Padma Vibhushan for Dilip Mahalanabis

Hyderabad: The Union government on Wednesday announced one Padma Vibhushan and 25 Padma Shri awards. The Padma Vibhushan will be awarded posthumously to Dilip Mahalanabis (Medicine), for his pioneering work in the use of oral rehydration therapy to treat diarrhoeal diseases.

Tridandi Ramanuja Chinna Jeer Swamy and Dr Kamalesh D Patel of the Ramachandra Mission have been selected for Padma Bhushan this year under the category of spiritualism. Both are currently based in Hyderabad.

Of the 25 Padma Shri awards, Prof B Ramakrishna Reddy who had done great work in preserving and promoting tribal languages, was conferred the award from Telangana.

From Andhra Pradesh, Sankuratri Chandra Shekar, Chairman of Kiran Eye hospital in Kakinada, has been selected for Padma Shri. He is known for his social service activities which include free education and health services for the poor. He had lost his wife and two children in an air crash sometime back.

Modadugu Vijay Gupta (Science and Engineering), M M Keeravani (Art), Dr Pasupuleti Hanumantha Rao (Medicine), C V Raju (Art), A Nageswara Rao (Science and Engineering) also bagged Padma Shri awards from Telugu states.

The Padma Awards are India's highest civilian honours after the Bharat Ratna, seeking to "recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved."

The history of Padma Awards

Two awards, the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan were first instituted in 1954 as India's highest civilian honours. The latter had three classes: Pahela Varg (1st Class), Dusra Varg (Second Class) and Tisra Varg (Third Class). In 1955, these were subsequently named as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, respectively.

While the Bharat Ratna is treated as an exceptional award with only 45 Bharat Ratnas being handed over till date, the Padma Awards are annually conferred to deserving civilians. Except for interruptions in 1978, 1979 and between 1993 and 1997, every year the names of the recipients are announced on the eve of the Republic Day.