President Droupadi Murmu confers 66 Padma awards

President Droupadi Murmu confers the Padma Vibhushan on legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra posthumously and violin virtuoso N. Rajam for exceptional contribution to their respective fields

President Draupadi Murmu on Monday (May 25, 2026) presented Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri awards for the year 2026 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Vice-President C.P.Rahakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. For this year, the President has approved 131 Padma awards, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri. They are announced every year on Republic Day.

On Monday (May 25, 2026),

the President presented two Padma Vibhushan six Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri awards. She bestowed the Padma Vibhushan on legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra posthumously, received by his wife and MP Hema Malini; and violin virtuoso N. Rajam, for exceptional contribution to their respective fields.

Ms. Rajam pioneered a revolutionary approach to classical music by introducing “Gayaki Ang” — a technique that enables violins to emulate human vocals — earning her global renown as the “Singing Piano”.

The Padma Bhushan was presented to former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, who revived the classical art form of “Avadhana”; Uday Suresh Kumar Kotak, founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank; and eminent gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy. The award was conferred posthumously on former MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra and “ad guru” Piyush Pandey.

The remaining Padma awardees will be felicitated in the second round of the ceremony to be held later.

Among the Padma Shri recipients was Prosenjit Chatterjee, one of the most influential figures of Indian cinema; Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, an inspirational figure in Indian women’s cricket; para athlete Praveen Kumar; Former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director-General K. Vijay Kumar; folk musician Mir Haji Kasam; Tamil devotional music artist N. Swaminathan; and traditional folk music artist Taga Ram Bhil.

Whereas Silambam master K. Pajanivel was awarded for promoting the ancient art originating from Tamil Nadu, hockey coach Baldev Singh was felicitated for distinguished service to Indian hockey for over four decades. “Kantha” embroidery artist Tripti Mukherjee, social worker Janardan Bapurao Bothe, and husband-wife duo Dr. Ramchander Godbole and Suneeta Godbole, who provided healthcare and social support to tribal communities, also received the Padma Shri.

Environmentalists Devaki Amma G. and Hallie War; bibliophile Ankegowda M.; Sanskrit scholar Vempaty Kutumba Shastry; and botanist Gambir Singh Yonzone were also amongst the Padma Shri recipients.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shared glimpses from the Padma Awards ceremony.

The Prime Minister noted that the ceremony was filled with pride, gratitude, and inspiration as distinguished personalities from diverse fields were honored for their extraordinary contributions to society and the nation.

Shri Modi highlighted that India’s strength lies in such noteworthy individuals whose work enriches our collective journey.

The Prime Minister posted on

“Attended the Padma Awards ceremony today. The ceremony was filled with pride, gratitude and inspiration as distinguished personalities from diverse fields were honored for their exceptional contributions to society and our nation.

India’s strength lies in such noteworthy individuals whose work enriches our collective journey.

Here are some more snippets from the Padma ceremony.

“Every Padma awardee has had an inspiring life journey. The official Padma Awards Instagram page highlights some of their fascinating efforts. Do have a look.

Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee was honored with Padma Shri on Monday by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati bhavan.

The 63-year-old actor has been conferred the title for his contribution to the Bengali film industry.

The actor donned a custom made traditional Bengali attire, designed by Kolkata based fashion designer Abhishek Roy.

Over a career spanning more than four decades and over 300 films, Prosenjit successfully transitioned from a 1980s commercial romantic idol to a highly acknowledged performer in parallel and mainstream cinema.

Some of his noteworthy films are Amar Sangi, Chokher Bali, Moner Manush, Dosar, Shankhachil and Jatishwar.

Present at the event was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and many other dignitaries.

The Padma awards are presented every year to acknowledge work of distinction and exceptional achievements in different fields. This year’s list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards.

Nineteen of the Padma awardees are female. The list also includes six persons from the foreigners/ NRI/ PIO/ OCI categories and 16 posthumous awardees.

Other prominent Padma Bhushan recipients include singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Kosyari, Malayalam superstar Mammootty, banker Uday Kotak and tennis great Vijay Amritraj.

Legendary actor Dharmendra was posthumously honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award.

On 25 May 2026, President Drupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious Padma awards during a Civil Investiture Ceremony-I at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The ceremony honored distinguished individuals for their exceptional contributions across various fields. Among the attendees were Vice-President C.P.Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

This year, the President approved a total of 131 Padma awards, which included five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri Awards. These accolades are traditionally announced on Republic Day each year.

During the ceremony, two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri Awards were distributed.

The posthumous Padma Vibhushan was awarded to eminent Bollywood actor Dharmendra, received by his wife and Member of Parliament Hema Malini. Violin virtuoso N. Rajam also received the Padma Vibhushan for her extraordinary contributions to music.

N. Rajam is celebrated for her revolutionary approach to classical music, particularly through her technique known as “Gayaki Ang,” which enables the violin to mimic human vocal expressions, thereby earning her recognition as the “Singing Piano.”

The Padma Bhushan awards went to notable figures such as former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, who is credited with reviving the classical art form of “Avadhana,” Uday Suresh Kumar Kotak, founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, and eminent gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswami. The award was also bestowed posthumously on former MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra and advertising industry leader Piyush Pandey.

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