President Murmu confers 65 Padma awards at second ceremony

President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma Awards upon 65 distinguished individuals at the second Civil Investiture Ceremony of the year at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, June 23. The event recognized achievements across diverse fields including arts, sports, medicine, and public service.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among the dignitaries present. The awards comprised two Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan, and 56 Padma Shri honors. This followed a first ceremony held on May 25, which conferred 66 awards, bringing the total number of Padma awardees for 2026 to 131.

The Padma Vibhushan, the highest category, was conferred upon former Supreme Court Justice K.T. Thomas for public affairs and eminent Malayalam journalist P. Narayanan for literature and education. Prominent recipients of the Padma Bhushan included Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty, tennis star Vijay Amritraj, and playback singer Alka Yagnik. American oncologist Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori was also honored with a Padma Bhushan in medicine.

Mammootty, 74, received the award for his contributions to Indian cinema over a career spanning more...