New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was on Monday conferred with Padma Bhushan at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Azad accepted the award from the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.
India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash in December last year was conferred with Padma Vibhushan, the country's second-highest civilian award. His daughters Kritika Rawat and Tarini Rawat accepted the award.
Earlier today, President Kovind arrived at 2022 Civil Investiture Ceremony-I for the presentation of Padma Awards. President Kovind was scheduled to confer two Padma Vibhushan, eight Padma Bhushan and 54 Padma Shri Awards. The prominent Padma Vibhushan recipients include Radhey Shyam and General Bipin Rawat (Posthumous). Prominent Padma Bhushan awardees include Ghulam Nabi Azad, Gurmeet Bawa (Posthumous), N Chandrasekharan, Devendra Jhajharia, Rashid Khan, Rajiv Mehrishi, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla and Sachchidanand Swami.
A total of 128 Padma Awards are to be conferred this year which includes 4 Padma Vibhushan,17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards. Out of the awardees, 34 are women. 13 awards are posthumous and 10 are for persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India. They are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. It seeks to recognize "achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved". It includes domains like literature and education, arts, science and engineering, trade and industry, civil services, public affairs, sports, and medicine. The Awards are conferred based on the recommendations by the Padma Awards Committee. The Civil Investiture Ceremony -II is scheduled to be held on March 28.
