NEW DELHI: Space scientist G Madhavan Nair, architect of moon mission Chandrayaan, and Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar, who played a key role in shaping the Indo-US nuclear deal, have been conferred with Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civil honour, along with eight others.
India’s first ever Olympic gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra is among the receipients of Padma Bhushan while cricketers Mahender Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh have been selected for Padma Shri along with actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Helen.
According to a government communiqué, 10 persons have been selected for the Padma Vibhushan on the 60th Republic Day.
Padma Bhushan has been conferred on 30 and the Padma Shri list includes 93 names. No one has been selected for the highest honour of Bharat Ratna. Last year, Hindustani vocalist Bhimsen Joshi was honoured with the Bharat Ratna.
Other winners of Padma Vibhushan are Sister Nirmala of Missionaries of Charity, veteran Civil Servant Dr Chandrika Prasad Srivastava, environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna, prominent industrialist A S Ganguly, educationist D P Chattopadhyay, former Karnataka Governor Govind Narain and medicine experts Prof Jasbir Singh Bajaj and Dr Purshottam Lal.
There are five industrialists in the Padma award list representing businesses ranging from engineering, technology and hospitality to textiles. It includes Anil Manibhai Naik, chairman of Larsen and Toubro.
G Sivaram Krishna Murthy alias Krishna from Andhra Pradesh and Dr Vaidyanathan Ganapthi Sthapati from Tamil Nadu have been honoured with Padma Bhushan for their contribution in art. Educationists Ram Chandra Guha from Bangalore and Prof Alappat Sreedhara Menon from Kerala also get Padma Bhushan.
Other prominent recipient of Padma Bhushan is Lieutenant General (retd) Satish Nambiar for his contribution in the field of national security. He is the only Army officer in the list.
Conjeevaram Srirangachari Seshadri from Tamil Nadu has been honoured with Padma Bhushan in the field of science and engineering, so is social worker Dr Sarojini Varadappan.
Prof Jalees Ahmed Khan Tareen from Puducherry has been honoured with Padma Shri for contribution in literature and along with Dr Mathoor Krishnamurty and Dr Bannanje Govindacharya from Karnataka.
The Padma awards will be presented to the winners in a special ceremony in Rashtrapati at a later date.