Padma Awards 2026: 131 civilian honours approved; Dharmendra, Uday Kotak, Mammootty among top recipients
India announced the Padma Awards 2026 on the eve of Republic Day, with the President approving 131 honours across Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The list spans arts, public affairs, industry, literature, medicine and sport, and includes women awardees, overseas recipients and posthumous honours.
- Reporting desk
- Health India Network News Desk
- First published
New Delhi: The Padma Awards 2026 were announced on Sunday, 25 January 2026, with President Droupadi Murmu approving 131 civilian honours across the three Padma categories. The awards are traditionally unveiled on the eve of Republic Day and are later conferred at investiture ceremonies at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
This year’s list includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards (including duo cases counted as one award each). The selection also features 19 women awardees, six recipients from the Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI category, and 16 posthumous honours, highlighting a mix of celebrated names and quieter contributors from across the country.
Who is being honoured
Among the Padma Vibhushan awardees is veteran actor Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumous). Other prominent names referenced across reports include classical violinist N Rajam, former Supreme Court judge K T Thomas and writer P Narayanan. The Padma Bhushan list includes personalities such as singer Alka Yagnik, Malayalam cinema icon Mammootty and banker-industrialist Uday Kotak, among others.
The Padma Shri list, the broadest category, similarly spans multiple fields—from public service and medicine to culture and sport—reflecting the government’s stated aim of recognising both public figures and “ordinary Indians” with extraordinary contributions.
What happens next
While the awards are announced in January, the actual conferment typically takes place at ceremonial functions held later in the year at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually around March or April. With Republic Day celebrations set for Monday, 26 January 2026, the Padma list becomes part of the wider national spotlight on achievements and service.