On the eve of the 74th Republic Day, the Centre announced the names of Padma awardees for the year 2023. A total of 106 Padma awards have been approved by the President, Droupadi Murmu of which six are Padma Vibhushan, nine are Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri.

Among the awardees who will be bestowed with Padma Vibhushan are former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav who passed away on October 10 last year, Karnataka’s former CM, S.M. Krishna, well-known table maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, Balkrishna Doshi, a leading architect who died on January 24, investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who died last August, and Dilip Mahalanabis, who pioneered the use of Oral Rehydration Solution.

The nine awardees of Padma Bhushan include Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sudha Murthy, Vani Jairam, Deepak Dhar, S. L. Bhyrappa, Swami Chinna Jeeyar, Suman Kalyanpur, Kapil Kapoor, and Kamlesh D. Patel.

Prominent among the Padma Shri awardees are recent winner of Golden Globe and music director of the popular film “RRR” M.M. Keeravani, tribal social worker and leader, Hirabai Lobi, Ratan Chandra Kar, a physician who contributed in uplifting of Andaman’s Jarawa tribe; and self-sustaining small farmer who practices organic farming, Tula Ram Upreti.

A total of 19 women are among the list of awardees and two persons belong to the Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI category.

Padma Awards are the country’s highest civilian honours after the Bharat Ratna and they recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved. The Padma Vibhushan is for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of higher order and Padma Shri for distinguished service).

The President will confer these awards at a ceremonial function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the month of March and April.