Padma Awards 2023: President Approves 106 Padma Awards; List Includes 6 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan, 91 Padma Shri Awards, With 7 Posthumous Awardees

On January 25, 2023, the Padma Awards 2023 were announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the eve of India’s 74th Republic Day. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has approved the conferment of 106 Padma Awards for the year 2023.

• Padma Awards, one of India’s highest civilian honours, are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.

Padma Awards 2023

• The 106 Padma Awards in 2023 comprises 6 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan, and 91 Padma Shri Awards, including 3 duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one).
• There are 19 women among the awardees, as well as 2 persons from the category of Foreigners/ Non-Resident Indian (NRI) / Person of Indian Origin (PIO) / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and 7 Posthumous awardees. Click here for official notification.

Historical Background

i.In 1954, the Indian government established the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan as two civilian awards.

ii.Padma Vibhushan featured 3 classes: Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg, and Tisra Varg.

• According to a Presidential Notification published on January 8, 1955, these 3 classes were eventually renamed Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.

I.Padma Awards

i.The Padma Awards are presented every year on Republic Day under the three award categories are as follows:

• “Padma Vibhushan,” India’s second-highest civilian honour  (after the Bharat Ratna), is given for exceptional and distinguished service.
• “Padma Bhushan,” the third-highest civilian award is given for distinguished service of high order
• “Padma Shri,” the fourth-highest civilian award is given for distinguished service in any field

ii.The Padma Awards are granted in a multitude of areas, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.

Conferment of the Awards

i.Each year, the President of India bestows these honours during ceremonial events held in Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually in March or April.

• The winners receive a medallion and a Sanad (certificate) that is signed by the president.

ii.The total number of awards given in a year should not exceed 120 (excluding posthumous awards and awards to NRIs, foreigners, and OCIs).

iii.The award cannot be added as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name and is not equal to a title.

Note: The awards have been announced since their inception, except for brief absences in 1978, 1979, and 1993–97.

Deciding Committee

i.The Padma Awards are given on the basis of recommendations given by the Padma Awards Committee, which is appointed by the Prime Minister each year. The nomination process is open to the public. Self-nominations are also accepted.

ii.The Cabinet Secretary chairs the Padma Awards Committee, which also comprises the Home Secretary, Secretary to the President, and four to six eminent people.

• The current Cabinet Secretary of India is Rajiv Gauba.

II.Bharat Ratna

• The ‘Bharat Ratna’ is the highest civilian award conferred in India and is given in honour of exceptional service or high calibre performance in any field of human endeavour.
• Bharat Ratna is processed differently than the Padma Award, for which the Prime Minister makes recommendations to the President of India.

List of Padma Awardees 2023

Padma Vibhushan (6)

Distinguished Individuals Who are Honoured with The Padma Vibhushan

i.Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the Samajwadi Party, BV Doshi, an architect, and Dilip Mahalanabis, a physician from West Bengal, will all receive the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

• Mulayam Singh Yadav, a socialist leader who died in 2022, served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh 3 times.
• Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis promoted the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS), while working in a refugee camp during the 1971 Bangladesh War.
• The renowned architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi (BV Doshi) is the only Indian to have received the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Royal Gold Medal during his lifetime.

ii.Padma Vibhushan will also be awarded to tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

iii.Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna (S.M. Krishna), 90, has held a number of roles, including External Affairs Minister, Maharashtra Governor, and Karnataka Chief Minister. He is also credited with the creation of “Brand Bengaluru.”

Padma Bhushan (9)

Distinguished Personalities Who are Honoured with The Padma Bhushan

i.S. L. Bhyrappa, a writer of Kannada novels and screenplays; Kumar Mangalam Birla, an industrialist and the head of the Aditya Birla Group; and Sudha Murthy, a writer and philanthropist who serves as the chair of the Infosys Foundation.

• Mr. Bhyrappa’s works have been translated into nearly every Indian language other than English.

Padma Shri (91)

Distinguished Personalities who are Honoured with The Padma Shri

i.Rakesh Radheshyam Jhunjhunwala, commonly referred to as “India’s Warren Buffet,” who died at the age of 62 on August 14, 2022, has been awarded the Padma Shri posthumously.

ii.Areez Khambatta, the founder of the well-known soft drink brand Rasna, has also been awarded the Padma Shri posthumously.

iii.M.M. Keeravaani, the composer who recently received a Golden Globe for his song “Naatu Naatu” from the film “RRR.” The song was also nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Song.

Other Significant Individuals Honoured with The Padma Shri

i.Ratan Chandra Kar (66), a retired government physician from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands who has experience working with the Jarawa tribes.

• He helped the Jarawas during the 1999 measles outbreak, saving them from extinction and enabling their population to grow from 76 to 270.

ii.Hirabai Lobi is a tribal social worker and leader from Gujarat who has dedicated her life to the improvement of the Siddi community.

iii.Ramkuiwangbe Jene (75), a Naga social worker from Dima Hasao in Assam, dedicated his life to the protection and preservation of the Heraka religion.

iv.Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan, skilled snake catchers from the Irula Tribe (Tamil Nadu), specialized in catching dangerous and venomous snakes.

v.Tula Ram Upreti (98), a self-sustained small farmer, who performs organic farming using exclusively traditional methods.

vi.Ajay Kumar Mandavi, a Gond tribal woodcarver from Kanker, Chhattisgarh.

vii.Ghulam Muhammad Zaz, an 8th generation Santoor maker from a family that has been producing Kashmir’s finest Santoors for the past 200 years.

viii.Munishwar Chander Dawar, a war veteran, has been treating underprivileged people in Madhya Pradesh.

ix.V.P. Appukuttan Poduval (99), also referred to as ‘Kannur ke Gandhi’, is a freedom fighter who took part in the Quit India movement.

Recent Related News:

On 23rd January 2023, President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for 2023 to 11 children for their exceptional achievement at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi. The 2023 awardees are from 11 states and Union territories (UTs) include 6 boys and 5 girls.

About Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):

UnionMinister – Amit Shah (Gandhi Nagar Constituency, Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS) – Nityanand Rai (Ujiarpur, Bihar); Ajay Kumar Mishra (Kheri, Uttar Pradesh) ; Nisith Pramanik (Coochbehar, West Bengal)