Padma Vibhushan for CDS Rawat, Kalyan Singh, Prabha Atre

New Delhi: On the eve of the Republic Day, the Centre on Tuesday announced the list of recipients of the Padma awards. Among other honours, first Chief of Defence Staff late General Bipin Rawat, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, and Kirana Gharana vocalist Prabha Atre have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan. 

The Padma Bhushan will be conferred on Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and SII MD Cyrus Poonawalla. Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech Chairman Krishna Ella, his co-founder wife Suchitra Ella will be awarded Padma Bhushan Olympians Neeraj Chopra, Pramod Bhagat and Vandana Kataria, and singer Sonu Nigam will be awarded the Padma Shri. Moreover, former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will also get the Padma Bhushan.

Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.