Tag: padma awards

  • ‘Inspirational’: PM Narendra Modi hails Padma awardee 126-year-old Baba Sivanand for agility

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed 126-year-old Padma awardee Baba Sivanand for agility and termed his passion for Yoga and dedication for a healthy lifestyle inspirational. In the 87th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, broadcast on Sunday, PM Modi said, “The life of Baba Sivananda is an inspiration for all of us. He has a passion for Yoga and leads a very healthy lifestyle.”

    Referring to Baba Sivanand’s heartwarming gesture at the Padma Awards ceremony, the Prime Minister said that everyone must have observed Baba Sivanand in the recently held Padma Awards ceremony. “Seeing the agility of the 126-year-old, everyone must have been as astonished as I was. Before one could bat an eyelid, Baba started bowing in the Nandi Mudra. I bowed a number of times and offered Pranaam to Baba Sivanand ji,” said PM Modi, in his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

    PM Modi noted Baba Sivanand’s age of 126-years and his fitness being “a subject of discussion” in the country. “I saw several comments on social media that Baba is more fit than people four-times younger than him,” he said while wishing him a long life.

    Baba Sivanand received the Padma Shri award on Monday.

    Dressed in a white kurta and dhoti, Baba Sivanand was a picture of simplicity and grace as he knelt and bowed down in front of the Prime Minister and President Ram Nath Kovind as a mark of respect. The Prime Minister too got up from the seat and bowed to the veteran Yoga legend.

    The President stepped out and helped Sivananda to rise to his feet, after which he honoured him with the award and the duo posed for pictures and were seen in a brief conversation.

    The oldest man to be conferred with the Padma Shri award, Swami Sivananda is a monk from Varanasi. Born in August 1896, he is cherishing his remarkable 126 years of living. Despite his distinctive age, he stands strong enough to perform Yoga for hours, according to a write-up by Rashtrapati Bhawan on Padma Awardees.

    Swami wakes up as early as 3 am in the morning and adheres to a fixed routine. Standing 1.58 metres tall, Sivananda sleeps on a mat on the floor and uses a wooden slab as a pillow. Fit without any medical complications, he practices Yoga every day and performs all rituals on his own. He leads a simple life, eats a simple diet, and serves others with his selfless service.

    In his childhood, poverty made him sleep empty stomach many times, while the rest of the time, his family could afford to feed him boiled rice and water. He was brought up by his Guru Omkarananda Goswami at an Ashram at Nabadwip in West Bengal. He imparted all practical and spiritual education, including Yoga without school education.

    “Mann ki Baat” is the Prime Minister’s monthly radio address, which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am. The first episode of Mann Ki Baat was broadcast on October 3, 2014.

  • President Kovind to confer Padma awards

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind will confer Padma awards, including to General Bipin Rawat (posthumous) and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, at a civil investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.

    Among the awardees, two will be conferred with Padma Vibhushan, eight will be given Padma Bhushan and 54 will be given Padma Shri awards for the year 2022.

    Prominent awardees include Padma Vibhushan recipients General Rawat (posthumous) and late chairman of Gita Press Radhey Shyam, Padma Bhushan awardees Azad, Punjabi folk singer Gurmeet Bawa (posthumous), Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekharan, former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, Covishield’s maker Serum Institute of India’s Cyrus Poonawalla among others.

    The awards are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

    These awards are given in various disciplines and fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.

    ‘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.

    The awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year.

    The awards are conferred by the President at ceremonial functions which are held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

    This year, a total of 128 Padma Awards are being conferred, including two duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one).

    The list of awardees comprises four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards.

    Thirty-four awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees. The second civil investiture ceremony is scheduled to be held on March 28.

  • Padma honours for Azad triggers spat in Congress; Tabla maestro Anindya third person to refuse Padma awards for 2022

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Padma Bhushan award for Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad triggered a spat in the opposition party on Wednesday even as he scotched speculation about his future plan while Tabla maestro Anindya Chatterjee became the third person–all from West Bengal–to refuse Padma honours this year.

    A day after Padma awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the country, were announced in various spheres of activities, Azad, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, also denied reports that had claimed he had changed his Twitter profile, calling it a ”mischievous propaganda”.

    Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal took a jibe at his party, saying it was ironic that the Congress does not need his services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life.

    Sibal, Anand Sharma and Shashi Tharoor — who were among the 23 Congress leaders dubbed as the ‘G-23’ who wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi demanding organisational overhaul in 2020 — congratulated Azad.

    Azad, who was also a signatory to the letter to Gandhi, was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to public affairs.

    ”Ironic that the Congress doesn’t need his(Azad’s) services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life,” Sibal said.

    While Sharma said the award for Azad was a ”well deserved recognition” of his lifelong enriching contribution to public service and Parliamentary democracy, Tharoor noted that it is good to be recognized for one’s public service even by a ”government of the other side”.

    However, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had on Tuesday taken a veiled dig at Azad.

    Referring to former West Bengal chief minister and CPI-M veteran Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s refusal to accept the Padma Bhushan, Ramesh appeared to suggest that Azad should also follow suit.

    ”Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam,” Ramesh said on Twitter.

    Congress veteran and former Law minister Ashwani Kumar came out in support of Azad, and hit out at Ramesh saying his criticism of Azad is nothing less than a ”shameful innuendo” and does not do justice to the dignitarian ethos of the Congress party.

    ”Congress Rajya Sabha Whip’s criticism of Ghulam Nabi Azad for receiving the Padma award is nothing less than a shameful innuendo intended to rob both the Award and its recepient of the deserved dignity.

    ”Such a mindset does not do justice to the dignitarian ethos of the Congress,” Kumar said in a statement.

    Shiv Sena, a key ally of the Congress, also frowned upon attempts by a section of leaders of the grand old party to target Azad.

    Calling someone ‘Azad’ for declining a national honour and ‘Ghulam’ for accepting it, shows how shallow one’s thought is towards a national honour, Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi said on Twitter.

    ”This isn’t the first nor the last time that opposition leaders will be acknowledged for their work, please maintain that spirit and dignity,” said Chaturvedi, who quit the Congress to join the Shiv Sena.

    Another former Congress leader Sushmita Dev hit back at Ramesh wondering whether the Padma Bhushan honour for former Assam chief minister late Tarun Gogoi or the Bharat Ratna to former President late Pranab Mukherjee also made them ‘Ghulams’.

    ”Padma Bhushan for Tarun Gogoi and Bharat Ratna for Pranab Mukherjee – does it make them Ghulams,” asked Dev, a Rajya Sabha member from Trinamool Congress.

    Azad took to Twitter to say that ”some mischievous propaganda” was being circulated by some people to create confusion. ”Nothing has been removed or added to my Twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier.” Azad’s Twitter profile has nothing written on it and there is no reference to the Congress party.

    In the age of social media, the Twitter profiles of leaders are keenly watched as generally many tend to change them before formally switching parties.

    An emotional Prime Minister Narendra Modi had showered praise on Azad in his speech during the farewell to the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha last year.

    Azad has recently travelled extensively in villages of Jammu and Kashmir and received an encouraging response. He is again planning to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days.

    Anindya Chatterjee is the second person from Bengal’s vibrant musical world who has rejected the Padma award this year and the third from the state to decline the civilian honours this year after Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and singing legend Sandhya Mukherjee The eminent percussionist, who has performed `jugalbandis’ (duets) with classical maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, said he had received a phone call from Delhi on Tuesday seeking his consent to accepting Padma Shri.

    ”However I politely declined. I said thank you but I am not ready to receive Padma Shri at this phase of my career. I have passed that phase,” said Chatterjee who received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2002. A disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, he was the youngest tabla player to perform in the British Parliament’s House of Commons in 1989.

    Chatterjee said he would have accepted the honour with gratitude had it been conferred on him 10 years ago.

    ”Many of my contemporaries and juniors were given Padma Shri years ago. Anyway I said with all humbleness, that I am sorry but I cannot accept it (award) now.” Sandhya Mukherjee’s daughter Soumi Sengupta on Tuesday said that the singing legend had told a senior official who had called from Delhi that she was not willing to be named as a Padma Shri recipient on being contacted seeking her consent.

    ”At the age of 90, with a singing career spanning over about eight decades, being chosen for Padma Shri is demeaning for a singer of her stature,” Sengupta said. ”Padma Shri is more deserving for a junior artiste…,”she said.

    Several prominent personalities in Kolkata’s cultural circle on Wednesday criticised the Centre for offering only a Padma Shri award to Sandhya Mukherjee.

    Eminent singer Kabir Suman, painter Subhaprasanna and others held a press conference in Kolkata and said it was nothing short of a ”rude jolt” to the 90-year-old icon who is an inspiration to singers of different generations.

    Later, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said it is unfortunate that the issue was politicised.

    ”Some intellectuals close to (West Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee are unnecessarily creating a controversy over the move by the Centre to honour several personalities on the occasion of Republic day.

    ”There was no ill motive on the part of Narendra Modi government,” Ghosh said.

  • Buddhadeb’s wife informed of Padma award before announcement; no one from family objected: Sources

    The former chief minister's wife picked up the phone as he has been unwell and she was conveyed the central govt's decision to name him as one of the Padma awardees this year, sources said.

  • Centre appeals to citizens to identify talented achievers for Padma awards

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday appealed to all citizens to identify and recommend the names of talented people whose excellence and achievements really deserve to be honoured with the Padma awards.

    In a statement, the Union Home Ministry said online nominations or recommendations for the Padma awards — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri — to be announced on the eve of Republic Day, 2022 is underway. The last date for nominations for Padma awards is September 15.

    The nominations or recommendations for Padma awards will be received online only on the Padma awards portal HYPERLINK “https://padmaawards.gov.in/”. “The government is committed to transform Padma awards into ‘People’s Padma’.All citizens are therefore requested to identify talented persons whose excellence and achievements really deserve to be recognised from amongst women, SC, STs, divyang persons and who are doing selfless service to society and make their nominations or recommendations,” the statement said.

    The nominations or recommendations should contain all relevant details specified in the format available on the above mentioned Padma portal, including a citation in narrative form (maximum 800 words), clearly bringing out the distinguished and exceptional achievements or service of the person recommended in her or his respective field or discipline.

    Further details in this regard are also available under the heading ‘Awards and Medals’ on the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

    The statutes and rules relating to these awards are available on the website with the link https://padmaawards.gov.in/AboutAwards.aspx . People may also contact 011-23092421, +91 9971376539, +91 9968276366, +91 9711662129, +91 7827785786 for any enquiry or assistance.

    Instituted in 1954, these awards are announced on the eve of the Republic Day every year. The Modi government has been honouring many “unsung heroes”, who are contributing to the society in different ways, with Padma awards since 2014.

    Through these awards, the government seeks to recognise ‘work of distinction’.

    These awards are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements or service in all fields or disciplines, such as, art, literature and education, sports, medicine, social work, science and engineering, public affairs, civil service, trade and industry etc.

  • Nominations for 2022 Padma Awards open till September 15

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Nominations and recommendations for the Padma Awards (Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri) can be submitted on the government’s portal till September 15, 2021.

    As per a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, nominations and recommendations will be received online only on the Padma Awards portal https://padmaawards.gov.in.

    “The Government is committed to transform Padma Awards into “People’s Padma”. All citizens are therefore requested to make nominations/recommendations including self-nomination,” the statement said, adding that concerted efforts may be made to identify talented persons whose excellence and achievements really deserve to be recognized from amongst women, weaker sections of the society, SCs & STs, divyang persons and who are doing selfless service to the society.

    Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people to nominate people for the awards.

    Instituted in 1954, these awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year and seek to recognize ‘work of distinction’ and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields/disciplines, such as, Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry etc, the statement said.

    All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards. Government servants including those working with PSUs, except Doctors and Scientists, are not eligible for Padma Awards. 

  • Nominate your choice of inspiring people for Padma awards: PM Narendra Modi to citizens

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to nominate their choice of persons, who are doing exceptional work at the grassroots, for Padma awards. In a tweet, Modi said India has many talented people doing exceptional work at the grassroots but they are often not much known.

    India has many talented people, who are doing exceptional work at the grassroots. Often, we don’t see or hear much of them. Do you know such inspiring people? You can nominate them for the #PeoplesPadma. Nominations are open till 15th September. https://t.co/BpZG3xRsrZ
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 11, 2021

    “India has many talented people, who are doing exceptional work at the grassroots. Often, we don’t see or hear much of them. Do you know such inspiring people? You can nominate them for the #PeoplesPadma. Nominations are open till 15th September. http://padmaawards.gov.in,” he tweeted, sharing the link of the website.

    The Padma awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri are amongst the highest civilian awards of the country. In the last few years, the Modi government has been honouring scores of unsung heroes with the Padma awards for their life-long contributions to the society and achievements in different fields.

    Instituted in 1954, these awards are announced on the occasion of the Republic Day every year.

  • Maharashtra Congress questions criteria for Padma awards

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government had recommended 99 names for the Padma awards to the Centre, but only one, social activist Sindhutai Sapkal, was selected for Padma Shri. This year, six people from Maharashtra have been conferred with the Padma awards. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant on Tuesday accused the Centre of giving step-motherly treatment to the state over these awards.

    Sawant alleged that the Padma awards have been given to those who are close to the RSS or its affiliated organisations. “The real work was not the criteria. What mattered was one’s closeness with the RSS, which is unfortunate,” alleged Sawant.

    Sawant said most recipients of such awards came from BJP-ruled states. The Central Government, which denied Padma Bhushan to Sindhutai Sapkal, has selected Rajinikanth Shroff, owner of United Phosphorus Company, for the Padma Bhushan award. The company is headed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s brother Pradip Goyal, he said.

  • Maharashtra should have got more Padma awards: Sanjay Raut

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra makes a big contribution towards the country and the world in different sectors, but the state has received “only six” Padma awards this year, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday.

    Talking to reporters here, Raut said “at least 10 to 12 persons from Maharashtra” should have been honoured with the awards this year.

    The awards are given in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

    They are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements and service in different fields and disciplines such as art, literature and education, sports, medicine, social work, science and engineering, public affairs, civil service, trade and industry.

    The Union Home Ministry on Monday said President Ram Nath Kovind has approved conferment of 119 Padma awards — seven Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri.

    Rajnikant Shroff, Sindhutai Sapkal, Girish Prabhune, Namdeo Kamble, Parshuram Gangawane and Jaswantiben Popat are the award winners from Maharashtra this year.

    Shroff has been awarded the Padma Bhushan in the field of trade and industry.

    The other five are the Padma Shri award winners.

    “Six persons from Maharashtra have been named for the Padma awards. We are all surprised. Maharashtra is so big. It makes a big contribution towards the country and the world in different sectors,” said Raut, whose party is currently in power in the state along with the NCP and Congress.

    The COVID-19 vaccine, because of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the Centre “can hold their heads high” in the world, is manufactured in Maharashtra, he said, apparently referring to the ‘Covishield’ vaccine being manufactured at the Serum Institute of India in Pune.

    “Such a state has received only six Padma awards. We felt at least 10 to 12 persons from Maharashtra should have been honoured,” Raut said.

    Maharashtra will have to take note if “injustice” is meted to it in any way, the Rajya Sabha member said.

    Asked about the announcement of the Padma Vibhushan award for former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Raut quipped that the honour may have been bestowed on Abe for giving bullet train to India “which Maharashtra has rejected”.

    During Abe’s regime, Japan had extended a soft loan for the ambitious Rs 1.

    10 lakh crore bullet train project, connecting Mumbai to Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

    Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant also hit out at the Centre over the issue.

    In a statement, Sawant said the state government had recommended 99 names from different fields to the Centre for the Padma awards.

    “But only one of those (Sapkal) has been considered by the Centre.

    This is very unfortunate.

    Are only those who are close to the RSS eligible for the awards?” Sawant wondered.

    The Maharashtra government had recommended the Padma Bhushan award for Sapkal, but she has been named for the Padma Shri award, Sawant said.

     

  • SP Balasubramaniam, Shinzo Abe among seven Padma Vibhushan awardees, here is full list

    By Online Desk
    Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, have been announced on Monday night. 

    ​The list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, ten Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri Awards. 

    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.

    These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan around March/ April every year. 

    Here is the full list of Padma Vibhushan awardees:

    Shri Shinzo Abe- Public Affairs- Japan
    Shri S P Balasubramaniam (Posthumous)- Art- Tamil Nadu
    Dr. Belle Monappa Hegde- Medicine- Karnataka
    Shri Narinder Singh Kapany (Posthumous)- Science and Engineering- United States of America
    Maulana Wahiduddin Khan- Others- Spiritualism- Delhi
    Shri B. B. Lal- Others- Archaeology- Delhi
    Shri Sudarshan Sahoo- Art- Odisha

    Here is the full list of Padma Bhushan awardees:

    Ms. Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra-Art-Kerala
    Shri Tarun Gogoi (Posthumous) -Public Affairs- Assam
    Shri Chandrashekhar Kambara-Literature and Education-Karnataka
    Ms. Sumitra Mahajan-Public Affairs-Madhya Pradesh
    Shri Nripendra Misra-Civil Service-Uttar Pradesh
    Shri Ram Vilas Paswan (Posthumous)-Public Affairs-Bihar
    Shri Keshubhai Patel (Posthumous)-Public Affairs-Gujarat
    Shri Kalbe Sadiq (Posthumous)-Others-Spiritualism-Uttar Pradesh
    Shri Rajnikant Devidas Shroff-Trade and Industry-Maharashtra
    Shri Tarlochan Singh-Public Affairs-Haryana

    Here is the full list of Padma Shri awardees:

    Former Governor of Goa Mridula Sinha, British film director Peter Brook, Father Vallés (posthumous), Professor Chaman Lal Sapru (posthumous) are among 102 recipients of Padma Shri award. pic.twitter.com/oMoHg3DXcc
    — ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2021

    (Inputs from Press Information Bureau)