Out of 131 Padma Awards announced for 2026, four Padma Shri honours went to Madhya Pradesh, each telling a different story of India that usually stays off prime time.
No glamour, no spotlight, just decades of work finally catching up with applause.
From Bhopal, Kailash Chandra Pant is being honoured for literature and education. His journey runs from Arya Samaj fire rituals to prison cells, he went to jail at 13, and finally to a lifetime of writing, thinking, and shaping cultural discourse. His Padma award is not for a book alone, but for a life lived inside ideas.
Pan't commitment to Hindi was so deep that he resigned from a government job to embrace independent journalism. He recalled that for 22 years, he successfully published the weekly Janadharm, a platform that played a significant role in shaping modern Hindi journalism and giving it a sharper social and cultural voice.
Mohan Nagar - Social Service & Environment
Known across Betul's tribal regions as the "Water Man", Mohan Nagar turned water conservation into a mass movement long before it became policy language.
"My life was shaped by my love for nature, rivers, and water. The real achievement is when villagers themselves take responsibility for conserving water," he told NDTV.
His Ganga Avataran Campaign, rainwater harvesting innovations, and groundwater recharge work have revived water sources in drought-hit areas impacting thousands. Today, he serves as Vice Chairman of the MP Jan Abhiyan Parishad with Minister of State rank.
Dr Narayan Vyas - Archaeology
For 37 years, Dr Vyas excavated, preserved, and taught India's past. Even after retirement, he wrote ten books to keep archaeology alive for younger minds.
"I have been applying for this award since 2017. For the last three years, my niece Poorva filled the forms. Prime Minister Modi has connected ordinary people to this honour. I dedicate this award to my guru Dr Vishnudhar Wakankar, my wife Sadhana, and my niece," an emotional Dr Vyas told NDTV.
His Padma Shri, he said, is validation that perseverance still matters.
Bhagwandas Raikwar - Sports (Martial Arts)
At the historic Chhatrasal Bundela Akhara in Sagar, Bhagwandas Raikwar kept Bundeli martial arts alive when even practitioners were disappearing.
"When people moved away from this art, Guruji still came every morning, practiced, and trained us. He dedicated his entire life to this akhara," a student of his said.
Raikwar later took Bundeli martial arts to Russia, France, and the US, giving an ancient tradition global recognition. Speaking to NDTV, he urged the state to formally recognise the art as a sport so it can survive for future generations.
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