New Delhi: At the first Civil Investiture Ceremony of 2025 held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today, President Droupadi Murmu presented Padma Awards to 71 distinguished individuals across various disciplines. The honours included four Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri awards.
D. Nageshwar Reddy and Dr. L. Subramaniam were awarded Padma Vibhushan for their outstanding contributions to medicine and art, respectively, while literary icon M. T. Vasudevan Nair and auto industry veteran Osamu Suzuki were honoured posthumously. Notable Padma Bhushan awardees included actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, and former Indian hockey captain Sreejesh P. R., with former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi receiving the honour posthumously.
Among the Padma Shri recipients were cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, former SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya, flautist Ronu Majumdar, American author Stephen Knapp, and Carnatic vocalist Dr. K. Omankutty Amma.
Speaking to the media persons, Bhattacharya dedicated her award to her work in expanding the Jan Dhan scheme, while Majumdar and Amma expressed gratitude to the government, recalling their journeys in the fields of art and public service. Knapp also thanked India for recognising his literary contributions.
The ceremony was graced by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers including Amit Shah, and other dignitaries.
Notably, the Padma Awards honour excellence across fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science, trade, medicine, literature, education, sports, and civil service.
