Padma Awards 2025: President Approves 131 Honourees on Eve of Republic Day

On the eve of the 77th Republic Day, the President of India approved the conferment of Padma Awards on 131 distinguished citizens for their contributions across diverse fields.

The list includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awardees. Notably, around 45 recipients this year are “unsung heroes” recognised for their work in social service, education, healthcare, public service and community welfare.

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra Singh Deol, who passed away late last year at the age of 89, will be honoured with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for his contribution to the arts. Other recipients of the country’s second-highest civilian award include former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan (posthumous), K T Thomas (Public Affairs, Kerala), P Narayanan (Literature and Education, Kerala), and renowned classical violinist N Rajam (Art, Uttar Pradesh).

Among prominent Padma Bhushan awardees are playback singer Alka Yagnik for her contribution to music, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Bhagat Singh Koshyari for public affairs, and celebrated Malayalam actor Mammootty for his work in cinema. The list also includes advertising icon Piyush Pandey (posthumous), former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren (posthumous), and former Delhi Metropolitan Council chairman and Jana Sangh leader V K Malhotra (posthumous), all recognised for public service.

Nineteen of the 131 awardees are women, while six recipients belong to the Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI category. A total of 16 awards have been announced posthumously.

The Padma Awards, among India’s highest civilian honours, are conferred in three categories—Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The awards recognise achievements across areas such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.

Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar has been selected for a Padma Award in recognition of her leadership and contribution to women’s cricket, while star cricketer Rohit Sharma also features among the Padma Shri recipients.

From the film industry, actor R Madhavan Ranganathan, popularly known as Madhavan, has been conferred the Padma Shri. Mangala Kapoor, an eminent music professor from Uttar Pradesh and an acid attack survivor, is also among the Padma Shri awardees.

Several honourees come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds. Among them is Ashok Khade, who rose from a Dalit cobbler family to build a successful offshore fabrication company after beginning his career as a low-paid dock trainee.

The list also includes individuals who have dedicated their lives to the welfare of persons with disabilities, women, children, Dalits and tribal communities, and those working in healthcare, education, livelihood generation, sanitation and sustainability. Gold medal-winning Divyang high-jumper Praveen Kumar from Uttar Pradesh will be honoured with the Padma Shri.

Other awardees include doctors addressing local health challenges, a neonatologist who established the country’s first human milk bank, and individuals preserving India’s indigenous heritage and promoting national integration in border and remote regions. Many recipients have overcome personal hardships to serve society, including Kailashchand, Dr Shyam Sundar and several others.

The Padma Awards are announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day and are formally conferred by the President at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually in March or April.