Padma Awards 2024 Highlights: A Closer Look at the Awardees

The Padma Awards, considered among the country's highest civilian honors, recently made headlines with several popular names and eminent figures securing their places in three categories. Like every year, the awards were announced on Republic Day and will be conferred by the President of India in March-April at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Here is the list of the recipients for the Padma Awards 2024:

Padma Vibhushan

Given in various categories, the Padma Vibhushan will be given to:

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Arts

1. Vyjayantimala Bali: A veteran Indian actress and dancer who is also regarded as the first female superstar.
2. Konidela Chiranjeevi: An Indian actor, film producer and former politician. 
3. Padma Subrahmanyam: An Indian classical Bharata Natyam dancer who is also a research scholar, choreographer, teacher, Indologist, and author.

Public Affairs

1. M Venkaiah Naidu:  An Indian politician who served as the 13th Vice President of India from 2017 to 2022.

Social Work

1. Bindeshwar Pathak (Posthumous): An Indian sociologist and social entrepreneur who founded Sulabh International promoting human rights, environmental sanitation, and non-conventional sources of energy.

Padma Bhushan

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Art

1. Shri Mithun Chakraborty: He is an Indian actor, producer and politician. 
2. Shri Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo alias Rajdutt: A veteran actor and director who participated in Satyagraha and went to jail during the Goa liberation movement.
3. Shri Pyarelal Sharma: Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma is a composer and actor. 
4. Ms. Usha Uthup: She is an Indian pop, film, jazz, and playback singer who sang songs in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. 
5. Shri Vijaykanth(Posthumous): An Indian politician and actor who often worked as a lead in Tamil cinema. 

Public Affairs 

1. Ms. M Fathima Beevi(Posthumous): She was an Indian judge who was a justice of the Supreme Court of India and the first female to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India. 
2. Shri Satyabrata Mookherjee (Posthumous): He was an Indian Union minister of state and the President of BJP's West Bengal state unit from 2008 before being replaced by Rahul Sinha in October 2009. 
   
   
3. Shri Ram Naik: Shri Ram Naik was a member of the 13th Lok Sabha and was Minister of Oil and Natural Gas in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet (1999–2004) 
4. Shri Olanchery Rajagopal: The former Union Minister of State, the former MLA from Nemom, and the first Bharatiya Janata Party member. 

Literature & Education - Journalism

1. Shri Hormusji N Cama: He has served as the chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2018-2019. He was earlier the president of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for two terms as well as chairman of the Press Trust of India (PTI) and Media Research Users Council (MRUC). 
2. Shri Kundan Vyas: Kundan Vyas is the Chief Editor of Janmabhoomi newspaper founded on June 9, 1934. He also served as the president of The Indian Newspaper Society (INS). 

Trade & Industry

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1. Shri Sitaram Jindal: Dr. Sitaram Jindal is the Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Aluminium Limited (JAL).

Medicine

1. Shri Ashwin Balachand Mehta: Ashwin Balachand Mehta is an Indian cardiologist and one of the pioneers of interventional cardiology in India. 
2. Shri Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur: He is a former member of the Rajya Sabha, a former minister in the Government of India, a physician, and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Others (Spiritualism)

1. Shri Togdan Rinpoche(Posthumous):  He is popular as the leader of Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism for Ladakh in 1943 and also served as the Head Lama for all Tibetan Buddhist Lineages in Ladakh.

Padma Shri

Art

1. Shri Khalil Ahmad: He has made a special contribution to the field of handmade durries.
2. Shri Badrappan M: An exponent of Valli Oyil Kummi Folk Dance from Coimbatore.
3. Shri Kaluram Bamaniya: A musician who travels the country extensively presenting Kabir in his own unique way.
4. Ms. Rezwana Choudhury Bannya: A legendary Rabindra Sangeet singer. 
5. Ms. Naseem Bano: An Indian actress known for films like 'Khoon ka khoon' (1935). 
6. Shri Ramlal Bareth: A renowned Kathak dancer in the Raigarh durbar under the guidance of Shri Chakradhar Maharaj. 
7. Ms. Gita Roy Barman: A Bhawaiya singer who has worked for Akashvani Radio for more than 30 years. 
8. Shri Som Datt Battu: A Shimla-based Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. 
9. Ms. Takdira Begum: Popular for creating award-winning nakshi kantha embroidery pieces for more than 40 years.
10. Shri Drona Bhuyan: A folk artiste. 
11. Shri Ashok Kumar Biswas: A prolific Tikuli Painter credited for revival and
    
    modification of the Mauryan era art form.
12. Ms. Smriti Rekha Chakma: She transforms eco-friendly vegetable-dyed cotton threads into traditional designs, promoting the use of natural dyes. 
13. Shri A Velu Ananda Chari: A sculptor, trained in the art of temple architecture.
14. Shri Ghulam Nabi Dar: One of India's most celebrated craftsmen popular for keeping the tradition of walnut wood alive.
15. Shri Mahabir Singh Guddu: A singer who has been promoting and showcasing Haryanvi culture worldwide. 
16. Ms. Anupama Hoskere: A master puppeteer and the Founder-Director of the Dhaatu Puppet Theater, Bengaluru. 
17. Shri Ratan Kahar: A renowned Bhadu Folk Singer from Birbhum who has devoted over 60 years to folk music. 
18. Shri Dasari Kondappa: The 3rd generation Burra Veena player from Damaragidda village in Narayanpet. 
19. Shri Jordan Lepcha: A Bamboo Craftsman from Mangan, who is nurturing the cultural heritage of Lepcha tribe.
20. Shri Binod Maharana: A Pattachitra painter. 
21. Ms. Uma Maheshwari D: The first female Harikatha exponent and has showcased her skill in Sanskrit recitation. 
22. Shri Ram Kumar Mallick: He represents the 12th generation of this musical lineage, Darbhanga Gharana. 
23. Shri Surendra Mohan Mishra(Posthumous): A Hindustani classical singer from Banaras Gharana. 
24. Shri Ali Mohammed & Shri Ghani Mohammed*(Duo): Folk singers from Rajasthan. 
25. Shri Narayanan E P: He has showcased art in 300 performances across 20 variants of Theyyam. 
26. Shri Bhagabat Padhan: An exponent of Sabda Nrutya Folk dance from Bargarh, who has taken the dance form beyond the temples. 
27. Shri Sanatan Rudra Pal: A distinguished sculptor with over 5 decades of experience, specializing in crafting Sabeki Durga idols. 
28. Shri Binod Kumar Pasayat: A lyricist and dramatist.
29. Ms. Silbi Passah: She advocates Hindi & Khasi music tradition. 
30. Ms. Shanti Devi Paswan & Shri Shivan Paswan(Duo): The duo overcame social stigma to become globally recognized Godna painters.
31. Shri Romalo Ram: A Dogri folk singer and dancer. 
32. Ms. Nirmal Rishi: An Indian Punjabi film and television actress. 
33. Shri Pran Sabharwal: A veteran theater actor based in Patiala.
34. Shri Gaddam Sammaiah: An eminent Chindu Yakshaganam Theatre Artist
    
    from Jangaon.
35. Shri Machihan Sasa: Popular for preserving this ancient Manipuri traditional pottery which traces its roots back to the Neolithic period (10,000 BC). 
36. Shri Omprakash Sharma: A Mach Theatre Artist who has devoted 7 decades of his life to promoting this 200-year-old traditional dance drama of the Malwa region.
37. Shri Godawari Singh: A wood toy maker. 
38. Shri Sheshampatti T Sivalingam: A Nagaswaram artist popular for contributions in Carnatic music. 
39. Ms. Urmila Srivastava: A Kajri singer, who specialises in singing Devi songs, Dadra, Kaharwa, Purvi, Chaiti, Holi, Jhumar, Khemta, and more. 
40. Shri Nepal Chandra Sutradhar(Posthumous): The third-generation Chhau mask maker with over 50 years spent in the preservation of Chhau mask making. 
41. Shri Gopinath Swain: A Krishna Leela singer from Ganjam who dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the tradition. 
42. Shri Laxman Bhatt Tailang: A Hindustani classic music maestro. 
43. Shri Jagdish Labhshanker Trivedi: A renowned Gujarati comedian, celebrated for the Dairo art form.
44. Shri Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil: A distinguished Kalluvazhi Kathakali Dancer with a career spanning over 60 years. 
45. Shri Babu Ram Yadav: Brass Marori Craftsperson with over 6 decades of experience. 
46. Jankilal: A Behrupiya Artist from Bhilwara. 

Social Work

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1. Ms. Parbati Baruah: India’s first female mahout who stood out for her commitment to mitigating human-elephant conflict with the help of the application of scientific practices. 
2. Shri Shankar Baba Pundlikrao Papalkar: A Social worker and director of Ambadaspant Vaidya Matimand, Mukbadhir, Bewaras Balgriha.
3. Shri K S Rajanna: A Divyang activist who was also a disability commissioner. 
4. Shri Sangthankima: A humanitarian and social worker who is also the founder of Thutak Nunpuitu Team (TNT). 
5. Shri Gurvinder Singh: Known for nurturing 300 children's dreams by setting up a child care institute named ‘Bal Gopal Dham’.
6. Shri Somanna: Working for the upliftment of the Jenu Kuruba tribe for over 4 decades. 
7. Ms. Sano Vamuzo: A Naga woman activist who is also the founder of the Naga Mother's Association. 
8. Shri Jageshwar Yadav: Popular for dedicating his life to the upliftment of marginalized Birhor & Pahadi Korwa people. 
9. Chami Murmu: Known for spearheading afforestation efforts planting over 30 lakh plants with 3,000 women. 
10. Shri Dukhu Majhi: Planted over 5,000 Banyan, Mango, and Blackberry trees on barren land, while traveling to new destinations on his bicycle every day.

Others - Agriculture

1. Shri Sarbeswar Basumatary: A Tribal Farmer from Chirang who successfully adopted a mixed integrated farming approach and cultivated varieties of crops like coconuts, oranges, paddy, litchis and maize.
2. Shri Sathyanarayana Beleri: A rice farmer from Kasaragod, who evolved into a guardian of paddy crop by preserving over 650 traditional rice varieties.
3. Ms. Yanung Jamoh Lego: A herbal medicine expert who has provided medical care to over 10,000 patients. 
4. Shri Sanjay Anant Patil: An innovative farmer from Goa who has given contributions to Natural Farming and Zero-energy Micro-Irrigation Systems.
5. Ms. K Chellammal: An organic Farmer from South Andaman, successfully developed a 10-acre organic farm.

Sports 

1. Shri Rohan Machanda Bopanna: A tennis player who got the World no.1 rank after winning his first major doubles title at 2024 Australian Open. 
2. Ms. Joshna Chinappa: A squash player who reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 10 in July 2016.
3. Shri Uday Vishwanath Deshpande: An international Mallakhamb Coach, who worked relentlessly to revive the sport at the global level. 
4. Shri Gaurav Khanna: The Indian para-badminton team's head coach. 
5. Shri Satendra Singh Lohia: International Divyang Pata Swimmer who has the world record by crossing the English and Catalina channels to become the first International Divyang Para Swimmer in Asia. 
6. Ms. Purnima Mahato: An archer and archery coach who won the Indian national archery championships and a silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. 
7. Shri Harbinder Singh: A former field hockey player. 

Science and Engineering

1. Shri Narayan Chakraborty: Renowned for his work in arsenic toxicity.
2. Shri Ram Chet Chaudhary: Popular for his work in agriculture, particularly in developing Kalanamak rice varieties.
3. Shri Shailesh Nayak: A renowned oceanographer who developed the first automated Tsunami Warning System. 
4. Shri Hari Om: Popular for his contributions to organic farming. 
5. Shri Eklabya Sharma: The head and the founding scientist in charge of GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Sikkim, Darjeeling. 
6. Shri Ram Chander Sihag: Popular for his research on bees and turning bee-keeping into a profitable business. 
7. Shri Ravi Prakash Singh: Renowned for his global impact in agricultural science, notably developing over 730 climate-resilient, high-yield wheat varieties, benefiting small-holder farmers.

Others - Yoga 

1. Ms. Charlotte Chopin:  A 100-year-old yoga exponent who has given significant contributions to the fields of yoga, Ayurveda, Sanskrit studies, and Indology.
2. Shri Kiran Vyas: A globally acclaimed practitioner of Ayurveda.

Literature and Education

1. Shri Raghuveer Choudhary: A novelist, poet, and critic from Gujarat University. 
2. Shri Joe D Cruz: A writer whose research for his PhD in economics was referred to as an eye opener about society and the fishermen community in particular. 
3. Shri Pierre Sylvain Filliozat: A Sanskrit scholar dedicated to advancing studies in Indian culture.
4. Shri Rajaram Jain: Popular for his research in Prakrit. 
5. Shri Yashwant Singh Kathoch: A writer and historian. 
6. Shri Zahir I Kazi: An educationist who worked to promote education among minorities. 
7. Shri Surendra Kishore: A senior journalist who has been practicing outspoken journalism in Patna for five decades. 
8. Shri Sridhar Makam Krishnamurthy: The Founder-Chancellor of Chanakya University in Bengaluru. 
9. Shri Pakaravur Chithran Namboodiripad (Posthumous): Indian writer, educationist, and leading social activist from Kerala.
10. Shri Harish Nayak(Posthumous): A children's writer and a storyteller from Gujarat. 
11. Shri Fred Negrit: An Indologist fostering heightened awareness and appreciation of Indian culture.
12. Shri Muni Narayana Prasad: The Guru and Head of the Narayana Gurukulam in Kerala. 
13. Shri Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit: Known for his writing on literature and culture in Sanskrit, Hindi, and Malwi. 
14. Shri Navjivan Rastogi: The former HOD of Lucknow University's Sanskrit department. 
15. Shri Kethavath Somlal: A singer, lyricist, and writer in the Banjara language.
16. Ms. Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi Thampuratty: A writer from Kerala and a member of the Travancore Royal Family. 
17. Shri Kurella Vittalacharya: A lecturer, a principal, and an award-winning writer in Telugu literature. 

Others - Spiritualism 

1. Shri Kurella Vittalacharya: A lecturer, a principal, and an award-winning writer in Telugu literature.

Medicine 

1. Ms. Prema Dhanraj: She is dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of burn victims. 
2. Shri Radha Krishan Dhiman: A professor and director of SGPGIMS of Lucknow. 
3. Shri Manohar Krishana Dole: Popular for running a charitable eye hospital in Narayangaon, Pune. 
4. Shri Yazdi Maneksha Italia: He developed India’s inaugural Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program (SCACP). 
5. Shri Hemchand Manjhi: Popular for providing affordable healthcare to villagers for over 5 decades.
6. Shri Chandrashekhar Mahadeorao Meshram: A neurologist and Secretary and President of the Indian Academy of Neurology.
7. Ms. G Nachiyar: One of the founding members of Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.
8. Shri Radhe Shyam Pareek: Popular for his contributions to Homeopathy medicine. 
9. Shri Dayal Mavjibhai Parmar: A veteran Ayurveda practitioner. 
10. Shri Chandrashekar Channapatna Rajannachar: A well-known psychiatrist and philanthropist in Karnataka. 

Trade and Industry

1. Ms. Kalpana Morparia: Indian banker who was the Chief Executive Officer of South and Southeast Asia, JPMorgan. 
2. Ms. Shashi Soni: Indian entrepreneur, social activist, and philanthropist, who started her journey with her first venture, Deep Transport in 1971. 

Public Affairs 

1. Shri Sasindran Muthuvel: Current Governor for West New Britain Province and former Minister of State Owned Enterprises in Papua New Guinea.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   With inputs from PIB and TIE.