112 to receive Padma awards this Republic Day
The government has announced the recipients for the Padma awards 2016. The list includes 10 Padma Vibushan awardees, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 83 Padma Shree awardees. Notably, even 5 foreigners have found place in the list. Distinguished persons from varied fields such as public service, sports and entertainment will be awarded the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards on 26th January 2016.
The Padma Vibhushan is the highest civilian award of India, after Bharat Ratna, given for exceptional service in any field including services to the government of India or any state. The Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri are the third-highest and fourth-highest civilian awards respectively. All the three awards were instituted in 1954 and are awarded annually on the Republic Day.
The illustrious list of Padma Vibhushan recipients included Azim Premji, Bhupen Hazarika, Dilip Kumar and many more legends from various fields. The prestigious list of Padma Bhushan recipients included Mrinal Sen, Sunil Gavaskar, Gurbaksh Singh among many others. The Padma Shri recipients included Dr. Bimal Roy, Nida Fazli, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Irrfan Khan, Anup Jalota, etc.
Media reports that Tamil Superstar Rajnikanth may be awarded the 2016 Padma Vibhushan award had already cropped up earlier. Rajni has a strong fan following in Tamil Nadu and BJP would like to capitalize it by having him support them during the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in April 2016. Besides Rajni, the list could also include strong BJP supporter Anupam Kher.
Prominent Padma Vibhushan Awardees for 2016 include late Dhirubhai Ambani, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, superstar Rajinikanth, and so on. Singer Udit Narayan, former CAG(Comptroller and Auditor General) Vinod Rai, former US ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill, and so on will be conferred Padma Bhushan. Ajay Devgn, Director Madhur Bhandarkar, writer Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah, academician Pushpesh Pant, and others will be given Padma Shree.
Women power was prominently visible in the 2016 Padma awardees list announced today. Dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy, legendary singer Girija Devi, Tennis star Sania Mirza, Badminton star Saina Nehwal and others will be awarded the Padma Vibhushan. Internationally acclaimed Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra, archer Deepika Kumari, social worker Sunita Krishnan, Professor Veena Tondon, and others will be conferred the Padma Shree award.
This is not the 1st time foreigners have been conferred with Padma awards. Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan (France/UK), George Yong-Bong Yeo (Singapore), Karl Harrington Potter (US) and Martha Chen (US) were some of the well known foreign recipients in the past.
