Government announces Padma Awards

The President of India has approved the conferment of Padma Awards for the year 2010. This year, the President has approved 128 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 12 in the category of Foreigners/ NRIs/ PIOs/ Posthumous.

These comprise 13 Padma Vibhushan, 31 Padma Bhushan and 84 Padma Shri Awards. There are 31 ladies among the awardees.

Brajesh Mishra

Padma Vibhushan for Civil Services

Brajesh Mishra, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, was the country's first National Security Advisor under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mishra's father, the late Dwarka Prasad Mishra was a staunch politician from the Congress Party and very close to Indira Gandhi.

He was the first non-IAS principal secretary to the Prime Minister of India. After Brijesh Mishra, the post of principal secretary to the Prime Minister became such a powerful one that it eclipsed the status of cabinet ministers. He has been awarded Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to Civil Services.

List of awardees

Shyam Saran

Padma Bhushan for Civil Services

Shyam Saran is a 1970 batch Indian Foreign Service officer. He served as Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, High Commissioner to Mauritius.

He was an advisor to the Prime Minister specializing in nuclear issues, as well as the Indian envoy on climate change. He quit office on 19th February 2010. He has been awarded Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Civil Services.

List of awardees

Montek Singh Ahluwalia

Padma Vibhushan for Public Affairs

Montek Singh Ahluwalia was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission on June 16, 2004, by the UPA government and then reappointed by the government on June 5, 2009 by the Prime Minister. Montek is an Oxford-educated economist and has worked closely with Manmohan Singh, when the latter was finance minister in the period 1991-1996. In his illustrious career, Ahluwalia has also served at the IMF and its sister institution the World Bank. Montek Singh Ahluwalia played a major role in crafting reforms which helped integrate India with the world economy.

List of awardees

Azim Premji

Padma Vibhushan for Trade and Industry

Azim Premji is Chairman of Wipro Technologies, one of the largest software companies in India. Business Week recognized him as one of the Greatest Entrepreneurs of All Time for his vision and leadership that has been responsible for Wipro emerging as one of the world's fastest growing companies. Premji made news recently by transferring more than Rs 8,000 crore worth of his shares in Wipro Industries to an education trust named after him. His donation is considered to be the single-largest individual donation towards philanthropic activities. The trust will utilize the endowment to fund various social and not-for-profit initiatives.

List of awardees

Chanda Kochhar

Padma Bhushan for Trade and Industry

Chanda Kochhar is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Bank Limited. She began her career with ICICI as a management trainee in 1984 and has thereon successfully risen through the ranks by handling multidimensional assignments and heading all the major functions in the bank at various points in time. She was ranked 11th by Financial Times in the Top 50 Women in World Business in its 2010 list and has been conferred ‘Banker of the Year' award by Financial Express 2010.

List of awardees

Kajol

Padma Shri for Art - Cinema

Kajol is a film actress appearing in Hindi films. She made her acting debut in the film Bekhudi (1992) and had her first commercial success with her second film Baazigar (1993) opposite Shahrukh Khan, with whom she would act in such popular movies as Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and My Name is Khan (2010).

List of awardees

Irrfan Khan

Padma Shri for Art - Cinema

Sahabzade Irrfan Ali Khan is an actor in film, television and theatre. He received recognition for his roles in The Warrior (2001), Maqbool (2003), Haasil (2004), The Namesake (2006), A Mighty Heart (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Billu (2009), New York (2009), New York, I Love You (2009), and Vodafone commercials. He has won two Filmfare Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

List of awardees

Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi

Padma Bhushan for Art - Cinema - Music

Mohammed Zahur "Khayyam" Hashmi, better known as Khayyam, is a music composer whose career spanned four decades.

He has won three Filmfare Awards for Best Music in 1977 for Kabhi Kabhie and 1982 for Umrao Jaan, and a life time achievement award in 2010 .

He was awarded the 2007 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Creative Music, by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Theatre.

List of awardees

Shashi Kapoor

Padma Bhushan for Art - Cinema

Shashi Kapoor is an award-winning film actor and producer. He is remembered for many hit Hindi films, including ones he starred in with Amitabh Bachchan, such as Deewar, Do Aur Do Paanch and Namak Halaal. He has also played leading roles in a number of British films, including several Merchant Ivory productions such as Shakespeare-Wallah.

List of awardees

Waheeda Rehman

Padma Bhushan for Art - Cinema

Waheeda Rehman is a famous film actress who appears in Bollywood movies, most notably C.I.D. (1956) and Guru Dutt classics such as Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962).

List of awardees

Sushil Kumar

Padma Shri for Sports – Wrestling

Shushil Kumar is India's ace wrestler who rose to instant stardom by winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sushil then went on to become the first Indian wrestler to be crowned World Champion and also won the Gold medal during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

List of awardees

VVS Laxman

Padma Shri for Sports - Cricket

The man who routed the Australians in Kolkata's Eden Gardens with his mammoth knock of 281 has continued to be the savior of the team in Test matches on several occasions. The stylish Hyderabadi is a treat to watch when on song.

List of awardees

Gagan Narang

Padma Shri for Sports - Shooting

The shooter who had often complained of being sidelined showed his mettle to the world by winning four Gold medals during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He was one of the better performers during the Asian Games as well, winning two silver medals.

List of awardees

Krishna Poonia

Padma Shri for Sports - Discus Throw

The girl from Rajasthan shot to instant stardom as she led an Indian charge in the discus throw event during the 2010 Commonwealth Games and won the Gold medal. India swept the event by winning the other two medals as well.

List of awardees