Updated on 26-January-2019: The Padma Bhushan is the highest civilian award in India after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan. It is conferred to distinguished individuals for their exceptional work in areas such as art and literature, civil services, education, science and engineering, sports, medicine, public affairs, business and industry, social work and miscellaneous.
The Padma Bhushan is conferred based on the recommendations made by state governments, members of parliament, governors, chief ministers, minister of the central government, eminent citizens and institutions of excellence to the Padma Awards Committee.
This committee offers its final recommendations to the Prime Minister, who takes the final decision with help from the Principal Secretary, Secretary to the President, the Cabinet Secretary, and Union Home Secretary and gives the final shortlist to the President. The awards are generally declared on Republic Day every year. The President confers the award to the recipients at a glittering ceremony held at the RashtrapatI Bhavan.
The Padma Bhushan was first introduced in 1954 and is considered higher in the hierarchy than the Padma Shri. The award consists of a round silver medal with the design of a lotus emblazoned in the center.
Many distinguished men and women have received this award. A total of 23 recipients were conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1954, 12 in 1955 and 13 in 1956.
Among the distinguished recipients of the Padma Bhushan include the great scientists Homi Jehangir Bhabha and Shanthi Swaroop Bhatnagar, as well as the great hockey player, Dhyan Chand. Efforts have been made to make all Padma Awards more transparent by the Home Ministry.
Padma Bhushan Award 2019 List: Padma Bhushan Awardee Name, Field, and State ApplicationThis year 2019, the President of India has approved conferment of 14 Padma Bhushan Awardees. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.
Shri John Chambers (Trade & Industry-Technology), USA
Shri Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (Public Affairs), Punjab
Shri Pravin Gordhan (Foreigner) for Public Affairs, South Africa
Shri Mahashay Dharam Pal Gulati (Trade & Industry-Food Processing), Delhi
Shri Darshan Lal Jain (Social Work), Haryana
Shri Ashok Laxmanrao Kukade (Medicine-Affordable Healthcare), Maharashtra
Shri Kariya Munda (Public Affairs), Jharkhand
Shri Budhaditya Mukherjee (Art-Music-Sitar), West Bengal
Shri Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair (Art-Acting-Film), Kerala
Shri S Nambi Narayan (Science & Engineering-Space), Kerala
Shri Kuldip Nayar (Posthumous) for Literature & Education (Journalism), Delhi
Ms. Bachendri Pal (Sports-Mountaineering), Uttarakhand
Shri V K Shunglu (Civil Service), Delhi
Shri Hukumdev Narayan Yadav (Public Affairs), Bihar
Padma Bhushan Award 2018 List: Padma Bhushan Awardee Name, Field, and StateThis year 2018, the President of India has approved conferment of 9 Padma Bhushan Awardees.
Shri Pankaj Advani, Sports- Billiards/Snooker, Karnataka
Shri Philipose Mar Chrysostom, Others-Spiritualism, Kerala
Shri Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sports-Cricket, Jharkhand
Shri Alexander Kadakin, (Foreigner/ Posthumous), Public Affairs, Russia
Shri Ramachandran Nagaswamy, Others-Archaeology, Tamil Nadu
Shri Ved Prakash Nanda (OCI), Literature and Education, USA
Shri Laxman Pai, Art-Painting, Goa
Shri Arvind Parikh, Art-Music, Maharashtra
Ms. Sharda Sinha, Art-Music, Bihar
In the year 2017, the President of India has approved conferment of 7 Padma Bhushan Awardees.
Padma Bhushan Award 2017 List: Padma Bhushan Awardee Name, Field, and StateShri Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Art-Music Rajasthan
Prof. (Dr.) Devi Prasad Dwivedi Literature & Education Uttar Pradesh
Shri Tehemton Udwadia Medicine Maharashtra
Shri Ratna Sundar Maharaj Others-Spiritualism Gujarat
Swami Niranjana Nanda Saraswati Others-Yoga Bihar
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (Foreigner) Literature & Education Thailand
Late Shri Cho Ramaswamy (Posthumous) Literature & Education – Journalism Tamil Nadu Padma Shri