On 23 June 2026 President Droupadi Murmu conferred 65 Padma Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan, including Padma Bhushan to Vijay Amritraj and Padma Shri to Rohit Sharma and Savita Punia.
Key sporting recipients (23 June 2026)
- Rohit Sharma: Padma Shri; led India to ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
- Savita Punia: Padma Shri; India women’s hockey goalkeeper; second Indian goalkeeper after PR Sreejesh to complete 300 international caps.
- Vijay Amritraj: Padma Bhushan; former ATP world No. 18; 15 singles and 13 doubles career titles.
- Harmanpreet Kaur: Padma Shri; captain of India’s women’s team that won its maiden ODI World Cup (2025).
- Vladimir Mestvirishvili: Padma Shri (posthumous); Georgian coach who mentored Indian Olympic medallists.
- Praveen Kumar: Padma Shri; para high jumper and Paralympic gold medallist.
- Baldev Singh: Padma Shri; veteran coach recognised for development of women’s hockey.
- Bhagwandas Raikwar: Padma Shri (posthumous); promoter of Bundelkhand akhada-based martial arts.
Padma Awards: 2026 figures & process
- Total announced: 131 on 25 Jan 2026 — 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, 113 Padma Shri.
- Second investiture (23 June): 65 awards conferred — 2 Padma Vibhushan, 7 Padma Bhushan, 56 Padma Shri.
- Categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri; civilian honours instituted 1954.
- Announce & confer: Announced on Republic Day; conferred by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- Selection: Nominations are accepted from the public and government; selections made by a Padma Awards Committee constituted annually by the government.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Legal status: Padma awards are civilian honours instituted by government notification (1954), not created by statute.
- Posthumous conferment: Permitted; multiple posthumous awards were conferred in 2026.
- Precedence: Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award; Padma awards follow in descending order: Vibhushan, Bhushan, Shri.