreign secretary. It is worth mentioning because it was symptomatic of the lack of knowledge about Western Tibet in India and in South Block in particular, notes Claude Arpi.
Akanksha, 26, will take on Delhi's teen sensation Anahat, who rallied to beat state-mate Tanvi Khanna 3-11, 11-5, 11-0, 11-9, in the title round.
World billiards champion Pankaj Advani says cue sports can contemplate changing the dress code and also add a few other things to make an attractive discipline like the Indian Premier League.
If all goes according to plan, the singing superstar will start his yet-untitled film by the end of the year.
Canadian biochemist Joseph H Hulse has thanked India for honouring him with the Padma Shri.
Few people have left the kind of imprint on India's advertising canvas as Piyush Pandey. An observer who seemed to know what made the country tick, a man who could find humour in life's everyday struggles and spin magic from it, one who understood that to reach the masses you needed to communicate with them in their language and context -- he was all of this and more.
'The north east people are complaining, but the BJP is not listening to our voice.'
PR Sreejesh was among the 19 recipients of the Padma Bhushan in 2025, it's the third highest civilian honour.
The Andhra Pradesh high court on Monday asked Telugu film actors Mohan Babu and Brahmanandam to return their Padma Shri awards for violation of rules accompanying them.
'Youngsters in India look up to the West as if it is the biggest accomplishment they need in life. It breaks my heart.'
Veteran diplomat and author Phillips Talbot, a Padma Shri recipient who experienced first-hand the power of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent movement and was one of the few Americans present during India's partition, has died in New York at the age of 95.Talbot's death on October 1 was announced by the Asia Society, where he served as the president between 1970 and 1981.He was United State's assistant secretary of state for near eastern and south Asian affairs.
Former Indian blind cricket team captain Shekhar Naik is set to be conferred with the Padma Shri award.
The Indian Cricket Board has recommended captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's name for the prestigious Padma Bhushan and batting mainstay Virat Kohli for the Padma Shri.
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