The Padma Awards:
President will present 66 Padma Awards, including 2 Padma Vibhushan, 6 Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri, at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The Padma Awards are amongst the highest civilian honors of India, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
- They are designed to recognize works of distinction and celebrate exceptional achievements or service where an element of public service is involved. The awards are structured into three distinct tiers:
- Padma Vibhushan: Conferred for exceptional and distinguished service.
- Padma Bhushan: Conferred for distinguished service of a high order.
- Padma Shri: Conferred for distinguished service in any specific field.
- The Government of India instituted two civilian awards in 1954: the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
- Originally, the Padma Vibhushan was classified into three tiers: Pahela Varg (First Class), Dusra Varg (Second Class), and Tisra Varg (Third Class).
- These were subsequently renamed as the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri via a Presidential Notification issued on January 8, 1955.
- These honors have been announced every year since their inception, except for brief suspensions in 1978–1979 and 1993–1997.
