India’s first woman photographer Homai Vyarawalla, tribal artist Jivya Soma Mhase, yesteryear actor Shashi Kapoor, Chhau dance exponent Makar Dhwaj Darogha and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia were among those who were conferred the Padma awards.
President Pratibha Patil gave away the awards at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday which was attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, several union ministers and a host of dignitaries.
Ahluwalia, Vyarawalla, economist Vijay Kelkar, noted Odiya poet Sitakant Mahapatra, eminent jurist K Parasaran, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Telugu actor A Nageshwara Rao and eminent metallurgist P Rama Rao were among those who were honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.Theatre artist Satyadev Dubey, Shashi Kapoor, noted painters Krishen Khanna and Arpita Singh, legendary Rabindra Sangeet exponent Dwijen Mukherjee, philanthropist Rajashree Birla, Infosys CEO S Gopalakrishnan, ICICI CEO Chanda Kochhar, Chairman of Dr Reddy’s Labs K Anji Reddy, NIIT founder Chairman Rajendra Singh Pawar, HCL co-founder Ajai Chowdhary, former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, journalist and author T J S George and educationist Ramdas Madhava Pai were decorated with the Padma Bhushan.
Renowned designer Dashrath Patel and eminent cardiologist Keki Byramjee Grant were awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously.
Patel’s sister Snehlata Desai and Grant’s son Pervez Grant received the award from the President.
The Padma Shri awardees were Makar Dhwaja Darogha, filmaker Girish Kasaravalli, Warli painter Jivya Soma Mhase, Kathak exponent Sunayana Hazarilal, carnatic vocalist S R Janakiraman, Mohiniyattam exponent Kshemavathy Pavithran, singer Usha Uthup, actors Kajol and Irfan Khan.
Social workers Sheela Patel, Anita Reddy and Kanubhai Hasmukhbhai Tailor, architects C N Raghavendran and Gopalan Nair Shankar, scientist turned activist Suman Sahai, agriculture scientist E A Siddiq, entrepreneur Kailasam Raghavendra Rao, the trainer of anti-naxal force Greyhounds Narayan Singh Bhati, shooter Gagan Narang, athlete Krishna Poonia, mountaineer Harbhajan Singh, endocrinologist Sivapatham Vittal, gastroenterologist Madanur Ahmed Ali and neurosurgeon A Marthanda Pillai also received the Padma Shri.
Mahim Bora, Pullella Srirama Chandrudu, Barun Mazumder, Avvai Natarajan, Buangi Sailo, Devi Dutt Sharma, Nilamber Dev Sharma, Krishna Kumar, Deviprasad Dwivedi and Mamang Dai received the Padma Shri in the Literature and Education category.
Heritage conservationist Om Prakash Agrawal and National Science Foundation Director Subra Suresh were among the Padma Shri recipients.
The other Padma Shri recepients were Gulshan Nanda (handicrafts promotion), Upendra Baxi (Public Affairs), Martha Chen (social work) and Peruvanam Kuttan Marar (Art).
Granville Austin and Devanooru Mahadeva received the Padma Shri but were not present for the function.
