Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
New Delhi: Music director Ilaiyaraaja, cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni and senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh ideologue P Parameswaran are among the 85 personalities named for the 2018 Padma Awards by the Home Ministry. One of the highest civilian Awards of the country, Padma Awards are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The ‘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.
A home ministry official said the government had made a conscious effort this year too to identify people who have made significant contribution to the society. Like a 75-year-old tribal woman who prepares herbal medicines to cure snake and insect bites, a 99-year-old freedom fighter, and a nanogenarian Tibetan healer.
The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine etc.
List of Padma Shree award winners:
Rani and Abhay Bang – Medicine (Affordable Healthcare)
Lentina Ao Thakkar – Social Work (Service)
Romulus Whitaker – Others (Wildlife Conservation)
Sampat Ramteke – Social Work
Sanduk Ruit – Medicine (Ophthalmology)
Rajagopalan Vasudevan – Science & Engineering (Innvoation)
Subhasini Mistry – Social work
Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan – Literature & education (affordable education)
Sulagatti Narasamma – Medicine
Yeshi Dhoden – Medicine
Arvind Gupta – Literature & education (affordable education)
Lakshmikutty – Medicine (snake bite)
Bhajju Shyam – Art (Painting – Gond Art)
Sudhanshu Biswas – Social service
MR Rajagopal – Medicine (Palliative Care)
Murlikant Petkar – Sports
Rani and Abhay Bang – Medicine (Affordable Healthcare)
Lentina Ao Thakkar – Social Work (Service)
Romulus Whitaker – Others (Wildlife Conservation)
Sampat Ramteke – Social Work
Sanduk Ruit – Medicine (Ophthalmology)
Anwar Jalalpur – Literature and Education (Literature – Urdu)
Ibrahim Sutar – Arts (Music – Sufi)
Manas Bihari Varma – Science & Engineering (Defence)
Sitavva Joddati – Social Work
Nouf Marwaai – Others (Yoga)
V Nanammal – Others (Yoga)
List of Padma Bhushan award winners
Pankaj Advani – Sport (Billiards/Snooker)
Philipose Mar Chrysostom – Others (Spiritualism)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Sports (Cricket)
Alexander Kadakin (Foreigner/Posthumous) – Public Affairs
Ramachandran Nagaswamy – Others (Archaeology)
Ved Prakash Nanda – Literature and Education
Laxman Pai – Art (Painting)
Arvind Parikh – Art (Music)
Sharda Sinha – Art (Music)
List of Padma Vibhushan award winners
Ilayaraja – Art (Music)
Ghulam Mustafa Khan – Art (Music)
Parameswaran Parameswaran – Literature & Education