Ahead of Republic Day 2026, a provisional list of Padma Awards recipients has been announced, continuing the tradition of honouring extraordinary contributions across diverse fields. This year’s list reaffirms India’s commitment to celebrating grassroots changemakers and unsung heroes whose work has created lasting social impact, often far from public recognition.
The Structure and Significance of the Padma Awards
Instituted in 1954, the Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours, announced annually on Republic Day. They are conferred in three categories:
- Padma Vibhushan: For exceptional and distinguished service.
- Padma Bhushan: For distinguished service of a high order.
- Padma Shri: For distinguished service in any field.
The awards aim to honour both excellence and selfless service, often bringing to light contributions that have remained outside the mainstream narrative.
Padma Vibhushan 2026: Acknowledging Lifelong Impact
The highest category this year includes five distinguished names, with several honours awarded posthumously. The list spans fields from art to public affairs, acknowledging a legacy of transformative contribution at the national level.
Padma Bhushan 2026: Excellence Across Spheres
Thirteen individuals were selected for the Padma Bhushan, representing a wide spectrum of national life. From cinematic legend Mammootty and playback singer Alka Yagnik to industrialist Uday Kotak and former tennis star Vijay Amritraj, this category celebrates distinguished achievement in culture, economy, sports, and public service.
Also Read: The Responsible Nations Index (RNI)
Padma Shri 2026: A Tapestry of Grassroots Service
With 113 awardees, the Padma Shri list is the most expansive, showcasing India’s diversity. It includes cricket captain Rohit Sharma and actor R. Madhavan alongside countless social workers, doctors, scientists, traditional artists, and agricultural pioneers. The strong representation from remote regions underscores the award’s role in validating community-level impact.
State-wise Representation and Inclusive Recognition
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala lead in the number of awardees. The list also includes posthumous recognitions and honours for foreign nationals and Overseas Citizens of India, reflecting the global footprint of Indian talent and service.
Constitutional Foundation and Selection Process
The Padma Awards are civilian honours conferred by the President of India on the recommendation of a high-level committee constituted by the Prime Minister. Key features include:
- Eligibility: Open to all persons without distinction of race, occupation, position, or gender.
- Process: Nominations are evaluated by the Padma Awards Committee, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
- Nature: The award is a recognition of service and does not confer any title.
Also Read: The Legacy of Vande Mataram: 150 Years of India’s Soul-Stirring Hymn
Padma Vibhushan 2026 Winners
| Name | Field | State/Country |
|---|---|---|
| Shri Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| Shri K T Thomas | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| Ms. N Rajam | Art | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri P Narayanan | Literature & Education | Kerala |
| Shri V S Achuthanandhan (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Kerala |
Padma Bhushan 2026 Winners
| Name | Field | State/Country |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. Alka Yagnik | Art | Maharashtra |
| Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari | Public Affairs | Uttarakhand |
| Shri Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy | Medicine | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Mammootty | Art | Kerala |
| Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu | Medicine | USA |
| Shri Piyush Pandey | Art | Maharashtra |
| Shri S K M Maeilanandhan | Social Work | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Shatavadhani R Ganesh | Art | Karnataka |
| Shri Shibu Soren | Public Affairs | Jharkhand |
| Shri Uday Kotak | Trade & Industry | Maharashtra |
| Shri V K Malhotra | Public Affairs | Delhi |
| Shri Vellappally Natesan | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| Shri Vijay Amritraj | Sports | USA |
Padma Shri 2026 Winners: Sports
| Name | State/Country |
|---|---|
| Shri Baldev Singh | Punjab |
| Shri Bhagwandas Raikwar | Madhya Pradesh |
| Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar | Punjab |
| Shri K. Pajanivel | Puducherry |
| Shri Praveen Kumar | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri Rohit Sharma | Maharashtra |
| Ms. Savita Punia | Haryana |
| Shri Vladimer Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) | Georgia |
Padma Shri 2026 Winners: Art
| Name | State/Country |
|---|---|
| Shri Anil Kumar Rastogi | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri Arvind Vaidya | Gujarat |
| Shri Bharat Singh Bharti | Bihar |
| Shri Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda | Maharashtra |
| Shri Bishwa Bandhu (Posthumous) | Bihar |
| Shri Chiranji Lal Yadav | Uttar Pradesh |
| Ms. Deepika Reddy | Telangana |
| Shri Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya | Gujarat |
| Shri Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad | Andhra Pradesh |
| Shri Gafruddin Mewati Jogi | Rajasthan |
| Shri Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous) | Andhra Pradesh |
| Ms. Gayatri & Ms. Ranjani Balasubramanian | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous) | West Bengal |
| Shri Haricharan Saikia | Assam |
| Ms. Kalamandalam Vimala Menon | Kerala |
| Shri Khem Raj Sundriyal | Haryana |
| Shri Kumar Bose | West Bengal |
| Shri Madhavan Ranganathan | Maharashtra |
| Shri Maganti Murali Mohan | Andhra Pradesh |
| Shri Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai | Gujarat |
| Shri Nuruddin Ahmed | Assam |
| Shri Othuvaar Thiruthani Swaminathan | Tamil Nadu |
| Ms. Pokhila Lekthepi | Assam |
| Shri Prosenjit Chatterjee | West Bengal |
| Shri R. Krishnan (Posthumous) | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar | Maharashtra |
| Shri Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Sangyusang S. Pongener | Nagaland |
| Shri Sarat Kumar Patra | Odisha |
| Shri Satish Shah (Posthumous) | Maharashtra |
| Shri Simanchal Patro | Odisha |
| Shri Taga Ram Bheel | Rajasthan |
| Shri Tarun Bhattacharya | West Bengal |
| Shri Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam | Tamil Nadu |
| Ms. Tripti Mukherjee | West Bengal |
| Shri Yumnam Jatra Singh (Posthumous) | Manipur |
Padma Shri 2026 Winners: Medicine
| Name | State/Country |
|---|---|
| Ms. Armida Fernandez | Maharashtra |
| Shri Guduru Venkat Rao | Telangana |
| Shri H. V. Hande | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Kewal Krishan Thakral | Uttar Pradesh |
| Dr. Padma Gurmet | Ladakh |
| Shri Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy | Telangana |
| Shri Prateek Sharma | USA |
| Dr. Punniamurthy Natesan | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Rajendra Prasad | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri Ramchandra & Ms. Suneeta Godbole | Chhattisgarh |
| Shri Saroj Mandal | West Bengal |
| Shri Shyam Sundar | Uttar Pradesh |
| Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi | Karnataka |
Padma Shri 2026 Winners: Literature & Education
| Name | State/Country |
|---|---|
| Shri Asok Kumar Haldar | West Bengal |
| Shri Charan Hembram | Odisha |
| Shri Gambir Singh Yonzone | West Bengal |
| Shri Kailash Chandra Pant | Madhya Pradesh |
| Shri Mahendra Kumar Mishra | Odisha |
| Shri Mahendra Nath Roy | West Bengal |
| Shri Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar | Delhi |
| Ms. Mangala Kapoor | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri Naresh Chandra Dev Varma | Tripura |
| Shri Rabilal Tudu | West Bengal |
| Shri Ratilal Borisagar | Gujarat |
| Prof. Shafi Shauq | J&K |
| Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati | Karnataka |
| Ms. Sivasankari | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Vempaty Kutumba Sastry | Andhra Pradesh |
| Ms. Liudmila Khokhlova | Russia |
Padma Shri 2026 Winners: Science & Engineering
| Name | State/Country |
|---|---|
| Shri A. E. Muthunayagam | Kerala |
| Shri Ashok Kumar Singh | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri Chandramouli Gaddamanugu | Telangana |
| Shri Gopal Ji Trivedi | Bihar |
| Shri Juzer Vasi | Maharashtra |
| Shri K. Ramasamy | Tamil Nadu |
| Shri Krishnamurty Balasubramanian | Telangana |
| Shri Kumarasamy Thangaraj | Telangana |
| Shri Prem Lal Gautam | Himachal Pradesh |
| Ms. Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar | Karnataka |
| Shri Veezhinathan Kamakoti | Tamil Nadu |
Padma Shri 2026 Winners: Social Work/Others/Public Service
| Name | Field | State/Country |
|---|---|---|
| Shri Anke Gowda | Social Work | Karnataka |
| Shri Brij Lal Bhat | Social Work | J&K |
| Dr. Budhri Tati | Social Work | Chhattisgarh |
| Shri Inderjit Singh Sidhu | Social Work | Chandigarh |
| Shri Hally War | Social Work | Meghalaya |
| Shri Janardan Bapurao Bothe | Social Work | Maharashtra |
| Shri Jogesh Deuri | Agriculture | Assam |
| Shri Kabindra Purkayastha (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Assam |
| Ms. Kollakal Devaki Amma G | Social Work | Kerala |
| Shri Mohan Nagar | Social Work | Madhya Pradesh |
| Shri Narayan Vyas | Archaeology | Madhya Pradesh |
| Shri Raghupat Singh (Posthumous) | Agriculture | Uttar Pradesh |
| Shri Rama Reddy Mamidi (Posthumous) | Animal Husbandry | Telangana |
| Shri Ramamurthy Sreedher | Radio Broadcasting | Delhi |
| Sant Niranjan Dass | Spiritualism | Punjab |
| Shri Satyanarayan Nuwal | Trade & Industry | Maharashtra |
| Shri Shrirang Devaba Lad | Agriculture | Maharashtra |
| Shri T. T. Jagannathan (Posthumous) | Trade & Industry | Karnataka |
| Shri Techi Gubin | Social Work | Arunachal Pradesh |
Historical Background of Padma Awards
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Year of Institution | 1954 |
| Instituted Along With | Bharat Ratna |
| Original Categories | Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg, Tisra Varg |
| Renaming Year | 1955 |
| Authority for Renaming | Presidential Notification |
| Present Names | Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri |
| Nature of Awards | Civilian honours (non-military) |
Categories of Padma Awards
| Category | Level | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Padma Vibhushan | Second-highest civilian award | Exceptional and distinguished service |
| Padma Bhushan | Third-highest civilian award | Distinguished service of a high order |
| Padma Shri | Fourth-highest civilian award | Distinguished service in any field |
