President Ram Nath Kovind presented Padma Awards at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening. Mr Kovind presented Padma Vibhushan to CDS General Bipin Rawat and Radhey Shyam Khemka posthumously. Daughters of General Rawat, Kritika and Tarini and Khemka’s son Krishna Kumar received the awards.
Veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekharan, Paralympics Medalist Devendra Jhajharia, former Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi, Managing Director of the Serum Institute of India Cyrus Poonawalla, welfare activist Sachchidanand Swami, Classical vocalist Rashid Khan received the Padma Bhushan. Singer Gurmeet Bawa was given the award posthumously.
Fifty-Four people were given Padma Shri Awards. They include Film and Television series Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, 125-year-old yoga enthusiast of Varanasi Swami Sivanand, traditional doll maker from Manipur Konsam Ibomcha Singh, Kannada Author Siddalingaiah, progressive horticulture farmer Sethpal Singh, engineer and academician Dilip Shahani, veteran football player Bramhanand Sankhwalkar and Gond Painter Durga Bai Vyam.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah along with several other dignitaries were present.