|
Padma Awards 2026
The President of India presents Padma Awards 2026 in the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards are currently relevant as one of India’s highest civilian honours for distinguished public service across fields.
Padma Awards 2026:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Total Awards | A total of 131 Padma Awards will be given in 2026. |
| Women Awardees | The 2026 list includes 19 women awardees. |
| Foreign/NRI/PIO/OCI Category | The list includes 6 persons from the Foreigners, NRI, PIO, or OCI category. |
| Posthumous Awardees | The list includes 16 posthumous awardees. |
| Duo Cases | There are 2 duo cases, counted as one award each. |
| Institution | Padma Awards were instituted in 1954. |
| Nature | They are among the highest civilian awards of India. |
| Conferred By | The awards are conferred by the President of India. |
| Categories | The awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. |
| Padma Vibhushan | Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. |
| Padma Bhushan | Padma Bhushan is awarded for distinguished service of a high order. |
| Padma Shri | Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service in any field. |
| Announcement | Padma Awards are announced every year on Republic Day, except during 1978–79 and 1993–97. |
| Fields | The awards cover fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science, literature, education, and other areas involving public service. |
| Eligibility | All persons are eligible without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. |
| Government Servants | Government servants including PSU employees are not eligible, except doctors and scientists. |
| Posthumous Rule | The awards are normally not conferred posthumously, except in highly deserving cases. |
| Annual Limit | The total number of awards in a year is normally limited to 120, excluding posthumous cases and Foreigners, NRIs, PIOs, or OCIs. |
| Selection Committee | The Padma Awards Committee is constituted annually by the Prime Minister and is headed by the Cabinet Secretary. |
| Higher Category Rule | A higher category Padma award can normally be conferred only after at least 5 years from the earlier Padma award. |
| Padma Vibhushan 2026 | Padma Vibhushan awardees include Dharmendra Singh Deol, K. T. Thomas, N. Rajam, P. Narayanan, and V. S. Achuthanandan. |