Every year, the Government of India honours sung and unsung personalities who had contributed for the society significantly through their efforts and work – the Padma awards presented annually on 26th January, the Republic Day of India.

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The Padma Awards are one of the most prestigious awards in India and recognised across the work. Every year, the Padma awards are presented by the Government of India on Republic Day. All in all, there are three categories of Padma Awards: the Padma Shri award, Padma Bhushan awards and Padma Vibhushan award. Today, on January 26, 2018 – a total of 85 people were awarded with the prestigious awards; of which, 16 are from the category of foreigners, non-resident Indians and three are posthumous. Also, as promised, the government honoured “unsung heroes” who served the poor, the needy, those who set up free schools and popularised tribal arts globally were awarded with the Padma Shri awards.

Among the awardees, 74-year-old music composer Illaiyaraja, who was awarded with Padma Bhushan in 2009 was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan award – the second most prestigious award after Bharat Ratna, in India. Besides Illaiyaraja, noted Hindustani classical singer Ghulam Mustafa Khan and President of Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari Parameswaran Parameswaran from Kerala were honoured with Padma Vibhushan. Besides these not-so-famous personalities, popular prominent personalities like M S Dhoni, cueist Pankaj Advani, former Russian Ambassador to India late Alexander Kadakin, Hindustani classical musician Arvind Parikh, Tamil Nadu-based archaeologist Ramachandran Nagaswamy and Goan artist Laxman Pai were awarded with Padma Bhushan.

Here’s the complete list:

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