President Droupadi Murmu Conferred Padma Awards on 131 Individuals in 2026 | 28 Jan 2026

Why in News?

On the eve of India's 77th Republic Day (2026), the President approved a total of 131 Padma Awards, including 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri.

Key Points: 

• Padma Vibhushan 2026:The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. The 2026 recipients include: 
  • Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumous) – Iconic film actor 
  • Justice (Retd) K.T. Thomas – Public Affairs 
  • N. Rajam – Classical Musician 
  • P. Narayanan – Literature and Education 
  • V.S. Achuthanandhan (posthumous) – Public Affairs  
• Padma Bhushan:Thirteen individuals received the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order:  
  • Arts: Ms. Alka Yagnik, Shri Mammootty, Shri Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, and Shri Piyush Pandey (Posthumous). 
  • Public Affairs: Shri Shibu Soren (Posthumous), Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Shri Vellappally Natesan, and Shri V.K. Malhotra (Posthumous). 
  • Industry: Shri Uday Kotak (Trade & Industry). 
  • Sports:Shri Vijay Amritraj (Sports). 
  • Medicine: Shri Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy and Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu.  
• Padma Shri: Out of 113 recipients, several prominent achievers and "unsung heroes" were honoured:  
  • Sports: Rohit Sharma (Cricket), Harmanpreet Kaur (Cricket), and Savita Punia (Hockey). 
  • Education & Science: Former UGC chief Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and IIT Madras director V. Kamakoti. 
  • Unsung Heroes: Anke Gowda (who built a library with 2 million books) and Armida Fernandez (founder of Asia's first human milk bank). 
• Diversity: The 2026 Padma list features: 
  • 19 women awardees 
  • 16 posthumous honours 
  • 6 foreign/NRI/PIO/OCI recipients 
• Significance:The awards underscore India’s recognition of contributions from both eminent figures and grassroots “unsung heroes” who have made significant impacts in society, culture, science, sports, and public life.