131 Padma awards for 2026; Dharmendra, VS Achuthanandhan honoured with Padma Vibhushan posthumously, Karnataka’s Anke Gowda among recipients

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu has approved the conferment of 131 Padma awards for 2026, including two duo cases counted as single awards, and Bollywood actor Dharmendra Singh Deol and former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan as recipients for Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards, recognising distinguished service across a wide range of fields. Among the recipients, Anke Gowda from Mandya district in Karnataka will be conferred the Padma Shri 2026 in the unsung heroes category.

The Padma Vibhushan awardees include Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumous) for Art from Maharashtra; former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas for Public Affairs from Kerala; violin maestro N Rajam for Art from Uttar Pradesh; eminent Malyalam journalist P Narayanan for Literature and Education from Kerala; as well as veteran left leader and former Kerala CM Achuthanandan (posthumous) for Public Affairs.

Recipients of the Padma Bhushan include celebrated female playback singer Alka Yagnik (Art, Maharashtra), Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari (Public Affairs, Uttarakhand), distinguist gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy (Medicine, Tamil Nadu), legendary Malayali actor Mammootty (Art, Kerala), Dr Nori Dattatreyaudu (Medicine, United States of America), Piyush Pandey (posthumous) (Art, Maharashtra), S K M Maeilananndhan (Social Work, Tamil Nadu), Shatavadhani R Ganesh (Art, Karnataka), former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren (posthumous) (Public Affairs, Jharkhand), Uday Kotak (Trade and Industry, Maharashtra), veteral politician V K Malhotra (posthumous) (Public Affairs, Delhi), Vellappally Natesan (Public Affairs, Kerala) and Vijay Amritraj (Sports, United States of America).

Among the awardees, 19 are women, while six belong to the categories of foreign nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs). Sixteen awards have been announced posthumously.

#WATCH | As per sources, Anke Gowda of Karnataka is being awarded the Padma Shri. Once, Anke Gawda worked as a bus conductor, but it was his love for books that became the foundation of Pustakamane, now one of India’s largest free-access libraries with over 20 lakh books in 20+… pic.twitter.com/kDo2FFEaq3

— DD News (@DDNewslive) January 25, 2026

Among the recipients are 45 unsung heroes from across the country for their distinguished service in diverse fields, including social work, literature and education, healthcare, public service and community welfare.

The awardees include individuals who have worked quietly at the grassroots for decades, many of them hailing from marginalised communities, Dalit and backward sections, primitive tribes and remote or difficult terrains. This year’s list reflects a strong focus on people who have dedicated their lives to serving ‘Divyangjan’, women, children, Dalits and tribal communities, while promoting education, healthcare, sanitation, sustainability and livelihoods.

Among the recipients, Anke Gowda from Karnataka will be conferred the Padma Shri 2026 in the unsung heroes category. Other awardees include Armida Fernandez, Bhagwandas Raikwar, Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda, Brij Lal Bhat, Budhri Tati, Charan Hembram, Chiranji Lal Yadav, Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya, Gafruddin Mewati Jogi, Inderjit Singh Sidhu, Kollakkayil Devaki Amma G, Kumarasamy Thangaraj, Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai, Mohan Nagar, Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala, Nuruddin Ahmed, Padma Gurmet, Pokhila Lekthepi, Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar, Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar, Rama Reddy Mamidi, Ramchandra Godbole and Sunita Godbole, Sangyusang S Pongener, Shafi Shauq, Shrirang Devaba Lad, Simanchal Patro, Taga Ram Bheel, Techi Gubin and Yumnam Jatra Singh.

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 and fields of activities like art, social work, public affairs, science, and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and 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 Republic Day every year. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually around March and April each year. (ANI)