Last Updated on June 23, 2026 10:39 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
VINIT WAHI / NEW DELHI
President Droupadi Murmu presented 65 Padma Awards during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. The presentation included two Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan, and 56 Padma Shri awards, following the initial ceremony held on May 26 where 66 honours were distributed.
Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian awards of the country, are conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Journalist P. Narayanan was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in the category of Literature and Education and former judge KT Tomas was given the Padma Vibhushan in social work.
This year, the Government had announced a total of 131 Padma Awards. These include five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards. Padma Bhushan was given to seven persons, including former tennis player Vijay Amritraj, actor Mammootty, and playback singer Alka Yagnik. Politician Shibu Soren was awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously. Fifty-seven persons received the Padmashree award, including cricketer Rohit Sharma, actor R Madhavan and former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati. Actor Satish Shah was given the Padmashree posthumously. Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who were present on the occasion. Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.
Key Sporting Accolades
- Rohit Sharma (Padma Shri): The former Indian cricket captain was recognized for his immense contribution to the sport, notably leading India to victories in both the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
- Savita Punia (Padma Shri): The veteran women’s hockey goalkeeper was honoured for her historic career. She is only the second Indian goalie, alongside PR Sreejesh, to achieve 300 international caps, and she anchored India’s historic Olympic appearances at Rio and Tokyo 2020.
- Vijay Amritraj (Padma Bhushan): The tennis legend, who secured 15 singles and 13 doubles titles over a two-decade career, received one of the nation’s highest civilian honours.
Posthumous Recognition
The ceremony also paid tribute to trailblazers posthumously. Bhagwandas Raikwar was awarded the Padma Shri for preserving Bundelkhand’s traditional akhada martial arts, with his son receiving the honour. Additionally, wrestling coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili made history as the first foreign coach to receive a Padma award for his profound impact on Indian sports.