New Delhi: Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, megastar Konidela Chiranjeevi, famous actor of yesteryears Vyjayantimala Bali are among personalities, who have been honoured with Padma Vibhushan in the awards announced by the government on Thursday on the eve of 75th Republic Day.
The Home Ministry announced the Padma awards which included five Padma Bhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri. Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak has been awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
Renowned classical dancer Padma Subrahmanyam has also been conferred Padma Vibhushan. The Padma Bhushan awardees include actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty and former Union Minister Ram Naik and singer Usha Utthup.
Padma Awards, the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service.
'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; 'Padma Bhushan' for distinguished service of high order and 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
The awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March or April every year. Thirty of the awardees are women and the list also includes eight persons from the category of foreigners, NRI, PIO OCI and nine posthumous awardees.
First female elephant mahout Parbati Baruah, tribal environmentalist Chami Murmu, social worker from Mizoram Sangthankima were awarded Padma Shri.
Plastic surgeon working for burn victims Prema Dhanraj, international Mallakhamb coach Uday Deshpande were also awarded Padma Shri. Developer of India's first Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program Yazdi Maneksha Italia was also awarded Padma Shri.
The Narendra Modi-led government also announced Padma Shri for Gonda painters Shanti Devi Paswan and Shivan Paswan, who hail from Bihar. Among the other recipients of Padma Shri are folk singer Ratan Kahar from West Bengal, Tikuli painter Ashok Kumar Biswas, Kalluvazi Kathakali dancer Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil.
Dasari Kondappa, a third-generation Burra Veena player from Telangana has also been awarded Padma Shri. Babu Ram Yadav, a brass marori craftsperson, Nepal Chandra Sutradhar, a third-generation Chhau mask maker, Jankilal, a Behrupiya artist from Rajasthan have also been awarded the Padma Shri.
Gaddam Sammaiah, an eminent Chindu Yakshagaram theatre artist,Jordon Lepcha, a bamboo craftsman from Mangan, Badrappan M, an exponent of Valli Oyil Kummi folk dance, Sanatan Rudra Pal, a distinguished sculptor, Bhagabat Padhan, an exponent of Sabda Nrutya folk dance, Narayanan EP, a veteran Theyyam folk dancer, Omprakash Sharma, a Mach Theatre artist, Smriti Rekha Chakma, a Chakma Loinloom shawl weaver from Tripura, Gopinath Swain, a Krishna Leela singer from Odisha have also been awarded Padma Shri. A total of 110 persons have been awarded Padma Shri, which is the country's fourth highest civilian honour.
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