Ahead of Republic Day 2026, revealed a provisional list of Padma Awards 2026 awardees. The list highlights individuals who have made sustained contributions across healthcare, education, social service, traditional arts, environment, and livelihood generation. Many awardees are grassroots workers from remote and underserved regions, reflecting India’s continued focus on recognizing unsung heroes who have created lasting social impact.
Why in News?
A provisional list of Padma Awards 2026 recipients has been released ahead of Republic Day, recognizing individuals for long-standing contributions across diverse fields, with a strong focus on grassroots service and social impact.
What Are the Padma Awards?
- The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honors, announced annually on the occasion of Republic Day.
- Instituted in 1954, the awards are given in three categories Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
- They recognize exceptional service in fields such as art, literature, science, medicine, social work, public affairs, sports, and civil service.
- The awards aim to honour excellence as well as selfless service, often spotlighting individuals whose work has remained outside mainstream attention.
Padma Vibhushan 2026: Highest Civilian Recognition
This year, five Padma Vibhushan awards were approved.
- Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) for contribution to Art.
- V S Achuthanandhan (Posthumous) for Public Affairs.
- Other recipients include eminent personalities from literature, education, and public service.
The awards acknowledge lifelong impact at the highest national level.
Padma Bhushan 2026: Distinguished Service of High Order
The Padma Bhushan category features 13 awardees.
- Mammootty was honoured for his contribution to Indian cinema.
- Playback singer Alka Yagnik received the award for Art.
- Industrialist Uday Kotak was recognised for Trade and Industry.
- Former tennis player Vijay Amritraj was awarded for Sports.
The list reflects excellence across culture, economy, and public life.
Padma Shri 2026: Wide Representation Across India
The largest group, 113 Padma Shri awards, showcases diversity and inclusion.
- Rohit Sharma was honoured for achievements in Sports.
- R. Madhavan received recognition for contributions to Art.
- Awardees include social workers, doctors, scientists, teachers, artists, and grassroots leaders.
Many recipients hail from remote regions, tribal areas, and marginalized communities, highlighting inclusive recognition.
State-wise Representation and Diversity
The highest number of awardees this year came from,
- Maharashtra (15)
- Tamil Nadu (13)
- Uttar Pradesh (11)
- West Bengal (11)
- Kerala (8)
The list also includes several posthumous awards and foreign nationals, reflecting India’s global cultural and professional influence.
Padma Vibhushan 2026 Winners (Exceptional & Distinguished Service)
| Sr. No | 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 & Education | Kerala |
| 5 | Shri V S Achuthanandhan (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Kerala |
Padma Bhushan 2026 Winners (Distinguished Service of High Order)
| Sr. No | Name | Field | State/Country |
| 1 | Ms. Alka Yagnik | Art | Maharashtra |
| 2 | Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari | Public Affairs | Uttarakhand |
| 3 | Shri Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy | Medicine | Tamil Nadu |
| 4 | Shri Mammootty | Art | Kerala |
| 5 | Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu | Medicine | USA |
| 6 | Shri Piyush Pandey | Art | Maharashtra |
| 7 | Shri S K M Maeilanandhan | Social Work | Tamil Nadu |
| 8 | Shri Shatavadhani R Ganesh | Art | Karnataka |
| 9 | Shri Shibu Soren | Public Affairs | Jharkhand |
| 10 | Shri Uday Kotak | Trade & Industry | Maharashtra |
| 11 | Shri V K Malhotra | Public Affairs` | Delhi |
| 12 | Shri Vellappally Natesan | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| 13 | Shri Vijay Amritraj | Sports | USA |
Padma Shri Awardees 2026 (Distinguished Service in Any Field)
Sports
| Sr. No | Name | State/Country |
| 1 | Shri Baldev Singh | Punjab |
| 2 | Shri Bhagwandas Raikwar | Madhya Pradesh |
| 3 | Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur | Bhullar Punjab |
| 4 | Shri K. Pajanivel | Puducherry |
| 5 | Shri Praveen Kumar | Uttar Pradesh |
| 6 | Shri Rohit Sharma | Maharashtra |
| 7 | Ms. Savita Punia | Haryana |
| 8 | Shri Vladimer Mestvirishvili | Georgia (Posthumous) |
Art
| Sr. No | Name | State/Country |
| 9 | Shri Anil Kumar Rastogi | Uttar Pradesh |
| 10 | Shri Arvind Vaidya | Gujarat |
| 11 | Shri Bharat Singh | Bharti Bihar |
| 12 | Shri Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda | Maharashtra |
| 13 | Shri Bishwa Bandhu | Bihar (Posthumous) |
| 14 | Shri Chiranji Lal Yadav | Uttar Pradesh |
| 15 | Ms. Deepika Reddy | Telangana |
| 16 | Shri Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya | Gujarat |
| 17 | Shri Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad | Andhra Pradesh |
| 18 | Shri Gafruddin Mewati Jogi | Rajasthan |
| 19 | Shri Garimella Balakrishna Prasad | Andhra Pradesh (Posthumous) |
| 20 | Ms. Gayatri & Ms. Ranjani Balasubramanian | Tamil Nadu |
| 21 | Shri Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay | West Bengal (Posthumous) |
| 22 | Shri Haricharan Saikia | Assam |
| 23 | Ms. Kalamandalam Vimala Menon | Kerala |
| 24 | Shri Khem Raj Sundriyal | Haryana |
| 25 | Shri Kumar Bose | West Bengal |
| 26 | Shri Madhavan Ranganathan | Maharashtra |
| 27 | Shri Maganti Murali Mohan | Andhra Pradesh |
| 28 | Shri Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai | Gujarat |
| 29 | Shri Nuruddin Ahmed | Assam |
| 30 | Shri Othuvaar Thiruthani Swaminathan | Tamil Nadu |
| 31 | Ms. Pokhila Lekthepi | Assam |
| 32 | Shri Prosenjit Chatterjee | West Bengal |
| 33 | Shri R. Krishnan | Tamil Nadu (Posthumous) |
| 34 | Shri Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar | Maharashtra |
| 35 | Shri Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar | Tamil Nadu |
| 36 | Shri Sangyusang S. Pongener | Nagaland |
| 37 | Shri Sarat Kumar Patra | Odisha |
| 38 | Shri Satish Shah | Maharashtra (Posthumous) |
| 39 | Shri Simanchal Patro | Odisha |
| 40 | Shri Taga Ram Bheel | Rajasthan |
| 41 | Shri Tarun Bhattacharya | West Bengal |
| 42 | Shri Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam | Tamil Nadu |
| 43 | Ms. Tripti Mukherjee | West Bengal |
| 44 | Shri Yumnam Jatra Singh | Manipur (Posthumous) |
Medicine
| Sr. No | Name | State/Country |
| 45 | Ms. Armida Fernandez | Maharashtra |
| 46 | Shri Guduru Venkat Rao | Telangana |
| 47 | Shri H. V. Hande | Tamil Nadu |
| 48 | Shri Kewal Krishan Thakral | Uttar Pradesh |
| 49 | Dr. Padma Gurmet | Ladakh |
| 50 | Shri Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy | Telangana |
| 51 | Shri Prateek Sharma | USA |
| 52 | Dr. Punniamurthy Natesan | Tamil Nadu |
| 53 | Shri Rajendra Prasad | Uttar Pradesh |
| 54 | Shri Ramchandra & Ms. Suneeta Godbole | Chhattisgarh |
| 55 | Shri Saroj Mandal | West Bengal |
| 56 | Shri Shyam Sundar | Uttar Pradesh |
| 57 | Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi | Karnataka |
Literature & Education
| Sr. No | Name | State/Country |
| 58 | Shri Asok Kumar Haldar | West Bengal |
| 59 | Shri Charan Hembram | Odisha |
| 60 | Shri Gambir Singh Yonzone | West Bengal |
| 61 | Shri Kailash Chandra Pant | Madhya Pradesh |
| 62 | Shri Mahendra Kumar Mishra | Odisha |
| 63 | Shri Mahendra Nath Roy | West Bengal |
| 64 | Shri Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar | Delhi |
| 65 | Ms. Mangala Kapoor | Uttar Pradesh |
| 66 | Shri Naresh Chandra Dev Varma | Tripura |
| 67 | Shri Rabilal Tudu | West Bengal |
| 68 | Shri Ratilal Borisagar | Gujarat |
| 69 | Prof. Shafi Shauq | J&K |
| 70 | Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati | Karnataka |
| 71 | Ms. Sivasankari | Tamil Nadu |
| 72 | Shri Vempaty Kutumba Sastry | Andhra Pradesh |
| 73 | Ms. Liudmila Khokhlova | Russia |
Science & Engineering
| Sr. No | Name | State/Country |
| 74 | Shri A. E. Muthunayagam | Kerala |
| 75 | Shri Ashok Kumar Singh | Uttar Pradesh |
| 76 | Shri Chandramouli Gaddamanugu | Telangana |
| 77 | Shri Gopal Ji Trivedi | Bihar |
| 78 | Shri Juzer Vasi | Maharashtra |
| 79 | Shri K. Ramasamy | Tamil Nadu |
| 80 | Shri Krishnamurty Balasubramanian | Telangana |
| 81 | Shri Kumarasamy Thangaraj | Telangana |
| 82 | Shri Prem Lal Gautam | Himachal Pradesh |
| 83 | Ms. Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar | Karnataka |
| 84 | Shri Veezhinathan Kamakoti | Tamil Nadu |
Social Work/ Others/Public Service
| Sr. No | Name | Field | State |
| 85 | Shri Anke Gowda | Social Work | Karnataka |
| 86 | Shri Brij Lal Bhat | Social Work | J&K |
| 87 | Dr. Budhri Tati | Social Work | Chhattisgarh |
| 88 | Shri Inderjit Singh Sidhu | Social Work | Chandigarh |
| 89 | Shri Hally War | Social Work | Meghalaya |
| 90 | Shri Janardan Bapurao Bothe | Social Work | Maharashtra |
| 91 | Shri Jogesh Deuri | Agriculture | Assam |
| 92 | Shri Kabindra Purkayastha | Public Affairs | Assam (Posthumous) |
| 93 | Ms. Kollakal Devaki Amma G | Social Work | Kerala |
| 94 | Shri Mohan Nagar | Social Work | Madhya Pradesh |
| 95 | Shri Narayan Vyas | Archaeology | Madhya Pradesh |
| 96 | Shri Raghupat Singh | Agriculture | Uttar Pradesh (Posthumous) |
| 97 | Shri Rama Reddy Mamidi | Animal Husbandry | Telangana (Posthumous) |
| 98 | Shri Ramamurthy Sreedher | Radio Broadcasting | Delhi |
| 99 | Sant Niranjan Dass | Spiritualism | Punjab |
| 100 | Shri Satyanarayan Nuwal | Trade & Industry | Maharashtra |
| 101 | Shri Shrirang Devaba Lad | Agriculture | Maharashtra |
| 102 | Shri T. T. Jagannathan | Trade & Industry | Karnataka (Posthumous) |
| 103 | Shri Techi Gubin | Social Work | Arunachal Pradesh |
Historical Background of Padma Awards
| Aspect | Details |
| Year of Institution | 1954 |
| Instituted | Along With Bharat Ratna |
| Original Categories | Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg, Tisra Varg |
| Renaming Year | 1955 |
| Authority for | Renaming Presidential Notification |
| Present Names | Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri |
| Nature of Awards | Civilian honours (non-military) |
Categories of Padma Awards
| Category | Level | Purpose |
| Padma Vibhushan | Second-highest civilian award | Exceptional and distinguished service |
| Padma Bhushan | Third-highest civilian award | Distinguished service of a high order |
| Padma Shri | Fourth-highest civilian award | Distinguished service in any field |
Eligibility Criteria
| Parameter | Details |
| Eligible Persons | All individuals irrespective of race, gender, occupation or position |
| Government Servants | Not eligible |
| Exceptions | Doctors and scientists employed by government |
| Posthumous Awards | Generally not given |
| Posthumous Exception | Allowed in highly deserving cases |
| Gap for Higher Award | Minimum 5 years |
| Relaxation of Gap | Allowed in exceptional cases by Awards Committee |
| Nomination Type | Public nomination allowed |
| Self-Nomination | Permitted |
Selection Process
| Stage | Details |
| Nominations Evaluated By | Padma Awards Committee |
| Committee Constitution | Annually by Prime Minister |
| Head of Committee | Cabinet Secretary |
| Recommendation | Submitted To Prime Minister and President |
| Final Approval | Authority President of India |
| Award Ceremony | Timing Usually March or April |
| Award Items | Sanad (certificate) + Medallion |
Other Key Features of Padma Awards
| Feature | Details |
| Annual Cap | 120 awards per year |
| Exclusions from | Cap Posthumous awards, NRIs, foreign nationals, OCIs |
| Title Status | Does not confer a title |
| Usage Restriction | Cannot be used as prefix or suffix |
| Example (Incorrect) | Padma Shri Mohan |
| Nature of Honour | Recognition, not a designation |
| Disciplines Covered Under Padma Awards | Field. Art, Social Work, Public Affairs, Science and Engineering, Trade and, Industry, Medicine, Literature and Education, Sports, Civil Service, Other fields of public service |
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