[ca_topic source=”News on Air” source_url=”https://newsonair.gov.in/president-droupadi-murmu-to-present-66th-padma-awards-at-first-civil-investiture-ceremony-for-2026-today/” url=”” subject=”Miscellaneous”]
Context: President will present 66 Padma Awards, including 2 Padma Vibhushan, 6 Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri, at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
About The Padma Awards:
What They Are?
- The Padma Awards are amongst the highest civilian honors of India, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. They are designed to recognize works of distinction and celebrate exceptional achievements or service where an element of public service is involved. The awards are structured into three distinct tiers:
- Padma Vibhushan: Conferred for exceptional and distinguished service.
- Padma Bhushan: Conferred for distinguished service of a high order.
- Padma Shri: Conferred for distinguished service in any specific field.
History:
- The Government of India instituted two civilian awards in 1954: the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
- Originally, the Padma Vibhushan was classified into three tiers: Pahela Varg (First Class), Dusra Varg (Second Class), and Tisra Varg (Third Class).
- These were subsequently renamed as the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri via a Presidential Notification issued on January 8, 1955.
- These honors have been announced every year since their inception, except for brief suspensions in 1978–1979 and 1993–1997.
Process of Selection:
- Open Nominations: The nomination process is heavily democratized and open to the general public. Citizens can nominate inspiring individuals, and self-nomination is also explicitly permitted.
- The Evaluating Committee: All entries are screened by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
- Committee Composition: The panel is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes the Union Home Secretary, the Secretary to the President, and four to six eminent public personalities.
- Final Approval: The committee’s recommendations are submitted directly to the Prime Minister and the President of India for final executive clearance.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Universal Inclusion: All individuals, without any distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex, are fully eligible for these awards.
- Government Servant Restriction: Government servants, including professionals working with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), are not eligible for these awards.
- The Institutional Exception: Doctors and scientists are completely exempt from the government servant restriction and remain eligible for nomination based on their research, advancements, or clinical service.
Key Features:
- Illustrative Disciplines: Awards are distributed across fields including Art, Social Work, Public Affairs, Science & Engineering, Trade & Industry, Medicine, Literature & Education, Civil Service, and Sports.
- The Hard Annual Cap: The maximum number of awards given in a single year cannot exceed 120. However, this strict numerical cap excludes posthumous awards and those presented to NRIs, Foreigners, or Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).
- The Posthumous Clause: The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving or exceptional cases, the government can break this convention to honor an individual posthumously.
- The Five-Year Elapsing Rule: A recipient can only be upgraded to a higher tier of the Padma Award if a period of at least five years has passed since the conferment of their earlier category. The Awards Committee can relax this rule in highly extraordinary circumstances.
- Legal Status Regarding Titles: In accordance with Article 18 of the Constitution of India, these awards do not amount to a title. They cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the awardee’s name; any such commercial or public misuse forfeits the honor.
- The Presentation Insignia: Recipients receive a Sanad (a formal certificate) signed directly by the President of India, along with a primary medallion and a small wearable replica for ceremonial state functions.
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