Padma awards investiture: President Droupadi Murmu honours Amritraj, Rohit Sharma and Alka Yagnik

President Droupadi Murmu presented Padma awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognising achievements across sport, cinema, music, public affairs, and education. Honourees included Vijay Amritraj, Mammootty, Satish Shah, Rohit Sharma, Alka Yagnik, and Savita Punia. Former judge K T Thomas and journalist P Narayanan received Padma Vibhushan, with select awards accepted by family members.

President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma awards on several well-known names on Tuesday. Tennis player Vijay Amritraj, singer Alka Yagnik, actor Mammootty, and cricketer Rohit Sharma were among the recipients. The second civil investiture ceremony took place at the Ganatantra Mandap of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended the event.

The President presented 65 honours in this ceremony. The list included two Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan and 56 Padma Shri. The remaining awards from the Republic Day eve list were given on Tuesday. Earlier, 65 Padma Awards were conferred in the first ceremony held on May 25.

Padma awards ceremony: Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan recipients

Padma Vibhushan was presented to former Supreme Court judge K T Thomas for public affairs. Eminent Malayalam journalist P Narayanan also received Padma Vibhushan for literature and education. Padma Bhushan went to Alka Yagnik, Mammootty, American oncologist Dattatreyudu Nori, Vijay Amritraj, S K M Maeilanandhan, and Vellappally Natesan during the ceremony.

Rupi Soren received the Padma Bhushan on behalf of the late Shibu Soren. Shibu Soren was the founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, or JMM. Several awards were accepted by family members for posthumous honours. The ceremony continued with a mix of public service, arts, and sports names. Officials said the awards recognised work across many fields.

Padma awards ceremony: Padma Shri honours in sports and public life

Rohit Sharma received the Padma Shri after leading India to victory in the last T20 World Cup. Hockey player Savita Punia also received the Padma Shri. Georgian coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili was awarded Padma Shri posthumously. Vladimir Mestvirishvili mentored Olympic medallists like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Ravi Dahiya. Vladimir Mestvirishvili’s wife accepted the award.

Actor Satish Shah was conferred the Padma Shri posthumously. Satish Shah was known for roles in Ye Jo Hai Zindagi, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Satish Shah’s brother received the honour on Satish Shah’s behalf. Former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, now CBFC chairman, also received Padma Shri.

Padma awards ceremony: Cultural and social work recognition

Guru Sangyusang Pongener, an 83-year-old folk artist from Nagaland, received the Padma Shri. Guru Sangyusang Pongener arrived in traditional Naga attire and drew applause, including from Prime Minister Modi. Social worker Budhri Tati also received Padma Shri for work in education and women empowerment. Budhri Tati worked in the previously Naxal-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

Other Padma Shri awardees included actor R Madhavan and aerospace scientist Chandramouli Gaddamanugu. Chandramouli Gaddamanugu worked at Defence Research and Development Laboratory and led the Akash Missile system. Chandramouli Gaddamanugu took it from development to deployment during Operation Sindoor. Former MHA under secretary R V S Mani also received the Padma Shri.

Ashok Khade, described as a self-made entrepreneur from a Dalit cobbler family, was awarded Padma Shri. Ashok Khade established an offshore fabrication company. Dalit author Asok Kumar Haldar also received the honour. Asok Kumar Haldar wrote literature while working as a railway guard. Ranjani and Gayatri were awarded Padma Shri as one award for Carnatic music.

Actor Anil Kumar Rastogi and chemistry professor Mahendra Nath Roy were also conferred Padma Shri. The ceremony was attended by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were also present. The gathering included other dignitaries from the government and public life. The event followed the standard format of civil investitures.

Padma awards: Government announcements and definitions

On Republic Day eve, the government announced 131 Padma awards, including two duo cases. In a duo case, the award counts as one. The list included five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri. The President conferred 65 Padma Awards on May 25. The remaining 65 awards, including a duo, were presented on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: "the Padma Awards celebrate exceptional service and dedication across diverse fields. Each awardee represents the best of our commitment to society. Their life journeys inspire countless citizens and remind everyone of the power of hard work and service,\" he posted on X. Union Home Minister Shah also congratulated the awardees.

Shah wrote on X: \"Under Modi Jis leadership, the Padma Awards have been redefined to honour individuals who have made a real impact on society through selfless service. These awards now honour unsung impact-makers and strengthen participatory democracy by inspiring citizens to become stakeholders in change,\" he said on X. Shah also hosted a dinner for Padma awardees.

Shah added on X: \"It was heartwarming to hear about their journeys of bringing about social change. Their life stories will certainly inspire the younger generation to serve society and accelerate Indias progress towards achieving greatness,\" he said on X. The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours. They are given as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The awards cover fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. Padma Vibhushan is for exceptional and distinguished service. Padma Bhushan is for distinguished service of high order. Padma Shri recognises distinguished service in any field.

With inputs from PTI