Padma Awards 2026: Second Set
The President of India conferred the second set of 65 Padma Awards, 2026, during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The Padma Awards are one of India’s highest civilian honours, conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (exceptional and distinguished service; 2nd-highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of high order), and Padma Shri (distinguished service in any field).
- Padma Vibhushan Awardees: Presented to former Supreme Court judge K.T. Thomas for Public Affairs and eminent Malayalam journalist P. Narayanan for Literature and Education.
- Padma Bhushan Awardees: Included American oncologist Dattatreyudu Nori, industrialist S.K.M. Maeilanandhan, social worker and educationist Vellappally Natesan, and posthumously to the late Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder Shibu Soren.Among the popular sports and entertainment personalities honoured at the ceremony, tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, actor Mammootty, and playback singer Alka Yagnik were explicitly conferred the Padma Bhushan.
- Padma Shri Awardees:
- Chandramouli Gaddamanugu: Indian aerospace scientist at Defence Research and Development Laboratory who led the Akash missile system from development to deployment during Operation Sindoor.
- Budhri Tati: A social worker focusing on education and women empowerment in the previously Naxal-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
- Guru Sangyusang Pongener: An 81-year-old folk artist and cultural guardian from Nagaland.
- Vladimir Mestvirishvili: A Georgian coach awarded posthumously for mentoring Indian Olympic wrestling medallists (Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Ravi Dahiya).
- Asok Kumar Haldar: Prominent Dalit author.
- The Padma Shri was awarded to cricketer Rohit Sharma, hockey player Savita Punia, actor R. Madhavan, and posthumously to the late actor Satish Shah.
