NEW DELHI: Of the total 139 Padma Awardees for the year 2025, 71 of them including Osamu Suzuki (Posthumous), Hockey legend PR Sreejesh, filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor and cricketer R Ashwin received awards from President Droupadi Murmu at the first star studded investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday.
In a statement, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, “The President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented 4 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 57 Padma Shri Awards for the year 2025 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held in Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhawan today.”
The ceremony was graced by Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and many other ministers in the Union government among other dignitaries.
Among those, who were presented the second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan, included MT Vasudevan Nair (Posthumous) and his wife Saraswathy received the distinction on his behalf. Similarly, on the behalf of Osamu Suzuki, his son Toshihiro received the award. The other two recipients of Padma Vibhshan were Duvvur Nageswar Reddy and Lakshminarayana Subramaniam.
Besides Sreejesh and Shekhar Kapur, prominent among those who received Padma Bhushan former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi (Posthumous) and on his behalf his wife Jessie Sushil Modi. Late Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas’s wife Farida Pankaj Udhas received the award on his behalf. In total 10 Padma Bhushan awardees received the distinction.
Besides Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan, 57 Padma Shri awards, including one to cricket R Ashwin were given.