President Murmu confers Padma Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan; actor Dharmendra honoured posthumously

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday presented 66 Padma awards at the first civil investiture ceremony for 2026 held at the Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.The awards were presented in the presence of Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among other dignitaries.Violinist N Rajam was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, while former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and banker Uday Kotak received the Padma Bhushan.Veteran actor Dharmendra was also conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. His wife and actor Hema Malini received the honour on his behalf from President Murmu.Celebrated actor Prosenjit Chatterjee was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award by President Murmu in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, especially Bengali films. The actor received one of the country’s highest civilian honours amid loud applause at the ceremony.At the ceremony, the President conferred two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 58 Padma Shri awards.For 2026, the President has approved 131 Padma awards, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. The remaining awardees will be honoured during the second round of the investiture ceremony to be held later, sources said.Announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day, the Padma awards are among the country’s highest civilian honours and recognise contributions in fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service.Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, while Padma Bhushan is given for distinguished service of a high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.Here's the full list of recipients honoured with the Padma awards:Padma Vibhushan (5)Padma Bhushan (13)Padma Shri (113)Credits: PIBNote: * In Duo case, the Award is counted as one.