• In News:
  • Announcement: A total of 131 Padma Awards for the year 2026 were announced on the eve of Republic Day, i.e., 25 January 2026.
  • Presentation: These awards have been presented by President Droupadi Murmu at ceremonies held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in different phases, such as during March, April, and May/June 2026.

Historical Background:

• Established: 1954
  • The Padma Awards were not conferred during the years 1978–1979 and 1993–1997.
  • These awards are not titles and cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name.
  • Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India prohibits the State from conferring titles on individuals, except military and academic distinctions.
  • Awards such as the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Shri are exempted because they recognize exceptional achievements.
  • In Balaji Raghavan v. Union of India (1996), the court held that national awards are not titles within the meaning of Article 18(1).

• Selection Process of Padma Awards:
  • Nominations for the Padma Awards are recommended by the Padma Awards Committee. This committee is constituted every year by the Prime Minister and is headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
  • The general public can also suggest the name of a person for the award. However, a person cannot recommend their own name.

• Various Fields:
  • The Padma Awards are given for outstanding contributions in various fields, including Art, Social Work, Public Affairs, Science and Engineering, Trade and Industry, Medicine, Literature and Education, Sports, Civil Service, etc.

Categories of Awards:

• Padma Vibhushan: For exceptional and distinguished service.
• Padma Bhushan: For distinguished service of a high order.
• Padma Shri: For distinguished service in any field.
• Among the Padma Awards, Padma Vibhushan is the highest, followed by Padma Bhushan and then Padma Shri.

• Padma Awards 2026:
  • Total Awards: 131 (including 2 duo awards)
  • Women Awardees: 19
  • Posthumous Awards: 16
  • Padma Vibhushan: 5
    • Shri Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) – Art – Maharashtra
    • Shri K.T. Thomas – Public Affairs – Kerala
    • Ms. N. Rajam – Art – Uttar Pradesh
    • Shri P. Narayanan – Literature and Education – Kerala
    • Shri V.S. Achuthanandan (Posthumous) – Public Affairs – Kerala
  • Padma Bhushan: 13
    • Alka Yagnik (Singer)
    • Shibu Soren (Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand)
    • Mammootty (Actor)
  • Padma Shri: 113
    • Rohit Sharma (Cricketer)
    • R. Madhavan (Actor)
    • Harmanpreet Kaur (Cricket)
    • Padma Shri Awardees from Madhya Pradesh, 2026: In 2026, four distinguished personalities from Madhya Pradesh were honoured with the Padma Shri for their outstanding contributions in various fields:
      • Shri Kailash Chandra Pant: Selected for his outstanding contribution to the field of Literature and Education.
      • Dr. Narayan Vyas: An archaeology expert from Ujjain, honoured for his distinguished work in the field of Archaeology.
      • Shri Mohan Nagar: Conferred this national honour for his work in Social Service and Water Conservation.
      • Shri Bhagwan Das Raikwar: A martial arts artist from Sagar, honoured for his contribution to the fields of Art and Sports/Martial Arts.