President approves 5 Padma Vibhushan awards for 2026

• President Droupadi Murmu has approved conferment of 131 Padma awards, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards for the year 2026.  

• The awards were announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of the 77th Republic Day.

• Ninety awardees are women, and the list also includes six persons from the category of foreigners, NRI, PIO, OCI, and 16 posthumous awardees. 

• Former Kerala Chief Minister and Communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan and actor Dharmendra are among the awardees to receive Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

• Former Supreme Court judge K.T. Thomas for public affairs, Hindustani classical musician and violinist N. Rajam in art, eminent Malayalam journalist P. Narayanan in literature and education have also been awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour.

• The Padma Bhushan has also been awarded to playback singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, actor Mammootty, tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, banker Uday Kotak, Tamil Nadu-based gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy, US-based Oncologist Nori Dattatreyudu, social worker SKM Maeilanandhan, Avadhanam bhajan performer Shatavadhani R. Ganesh and General Secretary of SNDP Yogam and SN Trust Vellappally Natesan.

• Senior BJP Leader V.K. Malhotra, JMM Founder and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren and advertising icon Piyush Pandey have been given the award posthumously.

• Cricketer Rohit Sharma, who led India to victory in the last T20 World Cup, women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to its first ODI World Cup victory, hockey players Savita Punia and Baldev Singh, and para athlete Praveen Kumar have been awarded Padma Shri.

Padma Awards

• The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

The awards are given in three categories: 

i) Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service).

ii) Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order).

iii) Padma Shri (distinguished service).

• The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.

• The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year. The nomination process is open to the public. Even self-nomination can be made.

Bharat Ratna

• Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. It is treated on a different footing from Padma Award. 

• The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President. No formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna are necessary. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year. 

When were the awards instituted?

• The government instituted two civilian awards — Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan in 1954. 

• Padma Vibhushan had three classes namely Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg. These were subsequently renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

• The award seeks to recognise works of distinction and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements / service in all fields of activities / disciplines.

The fields include:

i) Art (includes music, painting, sculpture, photography, cinema and theatre)

ii) Social Work (includes social service, charitable service and community projects)

iii) Public Affairs (includes law, public life and politics)

iv) Science & Engineering (includes space engineering, nuclear science, information technology and research & development)

v) Trade & Industry (includes banking, economic activities, management, promotion of tourism and business)

vi) Medicine (includes medical research, distinction / specialisation in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha, Allopathy and Naturopathy)

vii) Literature & Education (includes journalism, teaching, book composing, literature, poetry, promotion of education and literacy, and education reforms)

viii) Civil Service (includes distinction / excellence in administration by government servants)

ix) Sports (includes popular sports, adventure, mountaineering and yoga)

x) Others (fields not covered above and may include propagation of Indian culture, protection of human rights, wildlife protection and conservation).

• The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the government could consider giving an award posthumously.

• A higher category of Padma award can be conferred on a person only where a period of at least five years has elapsed since conferment of the earlier Padma award. However, in highly deserving cases, a relaxation can be made by the Awards Committee.

• The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.

This year’s awardees:

Padma Vibhushan

1) Dharmendra - Art - Maharashtra

2) Justice (retd) K.T. Thomas - Public Affairs - Kerala

3) N. Rajam - Art - Uttar Pradesh

4) P. Narayanan - Literature and Education - Kerala

5) V.S. Achuthanandhan (Posthumous) - Public Affairs - Kerala.

Padma Bhushan

1) Alka Yagnik - Art - Maharashtra

2) Bhagat Singh Koshyari - Public Affairs - Uttarakhand

3) Dr. Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy - Medicine - Tamil Nadu

4) Mammootty - Art - Kerala

5) Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu - Medicine - United States of America

6) Piyush Pandey (Posthumous) - Art - Maharashtra

7) S.K.M. Maeilanandhan - Social Work - Tamil Nadu

8) Shatavadhani R. Ganesh - Art - Karnataka

9) Shibu Soren (Posthumous) - Public Affairs - Jharkhand

10) Uday Kotak - Trade and Industry - Maharashtra

11) V.K. Malhotra (Posthumous) - Public Affairs - Delhi

12) Vellappally Natesan - Public Affairs - Kerala

13) Vijay Amritraj - Sports - United States of America.

Padma Shri

1) A.E. Muthunayagam - Science and Engineering - Kerala

2) Anil Kumar Rastogi - Art - Uttar Pradesh

3) Anke Gowda M. - Social Work - Karnataka

4) Armida Fernandez - Medicine - Maharashtra

5) Arvind Vaidya - Art - Gujarat

6) Ashok Khade - Trade and Industry - Maharashtra

7) Ashok Kumar Singh - Science and Engineering - Uttar Pradesh

8) Asok Kumar Haldar - Literature and Education - West Bengal

9) Baldev Singh - Sports - Punjab

10) Bhagwandas Raikwar - Sports - Madhya Pradesh

11) Bharat Singh Bharti - Art - Bihar

12) Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda - Art - Maharashtra

13) Bishwa Bandhu (Posthumous) - Art - Bihar

14) Brij Lal Bhat - Social Work - Jammu & Kashmir

15) Buddha Rashmi Mani - Others (Archaeology) - Uttar Pradesh

16) Dr. Budhri Tati - Social Work - Chhattisgarh

17) Chandramouli Gaddamanugu - Science and Engineering - Telangana

18) Charan Hembram - Literature and Education - Odisha

19) Chiranji Lal Yadav - Art - Uttar Pradesh

20) Deepika Reddy - Art - Telangana

21) Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya - Art - Gujarat

22) Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad - Art - Andhra Pradesh

23) Gafruddin Mewati Jogi - Art - Rajasthan

24) Gambir Singh Yonzone - Literature and Education - West Bengal

25) Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous) - Art - Andhra Pradesh

26) Gayatri Balasubramanian and Ranjani Balasubramanian (Duo) - Art - 

Tamil Nadu

27) Gopal Ji Trivedi - Science and Engineering - Bihar

28) Guduru Venkat Rao - Medicine - Telangana

29) H.V. Hande - Medicine - Tamil Nadu

30) Hally War - Social Work - Meghalaya

31) Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous) - Art - West Bengal

32) Haricharan Saikia - Art - Assam

33) Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar - Sports - Punjab

34) Inderjit Singh Sidhu - Social Work - Chandigarh

35) Janardan Bapurao Bothe - Social Work - Maharashtra

36) Jogesh Deuri - Others (Agriculture) - Assam

37) Juzer Vasi - Science and Engineering - Maharashtra

38) Jyotish Debnath - Art - West Bengal

39) K. Pajanivel - Sports - Puducherry

40) K. Ramasamy - Science and Engineering - Tamil Nadu

41) K. Vijay Kumar - Civil Service - Tamil Nadu

42) Kabindra Purkayastha (Posthumous) - Public Affairs - Assam

43) Kailash Chandra Pant - Literature and Education - Madhya Pradesh

44) Kalamandalam Vimala Menon - Art - Kerala

45) Kewal Krishan Thakral - Medicine - Uttar Pradesh

46) Khem Raj Sundriyal - Art - Haryana

47) Kollakal Devaki Amma - Social Work - Kerala

48) Krishnamurty Balasubramanian - Science and Engineering - Telangana

49) Kumar Bose - Art - West Bengal

50) Kumarasamy Thangaraj - Science and Engineering - Telangana

51) Dr. Lars-Christian Koch - Art - Germany

52) Liudmila Viktorovna Khokhlova - Literature and Education - Russia

53) Madhavan Ranganathan - Art - Maharashtra

54) Maganti Murali Mohan - Art - Andhra Pradesh

55) Mahendra Kumar Mishra - Literature and Education - Odisha

56) Mahendra Nath Roy - Literature and Education - West Bengal

57) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar - Literature and Education - Delhi

58) Mangala Kapoor - Literature and Education - Uttar Pradesh

59) Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai - Art - Gujarat

60) Mohan Nagar - Social Work - Madhya Pradesh

61) Narayan Vyas - Others (Archaeology) - Madhya Pradesh

62) Naresh Chandra Dev Varma - Literature and Education - Tripura

63) Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala - Social Work - Gujarat

64) Nuruddin Ahmed - Art - Assam

65) Othuvaar Thiruthani Swaminathan - Art - Tamil Nadu

66) Dr. Padma Gurmet - Medicine - Ladakh

67) Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy - Medicine - Telangana

68) Pokhila Lekthepi - Art - Assam

69) Dr. Prabhakar Basavprabhu Kore - Literature and Education - Karnataka

70) Prateek Sharma - Medicine - United States of America

71) Praveen Kumar - Sports - Uttar Pradesh

72) Prem Lal Gautam - Science and Engineering - Himachal Pradesh

73) Prosenjit Chatterjee - Art - West Bengal

74) Dr. Punniamurthy Natesan - Medicine - Tamil Nadu

75) R. Krishnan (Posthumous) - Art - Tamil Nadu

76) R. V. S. Mani - Civil Service - Delhi

77) Rabilal Tudu - Literature and Education - West Bengal

78) Raghupat Singh (Posthumous) - Others (Agriculture) - Uttar Pradesh

79) Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar - Art - Maharashtra

80) Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar - Art - Tamil Nadu

81) Rajendra Prasad - Medicine - Uttar Pradesh

82) Rama Reddy Mamidi (Posthumous) - Others (Animal Husbandry) - Telangana

83) Ramamurthy Sreedher - Others (Radio Broadcasting) - Delhi

84) Ramchandra Godbole and Suneeta Godbole (Duo) - Medicine - 

Chhattisgarh

85) Ratilal Borisagar - Literature and Education - Gujarat

86) Rohit Sharma - Sports - Maharashtra

87) S.G. Susheelamma - Social Work - Karnataka

88) Sangyusang S. Pongener - Art - Nagaland

89) Sant Niranjan Dass - Others (Spiritualism) - Punjab

90) Sarat Kumar Patra - Art - Odisha

91) Saroj Mandal - Medicine - West Bengal

92) Satish Shah (Posthumous) - Art - Maharashtra

93) Satyanarayan Nuwal - Trade and Industry - Maharashtra

94) Savita Punia - Sports - Haryana

95) Shafi Shauq - Literature and Education - Jammu & Kashmir

96) Shashi Shekhar Vempati - Literature and Education - Karnataka

97) Shrirang Devaba Lad - Others (Agriculture) - Maharashtra

98) Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar - Science and Engineering - Karnataka

99) Shyam Sundar - Medicine - Uttar Pradesh

100) Simanchal Patro - Art - Odisha

101) Sivasankari - Literature and Education - Tamil Nadu

102) Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi - Medicine - Karnataka

103) Swami Brahmdev Ji Maharaj - Social Work - Rajasthan

104) T.T. Jagannathan (Posthumous) - Trade and Industry - Karnataka

105) Taga Ram Bheel - Art - Rajasthan

106) Tarun Bhattacharya - Art - West Bengal

107) Techi Gubin - Social Work - Arunachal Pradesh

108) Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam - Art - Tamil Nadu

109) Tripti Mukherjee - Art - West Bengal

110) Veezhinathan Kamakoti - Science and Engineering - Tamil Nadu

111) Vempaty Kutumba Sastry - Literature and Education - Andhra Pradesh

112) Vladimer Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) - Sports - Georgia

113) Yumnam Jatra Singh (Posthumous) - Art - Manipur.