NEWS – Padma Awards 2024 announced

PADMA AWARDS

• One of the highest civilian honors conferred by the Government of India
• Instituted in 1954
• Honored to individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields such as art, literature, science, sports, social service, and public affairs at the national and international levels
• There are three categories of Padma Awards:

1. Padma Vibhushan: This is the second-highest civilian award in India
2. Padma Bhushan: The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award
3. Padma Shri: The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award

• The process of selecting awardees – involves a committee constituted by the Prime Minister’s Office + reviews the nominations received from various sources, including government ministries, state and union territory governments, and individuals + recommendations are then submitted to the Prime Minister and the President for approval

2024 WINNERS

PADMA VIBHUSHAN

• Vyjayantimala Bali – Vyjayanthimala is a legendary Indian actress, accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, and politician who has made significant contributions to the Indian film industry. She is known for her acting skills and graceful dancing. In 2002, she was honored with the Padma Shri,
• Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi – Konidela Chiranjeevi, popularly known as Chiranjeevi, is a legendary Indian actor and politician who has made significant contributions to the Telugu film industry, often referred to as Tollywood. Chiranjeevi earned the title “Mega Star” for his immense popularity and success in the Telugu film industry. In 2006, Chiranjeevi was honored with the Padma Bhushan
• Shri M Venkaiah Naidu – Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu is an Indian politician who has been an influential figure in Indian politics. As of my knowledge cutoff in January 2022, Venkaiah Naidu has served in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament). Naidu played a significant role in promoting urban development initiatives during his tenure as the Minister of Urban Development. The Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) were launched under his leadership
• Shri Bindeshwar Pathak (Posthumous) – Bindeshwar Pathak is an Indian social activist and the founder of Sulabh International, an organization that works towards sanitation, social reform, and human rights. He is particularly known for his efforts in promoting sanitation and hygiene practices, as well as his contributions to the development of eco-friendly toilets. Bindeshwar Pathak was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1991
• Padma Subrahmanyam – Padma Subrahmanyam is a renowned Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and scholar known for her contributions to Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form of South India. She has made significant strides in popularizing and preserving the art form, along with her scholarly work in Indian classical dance history and theory. Padma Subrahmanyam was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 2003

PADMA BHUSHAN                                                   

• M Fathima Beevi (Posthumous)-distinguished Indian jurist who made history as the first woman to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India
• Shri Hormusji N Cama-Managing Director of the Mumbai Samachar
• Shri Mithun Chakraborty-Indian actor, producer and politician
• Shri Sitaram Jindal-Founder-chairman and managing director of Jindal Aluminium Ltd in Karnataka + Sitaram Jindal Foundation is one of the most trusted charity organizations in India that provides basic needs including education, scholarship, and healthcare for people across various sections
• Shri Young Liu (International)-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn
• Shri Ashwin Balachand Mehta-Indian cardiologist and one of the pioneers of interventional cardiology in India + director of Cardiology department at Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai
• Shri Satyabrata Mookherjee (Posthumous)-Former Indian Union minister
• Shri Ram Naik-veteran politician
• Shri Tejas Madhusudan Patel-Cardiologist from Gujrat + A pioneer of transradial angioplasty and author of multiple medical books
• Shri Olanchery Rajagopal-former Union Minister of State
• Shri Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo alias Rajdutt-veteran actor and director + participated in Satyagraha and went to jail during the Goa liberation movement
• Shri Togdan Rinpoche (Posthumous)-Buddhist spiritual leader, enthroned as the leader of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism for Ladakh in 1943 and served as the Head Lama for all Tibetan Buddhist Lineages in Ladakh
• Shri Pyarelal Sharma-Composer, music director, orchestrator, conductor who composed duo along with Laxmikant Kudalkar under the name of Laxmikant–Pyarelal
• Shri Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur-Physician and politician
• Usha Uthup-Pop, filmi, jazz, and playback singer known for her works along with music directors R. D. Burman and Bappi Lahiri
• Shri Vijaykanth
  (Posthumous)-Affectionately addressed as “Captain”, he was an actor and politician who appeared as a lead in Tamil cinema
• Shri Kundan Vyas-Journalist, serving as the chief editor of the Janmabhoomi Group of Newspapers.

PADMA SHRI

• Parbati Baruah, Social Work (Animal Welfare), Assam :  She is India’s first female mahout and stood out for her commitment towards mitigating human-elephant conflict with help of application of scientific practices
• Jageshwar Yadav, Social Work (Tribal – PVTG), Chhattisgarh: He dedicated his life for the upliftment of marginalized Birhor & Pahadi Korwa people
• Chami Murmu, Social Work (Environment – Afforestation), Jharkhand: She spearheaded afforestation efforts planting over 30 lakh plants with 3,000 women
• Gurvinder Singh, Social Work (Divyang), Haryana: He nurtured 300 children dreams by setting up a child care institute named ‘Bal Gopal Dham’ and worked for betterment of homeless, destitute, women, orphans and divyangjan
• Dukhu Majhi, Social Work (Environment – Afforestation), West Bengal: He planted over 5,000 Banyan, Mango and Blackberry trees on barren land, while traveling to new destinations on his bicycle every day
• Sangthankima, Social Work (Children), Mizoram: He has been running Mizoram’s largest orphanage ‘Thutak Nunpuitu Team’
• Somanna, Social Work (Tribal – PVTG), Karnataka: He is tirelessly working for upliftment of Jenu Kuruba tribe for over 4 decades. He helped in acquiring title deeds to ensure the legal recognition and protection of more than 500 tribal communities residing in forest areas
• Sathyanarayana Beleri, Others (Agriculture – Cereal – Rice), Kerala: He is a rice farmer from Kasaragod, who evolved into a guardian of paddy crop by preserving over 650 traditional rice varieties
• K Chellammal, Others (Agriculture – Organic), Andaman and Nicobar: She is an organic Farmer from South Andaman, successfully developed a 10 acre organic farm
• Yanung Jamoh Lego, Others (Agriculture – Medicinal – Plants), Arunachal Pradesh: She is a herbal medicine expert who has provided medical care to over 10,000 patients
• Sarbeswar Basumatary, Others (Agriculture), Assam: Tribal Farmer from Chirang who successfully adopted mixed integrated farming approach and cultivated varieties of crops like coconuts, oranges, paddy, litchis and maize
• Hemchand Manjhi, Medicine (AYUSH – Traditional Medicine), Chhattisgarh: He is providing affordable healthcare to villagers for over 5 decades
• Prema Dhanraj, Medicine (Indigenous – Burns), Karnataka: She dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of burn victims – her legacy extending beyond surgery, championing burn prevention, awareness and policy reform
• Yazdi Maneksha Italia, Medicine (Indigenous – Sickle Cell), Gujarat: He developed India’s inaugural Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program (SCACP)
• Uday Vishwanath Deshpande, Sports (Coach – Mallakhamb), Maharashtra: He is an international Mallakhamb Coach, who worked relentlessly in reviving, revitalizing and popularizing the sport at global level
• Shanti Devi Paswan & Shivan Paswan, Art (Painting – Folk – Madhubani), Bihar: They overcame social stigma to become globally recognized Godna painters
• Ratan Kahar, Art (Vocals – Folk – Bhadu), West Bengal: He is a renowned Bhadu Folk Singer from Birbhum, has devoted over 60 years to folk music
• Ashok Kumar Biswas, Art (Painting – Folk – Tikuli), Bihar: He is a prolific Tikuli Painter credited for revival and modification of the Mauryan era artform
• Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil, Art (Dance – Classical – Kathakali), Kerala: He is a distinguished Kalluvazhi Kathakali Dancer with a career spanning over 60 years
• Uma Maheshwari D, Art (Storytelling – Harikatha), Andhra Pradesh: She is the first female Harikatha exponent and has showcased her skill in Sanskrit recitation
• Gopinath Swain, Art (Vocals – Bhajan – Odia), Odisha: A Krishna Leela singer from Ganjam, dedicated his life to preserve and promote the tradition
• Smriti Rekha Chakma, Art (Textile – Weaving – Loinloom), Tripura: She transforms eco-friendly vegetables dyed cotton threads into traditional designs, promoting the use of natural dyes
• Omprakash Sharma, Art (Theatre – Folk – Mach), Madhya Pradesh: He is a Mach Theatre Artist who has devoted 7 decades of his life to promote this 200 year old traditional dance drama of the Malwa region
• Narayanan E P, Art (Dance – Folk – Theyyam), Kerala: He began his 6 decade-long career at 5 yrs, showcased art in 300 performances across 20 variants of Theyyam
• Bhagabat Padhan, Art (Dance – Folk – Sabda Nrutya), Odisha: He is an exponent of Sabda Nrutya Folk dance from Bargarh, who has taken the dance form beyond the temples
• Sanatan Rudra Pal, Art (Sculpture), West Bengal: Distinguished sculptor with over 5 decades of experience, preserving and promoting the traditional art form – specializes in crafting Sabeki Durga idols
• Badrappan M, Art (Dance – Folk – Kummi), Tamil Nadu: He is an exponent of Valli Oyil Kummi Folk Dance from Coimbatore
• Jordan Lepcha, Art (Craft – Bamboo), Sikkim: Bamboo Craftsman from Mangan, who is nurturing the cultural heritage of Lepcha tribe
• Machihan Sasa, Art (Craft – Pottery – Black), Manipur: dedicated 5 decades to preserve this ancient Manipuri traditional pottery which traces its roots back to the Neolithic period (10,000 BC)
• Gaddam Sammaiah, Art (Dance – Yakshagana), Telangana: Eminent Chindu Yakshaganam Theatre Artist from Jangaon
• Jankilal, Art (Theatre – Folk – Rajasthani), Rajasthan: Behrupiya Artist from Bhilwara
• Dasari Kondappa, Art (Music – Instrument – String – Burra Veena), Telangana: 3rd generation Burra Veena player from Damaragidda village in Narayanpet
• Babu Ram Yadav, Art (Craft – Brass), Uttar Pradesh: Brass Marori Craftsperson with over 6 decades experience
• Nepal Chandra Sutradhar, Art (Craft – Mask Making – Chau), West Bengal: Third Generation Chhau mask maker with over 50 years spent in the preservation of Chhau maskmaking

FIRST WINNERS OF PADMA AWARDS

Padma Vibhushan:

Satyendra Nath Bose: A renowned physicist, Satyendra Nath Bose was honored with the Padma Vibhushan in 1954. He made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics, particularly in the development of Bose–Einstein statistics.

Padma Bhushan:

1. Raja Ravi Varma: The legendary Indian painter, known for his influential works in the field of art, was one of the first recipients of the Padma Bhushan.
2. Bhagwan Das: A freedom fighter, educationist, and philosopher, Dr. Bhagwan Das was recognized with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to society.

Padma Shri:

1. Kavi Pradeep (Ramchandra Narayanji Dwivedi): An acclaimed poet and songwriter, Kavi Pradeep was one of the earliest recipients of the Padma Shri. He is best known for penning the famous patriotic song “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo.”
2. D. S. Kotnis: A physician who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis posthumously received the Padma Shri for his selfless service and sacrifice.
3. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai: A prominent Malayalam writer and social reformer, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai received the Padma Shri for his contributions to literature