India Honours Distinguished Citizens at Civil Investiture Ceremony

Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred the prestigious Padma Awards during a Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Among the top honours, veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for his exceptional contribution to the field of art. His wife, Hema Malini, received the award on his behalf, while their daughter Ahana Deol became emotional during the ceremony.

Celebrated classical violinist N Rajam also received the Padma Vibhushan for her pioneering contribution to Indian classical music and for popularising the ‘Gayaki Ang’ violin style.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the awardees, saying India’s strength lies in such remarkable individuals whose work enriches the nation’s collective journey. Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the recipients and later hosted a dinner in their honour.

The President conferred Padma Bhushan awards on former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, polymath R Ganesh, banker Uday Kotak and gastroenterologist Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy. Posthumous Padma Bhushan honours were also conferred on advertising veteran Piyush Pandey and former parliamentarian Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Several Padma Shri awards were also presented to distinguished personalities from sports, arts, social work and public service. Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, para-athlete Praveen Kumar and former CRPF Director General K Vijay Kumar were among the recipients.

Traditional and folk artists including Mir Haji Kasam, N Swaminathan and Taga Ram Bhil were honoured for preserving India’s cultural heritage. K Pajanivel received recognition for promoting the ancient Tamil martial art Silambam, while hockey coach Baldev Singh was recognised for mentoring leading Indian players.

The ceremony also honoured social workers, environmentalists, scholars and healthcare contributors, reflecting the diversity of achievements recognised under the Padma Awards system.

For 2026, the Government of India approved 131 Padma Awards, including 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri honours. The remaining awardees will be felicitated during a second ceremony later this year.