President Droupadi Murmu gave the Padma Awards to 71 respected individuals during the Civil Investiture Ceremony held at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. These awards are some of the highest civilian honours in India.

The event was the first part of the Padma Awards ceremony for the year 2025. The awards included four Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri honours. These were given to people from different fields like art, sports, trade, education, and social service.

Famous violinist L. Subramaniam received the Padma Vibhushan for his excellent work in the field of art. The late Osamu Suzuki, former CEO of Suzuki Motor Corporation, was also given the Padma Vibhushan for his work in trade and industry. His son and current CEO, Toshihiro Suzuki, accepted the award on his behalf.

In the Padma Bhushan category, well-known names from the field of art were honoured. This included filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actor and Andhra Pradesh legislator Nandamuri Balakrishna, actor S. Ajith Kumar, and the late singer Pankaj Udhas. The award for Pankaj Udhas was received by his wife, Farida Udhas.

Former Indian hockey goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was also awarded the Padma Bhushan for his achievements in sports.

Among the Padma Shri winners, playback singer Jaspinder Narula was honoured for her contribution to music, and Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin was recognised for his performance in sports.

Well-known Vedic scholar Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid also received the Padma Shri. He is known for finding the right dates for the Ram Lalla consecration in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor ceremony in Varanasi.

American author and researcher Stephen Knapp was given the Padma Shri for his work in literature and education, especially for writing about Vedic culture and spirituality.

What are the Padma Awards?

The Padma Awards are some of the highest civilian honours in India. These awards are announced every year on the eve of Republic Day (January 26). They are given to people who have done excellent work in different areas, especially where they serve the public in some way.

Three categories of Padma Awards
There are three types of Padma Awards:

  1. Padma Vibhushan – for very exceptional and important service
  2. Padma Bhushan – for high-level and important service
  3. Padma Shri – for good and notable service

These awards are given in all fields, like art, literature, science, education, social work, public affairs, sports, and more.

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