President Droupadi Murmu will present the Padma Awards at the Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi tomorrow. President Murmu will confer Padma Vibhushan on former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, and Bharatnatyam dancer Dr Padma Subrahmanyam.
Padma Vibhushan award will be given to Bindeshwar Pathak posthumously. Actor Mithun Chakraborty and singer Usha Uthup will receive the Padma Bhushan award. The other Padma Bhushan awardees include philanthropist Dr Sitaram Jindal, cardiologist Dr Tejas Madhusudan Patel and former Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik.
Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activities including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.