JOIN USPadma for Rajini, Saina, Sania
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, late industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, media baron Ramoji Rao and the Art of Living’s Ravi Shankar were among 112 people chosen for Padma awards on the eve of Republic Day on Monday for their distinguished services in a variety of fields.
The list comprises 10 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 83 Padma Shri awardees, of which 19 are women. It also includes 10 people who are either foreigners or NRIs or persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and four posthumous awardees.
Four each belong to Schedule Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class.While Delhi bagged 18 awards, Maharashtra was behind with 16, Uttar Pradesh 12 and Karnataka 10.
Rajinikanth, Ambani, Rao and Ravi Shankar were chosen for the highest Padma award — “Padma Vibhushan” — along with classical dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi, Hindustani vocalist Girija Devi and former Union minister Jagmohan. Other Padma Vibhushan winners include Tamil Nadu-based oncologist Viswanathan Shanta and former DRDO chief V K Aatre.
While inclusion of Ambani, who passed away 14 years ago after building his business empire from scratches, came as a surprise, Rajinikanth’s selection comes at a time Tamil Nadu is preparing for Assembly elections in the first half of the year. India-born American economist Avinash Dixit is also a Padma Vibhushan winner.
“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.
Among 19 Padma Bhushan winners are actor Anupam Kher, who was in forefront when writers and artistes attacked NDA government during “intolerance debate”, sportspersons Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza; and chairperson of media group Bennett, Coleman & Co Indu Jain.
Former CAG Vinod Rai, whose damning reports on spectrum sale and coal block allocation put the previous UPA government in the dock, playback singer Udit Narayan and former US Ambassador Robert Blackwill were also selected for Padma Bhushan award.
Well-known sculptor Ram V Sutar, who designed the 522-feet statue of Sardar Patel, will be conferred Padma Bhushan along with Mumbai-based architect Hafeez Contractor and spiritual leader late Swami Dayanand Saraswati, who is also Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s spiritual guru.
Besides Ambani, eight are selected for various Padma awards for their contribution in the field of trade and industry. There are nine winners from cinema and three from sports.
Among the Padma Shri winners, 18 belong to various art forms, including cinema and music, while ten belong to literature and journalism.
One of the prominent Padma Shri winner is Ujjwal Nikam, the prosecution lawyer who argued in terrorism cases, including the one against 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab. Other Padma Shri winners include dancer Prathibha Prahlad, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra, ‘Bahubali’ director S S Rajamouli and Bollywood filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.