139 honoured with Padma awards
   Date :26-Jan-2025
 
 
139 honoured
FORMER Chief
 
Justice of India J S Khehar, former chief of Suzuki Motor late Osamu Suzuki, Ram temple architect Chandrakant Sompura, folk singer late Sharda Sinha and hockey player P R Sreejesh are among 139 Padma awardees announced on the eve of the 76th Republic Day on Saturday. The highest civilian honours of the country announcedbytheGovernment include seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 PadmaBhushanand113PadmaShridecorations.“Twenty-threeof the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of foreigners, NRI (Non-resident Indians), PIO (PersonofIndianOrigin),OCI (Overseas Citizenshipof India) and and 13posthumous awardees,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi has been given the Padma Bhushan posthumously. Publisher of Tamil daily Dinamalar LakshmipathyRamasubbaiyerhasbeen awardedPadma Shrifor literature, education and journalism. FormerCJIJustice (retd)Jagdish Singh Khehar, Chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and
 
AIG Hospitals D Nageshwar Reddy, Kathak dancer from GujaratKumudiniRajnikantLakhia,violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam have been awarded PadmaVibhushan, the statement said. Former chief of the Suzuki Motor Corporation Osamu Suzuki, folk singer Sharda Sinha and author M T Vasudevan Nair have been awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously.Theawards are given in various disciplines and fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports andcivil service among others. PadmaVibhushanis awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, economist Bibek Debroy, gazal singer Pankaj Udhashavebeen givenPadma Bhushan posthumously. Telugu Superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna also known as Balayya, film-maker Shekhar Kapur and former hockeygoalkeeperPRSreejesh have been given the Padma Bhushan. Former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya,recently-retired cricketerR Ashwin, vice chancellor of Lucknow’s KGMU Soniya Nityanand and industrialist Pawan Goenka have been given Padma Shri. The President has also awarded 30 Padma Shri to unsung heroes that includes 100-year old Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa’s freedommovement.Shecofounded an underground radio station --‘VozdaLiberdabe(Voice of Freedom)’ -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule. Wildlife researcher and Marathi author Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli (92), who gave unique dictionaries on birds, animals and trees; 68-year-old bhajan singer BatoolBegum fromJaipur;percussionist Velu Aasaan (58) fromTamil Nadu, who is standardising and reviving traditional Parai Isai artform, are also among the Padma Shri awardees.