Padma Awards 2015: Bill and Melinda Gates among foreign nationals to get the coveted award

New Delhi, Jan 26: Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates, who are also big philanthropists, were on Sunday chosen for Padma Bhushan award this year under the social work category.

In the trade and industry discipline, Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan, whose domicile is France/UK, has been selected for Padma Vibhushan award, the country's second highest civilian honour.

Former Infosys board member T V Mohandas Pai and Indian American economist Nandrajan Raj Chetty have been selected for Padma Shri under trade and industry discipline.

Ashok Gulati, former chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), also gets Padma Shri in the public affairs category, according to an official statement.

Billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates in 2000 set up Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which works in areas such as poverty, health and education. In developing countries, the Foundation focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.

Chetty is the youngest tenured faculty in the history of Harvard's economics department. He had joined the Department at the age of 29.

PTI