The Union Home Ministry announced Padma Awards 2021 on the eve of 72nd Republic Day, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and noted signer SP Balasubrahmanyam amongst the list of winners.
This year, the President Ram Nath Kovind has approved conferment of 119 Padma Awards including 1 duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri Awards. 29 of the awardees are women and the list also included 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, 16 Posthumous awardees and 1 transgender awardee.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, former Principal Secretary to PM Nripendra Misra, former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan (posthumous), former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi (posthumous), Keshubhai Patel (posthumous), Kalbe Sadiq (posthumous), Chandrashekhar Kambara and Tarlochan Singh are among the ten recipients who have been awarded with Padma Bhushan this year.
Padma Awards is one of the highest civilian awards of the country. It is categorized into three, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities. ‘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 usually around March or April every year. The awards are announced on Republic Day every year.
