Padma Awards Education Sector Awardees 2026: The Padma Awards are among India's most respected civilian honours, given in three categories-Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Announced every year on Republic Day, the 2026 list features 131 awardees across these categories. From former UGC chief Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar to IIT Madras director V. Kamakoti, the awards recognise individuals whose work has significantly advanced higher education, research, and innovation across India.
Five Padma Vibhushan awards have been conferred, with 90-year-old veteran journalist and writer Shri P. Narayanan from Idukki, Kerala among the recipients, honoured in the field of Literature and Education. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually in March or April each year.
What Each Padma Award Means
- The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and outstanding service.
- The Padma Bhushan recognises distinguished service of a high order.
- The Padma Shri honours notable contributions in any field.
Padma Awards 2026: Literature And Education Awardees
| Awardee | Award | State |
| Shri P Narayanan | Padma Vibhushan | Kerala |
| Asok Kumar Haldar | Padma Shri | West Bengal |
| Charan Hembram | Padma Shri | Odisha |
| Gambir Singh Yonzone | Padma Shri | West Bengal |
| Kailash Chandra Pant | Padma Shri | Madhya Pradesh |
| Ms. Liudmila Viktorovna Khokhlova | Padma Shri | Russia |
| Mahendra Kumar Mishra | Padma Shri | Odisha |
| Mahendra Nath Roy | Padma Shri | West Bengal |
| Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar | Padma Shri | Delhi |
| Mangala Kapoor | Padma Shri | Uttar Pradesh |
| Naresh Chandra Dev Varma | Padma Shri | Tripura |
| Dr. Prabhakar Basavprabhu Kore | Padma Shri | Karnataka |
| Rabilal Tudu | Padma Shri | West Bengal |
| Ratilal Borisagar | Padma Shri | Gujarat |
| Prof. Shafi Shauq | Padma Shri | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Shashi Shekhar Vempati | Padma Shri | Karnataka |
| Ms. Sivasankari | Padma Shri | Tamil Nadu |
| Vempaty Kutumba Sastry | Padma Shri | Andhra Pradesh |
Padma Awards 2026: Science And Engineering Sector Awardees
| Awardee | Award | State |
| A E Muthunayagam | Padma Shri | Kerala |
| Ashok Kumar Singh | Padma Shri | Uttar Pradesh |
| Chandramouli Gaddamanugu | Padma Shri | Telangana |
| Gopal Ji Trivedi | Padma Shri | Bihar |
| Juzer Vasi | Padma Shri | Maharashtra |
| K Ramasamy | Padma Shri | Tamil Nadu |
| Krishnamurty Balasubramanian | Padma Shri | Telangana |
| Kumarasamy Thangaraj | Padma Shri | Telangana |
| Prem Lal Gautam | Padma Shri | Himachal Pradesh |
| Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar | Padma Shri | Karnataka |
| Veezhinathan Kamakoti | Padma Shri | Tamil Nadu |
Padma Awards 2026: Duo Cases
This year features two “duo cases,” where the same Padma award has been jointly conferred on two individuals.
Ms. Gayatri Balasubramanian and Ms. Ranjani Balasubramanian from Tamil Nadu have been awarded the Padma Shri jointly in the field of Art.
Similarly, Shri Ramchandra Godbole and Ms. Suneeta Godbole from Chhattisgarh have received the Padma award together in the field of Medicine.
