Padma Awards 2026 honour Dharmendra, Achuthanandan, Soren and 45 ‘unsung heroes’

The government on Sunday announced 131 Padma awards for 2026, with actor Dharmendra and former Kerala chief minister and veteran communist leader V S Achuthanandan named among the recipients of the Padma Vibhushan, while a large number of grassroots contributors and “unsung heroes” were recognised with Padma Shri awards.

The list, announced on the eve of Republic Day, includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards, including two cases where a joint award is counted as one, according to an official statement.

Actor Dharmendra and Achuthanandan have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour, posthumously. Others selected for the Padma Vibhushan are former Supreme Court judge K T Thomas (public affairs), Hindustani classical violinist N Rajam (art), and eminent Malayalam journalist P Narayanan (literature and education).

Among the Padma Bhushan awardees are playback singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, actor Mammootty, banker Uday Kotak, advertising professional Piyush Pandey, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder Shibu Soren and BJP leader V K Malhotra. Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj has also been conferred the Padma Bhushan.

The Padma Shri list features a strong emphasis on individuals whose contributions have largely remained outside the public spotlight. As many as 45 awardees fall under what sources described as the “unsung heroes” category, recognising sustained work at the grassroots across diverse fields.

Among them is Anke Gowda, a former bus conductor from Karnataka who established what is described as the world’s largest free-access library, ‘Pustak Mane’, housing more than two million books in 20 languages along with rare manuscripts. The 75-year-old bibliophile from Haralahalli village near Mysuru has been honoured for his efforts to democratise access to knowledge.

Medical professionals recognised include Mumbai-based paediatrician Armida Fernandes, who set up Asia’s first human milk bank; Shyam Sundar, who developed a low-cost test for detecting kala azar; and veteran haematologist Suresh Hangavadi for his work on haemophilia. Geneticist Kumarasamy Thangharaj of Hyderabad and Ladakh-based Padma Gurmet, known for promoting ancient Tibetan medicine, are also among the recipients.

Several traditional artistes and cultural practitioners have been awarded Padma Shri, including 90-year-old Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda, a tribal Tarpa player from Maharashtra; 100-year-old Yumnam Jatra Singh, a Nata Sankirtana performer from Manipur; Bundeli war art trainer Bhagwandas Raikwar from Madhya Pradesh; and Puducherry’s K Pajanivel, who has worked to preserve the Silambam martial art tradition.

Other awardees include folk artistes Vishwa Bandhu from Bihar, Gafruddin Mewati Jogi from Rajasthan, Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya, an exponent of the Gujarati art form ‘Maanbhatt’, and Taga Ram Bheel, who has worked to protect the traditional Algoza instrument.

The list also recognises social workers and development practitioners such as Brij Lal Bhat from Jammu and Kashmir, Budri Thati from Chhattisgarh for setting up schools in Naxal-affected areas, Ramchandra and Sunita Godbole for rural healthcare work in Bastar, sanitation advocate and former IPS officer Inderjit Singh Sandhu, and Techi Gubin of Arunachal Pradesh for preserving Nishi tribal culture.

Environmentalists Kollakkayil Devaki Amma G from Kerala, Hally War from Meghalaya and Mohan Nagar from Madhya Pradesh, who built over 75,000 water structures, have also been named. Innovators in agriculture, handloom, crafts and language preservation feature prominently, including Shrirang Devba Lad for cotton farming techniques and Khem Raj Sundriyal for training artisans in Jamdani weaving.

According to the government, 90 of the awardees are women. The list also includes six persons from the categories of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and OCIs, and 16 posthumous awardees.

The Padma Awards, instituted in 1954, are conferred in recognition of distinguished service in any field, including art, literature, science, public affairs, social work and trade and industry.