Padma awards: Fast facts about Indian civilian awards

Indias President Pranab Mukherjee will confer Padma Awards 2016 to 112 eminent personalities. Here"s a look at what the awards stand for.

Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The awards are given in various disciplines/fields of activities, viz, art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service.

"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.

The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.

The top 4 civilian honours -Bharat Ratna , Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan , Padma Shri do not carry any prize money. On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.

(Source: PTI)

Also read: UAE-based Dr. Sundar Menon to receive Padma Shri

UAE-BASED INDIANS WHO WON PADMA SHRI AWARDS

2016: Dr. Sundar Menon

2011: Azad Moopen

2010: JR Gangaramani

2009: Dr. Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty

2009: Sunny Varkey

2008: Yusuffali MA

The award specifications are as follows. (Source: www.quora.com)

Padma Vibhushan:

The badge design is "mainly circular" 1-3/16-inch burnished bronze (changed from toned bronze in 1957) badge with geometrical patterns. The center had a lotus flower with four major petals embossed in white gold. Above and below this flower, the name of the decoration Padma Vibhushan was embossed in silver-gilt.

Padma Bhushan: The badge design is "mainly circular" 1-3/16-inch burnished bronze (changed from toned bronze in 1957) badge with geometrical patterns. The center had a lotus flower with three major petals embossed in white gold. Above and below this flower, the name of the decoration Padma Bhushan was embossed in silver-gilt.

Padma Shri: On its obverse, the words "Padma", meaning lotus in Sanskrit and "Shri", in Devanagari, appear above and below a lotus flower. The geometrical pattern on either side is in burnished bronze. All embossing is in white gold.

List of Padma awardees

1. Padma Vibhushan

Actor Rajinikanth

Media baron Ramoji Rao

Former J-K Governor Jagmohan

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Adyar Cancer Institute chairwoman V Shanta

Dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy

Classical singer Girija Devi

Indian scientist Vasudev Kalkunte

Reliance Industries founder late Dhirubhai Ambani (posthumously)

2. Padma Bhushan

Anupam Kher

Singer Udit Narayan

Former CAG Vinod Rai

Tennis star Sania Mirza

Badminton player Saina Nehwal

Chairperson of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd Indu Jain

Theatre personality Heisnam Kanhailal

Former US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill

Indian sculptor Ram Sutar

Barjinder Singh Hamdard

Swami Tejomayananda

Prof N S Ramanuja Tatacharya

Prof D Nageshwar Reddy

3. Padma Shri

Prathibha Prahlad

Bhikhudan Gadhvi

Sribhas Chandra Supakar

Ajay Devgn

Priyanka Chopra

Tulsidas Borkar

Dr Soma Ghosh

Nila Madhab Panda

SS Rajamouli

Madhur Bhandarkar

M Venkatesh Kuma

Gulabi Sapera

Mamta Chandrakar

Malini Awasthi

Jai Prakash Lekhiwal

K Laxma Goud

Bhalchandra Dattatray Mondhe

Naresh Chander Lal

Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah

Prahlad Chandra Tasa

Dr Ravindra Nagar

Dahyabhai Shastri

Santeshivara Bhyrappa

Haldar Nag

Kameshwaram Brahma

Pushpesh Pant

Jawaharlal Kaul

Ashok Malik

Mannam Gopi Chand

Ravi Kant

Ram Harsh Singh

Shiv Narain Kureel

Sabya Sachi Sarkar

Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale

TK Lahiri

Praveen Chandra

Prof (Dr) Daljeet Singh Gambhir

Dr Chandrasekar Shesadri Thoguluva

Ajaypal Singh Banga (NRI/PIO)