Table of Contents
Relevance: GS Paper I – Indian Culture, Art and Personalities
For Prelims:
- Padma Awards, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Bharat Ratna, Article 18, Balaji Raghavan Case, People’s Padma, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Civil Investiture Ceremony.
For Mains:
- Recognition of Public Service, Grassroots Excellence, Constitutional Morality, National Honours,A People’s Padma, Democratic Recognition, Cultural Diversity.
Why in News?
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presented the Padma Awards 2026 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards were presented in the categories of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
For 2026, the President approved 131 Padma Awards, including 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. The list includes 19 women awardees, 6 Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI awardees and 16 posthumous awardees.
What are Padma Awards?
The Padma Awards are among the highest civilian awards of India. They are conferred in three categories:
| Award | Meaning |
| Padma Vibhushan | For exceptional and distinguished service |
| Padma Bhushan | For distinguished service of high order |
| Padma Shri | For distinguished service in any field |
The awards are given in several fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service.
Constitutional Position and Supreme Court View
- Article 18(1) of the Indian Constitution prohibits the State from conferring titles.
- The exception is allowed only for:
- Military distinctions
- Academic distinctions
- A question arose whether Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards violate Article 18.
- In Balaji Raghavan v. Union of India (1996), the Supreme Court held that national awards are not titles.
- The Court clarified that these awards are only recognitions of merit and public service.
- Awardees cannot use Bharat Ratna or Padma Awards as a prefix or suffix to their names.
- Therefore, Padma Awards do not violate Article 18 as long as they are not used like personal titles.
- Thus, Padma Awards are national honours, not constitutional titles.
Evolution into “People’s Padma”
The Padma Awards have increasingly been projected as “People’s Padma”, giving recognition to unsung heroes, grassroots workers, traditional artists, social reformers, doctors, teachers, farmers, environmental workers and community leaders.
All persons are eligible without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex. However, serving government employees, including those in PSUs, are generally not eligible, except doctors and scientists.
Padma Awards 2026
Padma Vibhushan 2026
| SN | Name | Field | State / Country |
| 1 | Shri Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| 2 | Shri K T Thomas | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| 3 | Ms. N Rajam | Art | Uttar Pradesh |
| 4 | Shri P Narayanan | Literature and Education | Kerala |
| 5 | Shri V S Achuthanandhan (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Kerala |
Padma Bhushan 2026
| SN | Name | Field | State / Country |
| 6 | Ms. Alka Yagnik | Art | Maharashtra |
| 7 | Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari | Public Affairs | Uttarakhand |
| 8 | Shri Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy | Medicine | Tamil Nadu |
| 9 | Shri Mammootty | Art | Kerala |
| 10 | Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu | Medicine | United States of America |
| 11 | Shri Piyush Pandey (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| 12 | Shri S K M Maeilanandhan | Social Work | Tamil Nadu |
| 13 | Shri Shatavadhani R Ganesh | Art | Karnataka |
| 14 | Shri Shibu Soren (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Jharkhand |
| 15 | Shri Uday Kotak | Trade and Industry | Maharashtra |
| 16 | Shri V K Malhotra (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Delhi |
| 17 | Shri Vellappally Natesan | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| 18 | Shri Vijay Amritraj | Sports | United States of America |
Padma Shri 2026
| SN | Name | Field | State / Country |
| 19 | Shri A E Muthunayagam | Science and Engineering | Kerala |
| 20 | Shri Anil Kumar Rastogi | Art | Uttar Pradesh |
| 21 | Shri Anke Gowda M. | Social Work | Karnataka |
| 22 | Ms. Armida Fernandez | Medicine | Maharashtra |
| 23 | Shri Arvind Vaidya | Art | Gujarat |
| 24 | Shri Ashok Khade | Trade and Industry | Maharashtra |
| 25 | Shri Ashok Kumar Singh | Science and Engineering | Uttar Pradesh |
| 26 | Shri Asok Kumar Haldar | Literature and Education | West Bengal |
| 27 | Shri Baldev Singh | Sports | Punjab |
| 28 | Shri Bhagwandas Raikwar | Sports | Madhya Pradesh |
| 29 | Shri Bharat Singh Bharti | Art | Bihar |
| 30 | Shri Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda | Art | Maharashtra |
| 31 | Shri Bishwa Bandhu (Posthumous) | Art | Bihar |
| 32 | Shri Brij Lal Bhat | Social Work | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 33 | Shri Buddha Rashmi Mani | Others – Archaeology | Uttar Pradesh |
| 34 | Dr. Budhri Tati | Social Work | Chhattisgarh |
| 35 | Shri Chandramouli Gaddamanugu | Science and Engineering | Telangana |
| 36 | Shri Charan Hembram | Literature and Education | Odisha |
| 37 | Shri Chiranji Lal Yadav | Art | Uttar Pradesh |
| 38 | Ms. Deepika Reddy | Art | Telangana |
| 39 | Shri Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya | Art | Gujarat |
| 40 | Shri Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad | Art | Andhra Pradesh |
| 41 | Shri Gafruddin Mewati Jogi | Art | Rajasthan |
| 42 | Shri Gambir Singh Yonzone | Literature and Education | West Bengal |
| 43 | Shri Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous) | Art | Andhra Pradesh |
| 44 | Ms. Gayatri Balasubramanian and Ms. Ranjani Balasubramanian (Duo)* | Art | Tamil Nadu |
| 45 | Shri Gopal Ji Trivedi | Science and Engineering | Bihar |
| 46 | Shri Guduru Venkat Rao | Medicine | Telangana |
| 47 | Shri H V Hande | Medicine | Tamil Nadu |
| 48 | Shri Hally War | Social Work | Meghalaya |
| 49 | Shri Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous) | Art | West Bengal |
| 50 | Shri Haricharan Saikia | Art | Assam |
| 51 | Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar | Sports | Punjab |
| 52 | Shri Inderjit Singh Sidhu | Social Work | Chandigarh |
| 53 | Shri Janardan Bapurao Bothe | Social Work | Maharashtra |
| 54 | Shri Jogesh Deuri | Others – Agriculture | Assam |
| 55 | Shri Juzer Vasi | Science and Engineering | Maharashtra |
| 56 | Shri Jyotish Debnath | Art | West Bengal |
| 57 | Shri K Pajanivel | Sports | Puducherry |
| 58 | Shri K Ramasamy | Science and Engineering | Tamil Nadu |
| 59 | Shri K Vijay Kumar | Civil Service | Tamil Nadu |
| 60 | Shri Kabindra Purkayastha (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Assam |
| 61 | Shri Kailash Chandra Pant | Literature and Education | Madhya Pradesh |
| 62 | Ms. Kalamandalam Vimala Menon | Art | Kerala |
| 63 | Shri Kewal Krishan Thakral | Medicine | Uttar Pradesh |
| 64 | Shri Khem Raj Sundriyal | Art | Haryana |
| 65 | Ms. Kollakal Devaki Amma G | Social Work | Kerala |
| 66 | Shri Krishnamurty Balasubramanian | Science and Engineering | Telangana |
| 67 | Shri Kumar Bose | Art | West Bengal |
| 68 | Shri Kumarasamy Thangaraj | Science and Engineering | Telangana |
| 69 | Prof. (Dr.) Lars-Christian Koch | Art | Germany |
| 70 | Ms. Liudmila Viktorovna Khokhlova | Literature and Education | Russia |
| 71 | Shri Madhavan Ranganathan | Art | Maharashtra |
| 72 | Shri Maganti Murali Mohan | Art | Andhra Pradesh |
| 73 | Shri Mahendra Kumar Mishra | Literature and Education | Odisha |
| 74 | Shri Mahendra Nath Roy | Literature and Education | West Bengal |
| 75 | Shri Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar | Literature and Education | Delhi |
| 76 | Ms. Mangala Kapoor | Literature and Education | Uttar Pradesh |
| 77 | Shri Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai | Art | Gujarat |
| 78 | Shri Mohan Nagar | Social Work | Madhya Pradesh |
| 79 | Shri Narayan Vyas | Others – Archaeology | Madhya Pradesh |
| 80 | Shri Naresh Chandra Dev Varma | Literature and Education | Tripura |
| 81 | Shri Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala | Social Work | Gujarat |
| 82 | Shri Nuruddin Ahmed | Art | Assam |
| 83 | Shri Othuvaar Thiruthani Swaminathan | Art | Tamil Nadu |
| 84 | Dr. Padma Gurmet | Medicine | Ladakh |
| 85 | Shri Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy | Medicine | Telangana |
| 86 | Ms. Pokhila Lekthepi | Art | Assam |
| 87 | Dr. Prabhakar Basavprabhu Kore | Literature and Education | Karnataka |
| 88 | Shri Prateek Sharma | Medicine | United States of America |
| 89 | Shri Praveen Kumar | Sports | Uttar Pradesh |
| 90 | Shri Prem Lal Gautam | Science and Engineering | Himachal Pradesh |
| 91 | Shri Prosenjit Chatterjee | Art | West Bengal |
| 92 | Dr. Punniamurthy Natesan | Medicine | Tamil Nadu |
| 93 | Shri R Krishnan (Posthumous) | Art | Tamil Nadu |
| 94 | Shri R V S Mani | Civil Service | Delhi |
| 95 | Shri Rabilal Tudu | Literature and Education | West Bengal |
| 96 | Shri Raghupat Singh (Posthumous) | Others – Agriculture | Uttar Pradesh |
| 97 | Shri Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar | Art | Maharashtra |
| 98 | Shri Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar | Art | Tamil Nadu |
| 99 | Shri Rajendra Prasad | Medicine | Uttar Pradesh |
| 100 | Shri Rama Reddy Mamidi (Posthumous) | Others – Animal Husbandry | Telangana |
| 101 | Shri Ramamurthy Sreedher | Others – Radio Broadcasting | Delhi |
| 102 | Shri Ramchandra Godbole and Ms. Suneeta Godbole (Duo)* | Medicine | Chhattisgarh |
| 103 | Shri Ratilal Borisagar | Literature and Education | Gujarat |
| 104 | Shri Rohit Sharma | Sports | Maharashtra |
| 105 | Ms. S G Susheelamma | Social Work | Karnataka |
| 106 | Shri Sangyusang S Pongener | Art | Nagaland |
| 107 | Sant Niranjan Dass | Others – Spiritualism | Punjab |
| 108 | Shri Sarat Kumar Patra | Art | Odisha |
| 109 | Shri Saroj Mandal | Medicine | West Bengal |
| 110 | Shri Satish Shah (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| 111 | Shri Satyanarayan Nuwal | Trade and Industry | Maharashtra |
| 112 | Ms. Savita Punia | Sports | Haryana |
| 113 | Prof. Shafi Shauq | Literature and Education | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 114 | Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati | Literature and Education | Karnataka |
| 115 | Shri Shrirang Devaba Lad | Others – Agriculture | Maharashtra |
| 116 | Ms. Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar | Science and Engineering | Karnataka |
| 117 | Shri Shyam Sundar | Medicine | Uttar Pradesh |
| 118 | Shri Simanchal Patro | Art | Odisha |
| 119 | Ms. Sivasankari | Literature and Education | Tamil Nadu |
| 120 | Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi | Medicine | Karnataka |
| 121 | Swami Brahmdev Ji Maharaj | Social Work | Rajasthan |
| 122 | Shri T T Jagannathan (Posthumous) | Trade and Industry | Karnataka |
| 123 | Shri Taga Ram Bheel | Art | Rajasthan |
| 124 | Shri Tarun Bhattacharya | Art | West Bengal |
| 125 | Shri Techi Gubin | Social Work | Arunachal Pradesh |
| 126 | Shri Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam | Art | Tamil Nadu |
| 127 | Ms. Tripti Mukherjee | Art | West Bengal |
| 128 | Shri Veezhinathan Kamakoti | Science and Engineering | Tamil Nadu |
| 129 | Shri Vempaty Kutumba Sastry | Literature and Education | Andhra Pradesh |
| 130 | Shri Vladimer Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) | Sports | Georgia |
| 131 | Shri Yumnam Jatra Singh (Posthumous) | Art | Manipur |
Note: In a duo case, the award is counted as one. The above list follows the official PIB/MHA list of Padma Awards 2026.
Foreign Awardees Georgia
Germany
Russia
United States of America
|
Conclusion
The Padma Awards 2026 reflect India’s recognition of excellence, public service and cultural diversity. The list includes achievers from art, public affairs, medicine, literature, science, sports, social work and other fields.
These awards are important not only as honours but also as examples of national service. Their value depends on fairness, transparency and recognition of both famous personalities and unsung heroes.
UPSC PYQ
Q. Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards: [IAS 2021]
- Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
- Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
- The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.
Which of the above statements are not correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Explanation
- Statement 1 is incorrect:
Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are not titles under Article 18(1). In Balaji Raghavan v. Union of India (1996), the Supreme Court held that these awards are national honours, not titles. They cannot be used as prefixes or suffixes to the recipient’s name. - Statement 2 is incorrect:
Padma Awards were instituted in 1954, but they were suspended more than once. They were suspended during 1977–1980 and again during 1992–1995 due to constitutional litigation. - Statement 3 is incorrect:
The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is normally restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year, not five.
Additional Information
Article 18 abolishes titles to protect constitutional equality. However, national awards such as Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri are allowed as recognitions of merit and public service, provided they are not used as personal titles.
CARE MCQ
Q. With reference to the Padma Awards, consider the following statements:
- Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.
- Padma Bhushan is awarded for distinguished service of high order.
- Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service in any field.
Which of the above statements are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: Padma Vibhushan is given for exceptional and distinguished service.
- Statement 2 is correct: Padma Bhushan is given for distinguished service of high order.
- Statement 3 is correct: Padma Shri is given for distinguished service in any field.
FAQs
1. What are Padma Awards?
Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian awards given for distinguished service in various fields.
2. What are the three categories of Padma Awards?
The three categories are Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
3. Which is the highest among the Padma Awards?
Padma Vibhushan is the highest among the Padma Awards and is India’s second-highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna.
4. How many Padma Awards were approved for 2026?
A total of 131 Padma Awards were approved for 2026.
5. How many Padma Vibhushan awards were announced in 2026?
There were 5 Padma Vibhushan awards.
6. How many Padma Bhushan awards were announced in 2026?
There were 13 Padma Bhushan awards.
7. How many Padma Shri awards were announced in 2026?
There were 113 Padma Shri awards.
8. Can Padma Awards be used as titles?
No. Padma Awards cannot be used as prefixes or suffixes to the awardee’s name.
9. Who confers the Padma Awards?
The President of India confers the Padma Awards.
10. What is People’s Padma?
People’s Padma refers to the effort to recognise unsung heroes and grassroots contributors from different parts of India.
