PADMA VIBHUSAN & PADMA BHUSAN
Why in news :
- Recently, The President of India has approved 106 Padma awards. The list comprises six Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri awards.
PADMA AWARDS :
- The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
- The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
The Awards are given in three categories :
- Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service)
- Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order)
- Padma Shri (distinguished service)
HISTORY OF PADMA AWARDS :
- The Government of India instituted two civilian awards-Bharat Ratna & Padma Vibhushan in 1954.
- The latter had three classes namely Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg.
- These were subsequently renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri vide Presidential Notification issued on January 8, 1955.
PADMA VIBHUSAN :
- The Padma Vibhushan (Lotus Decoration) is the second-highest civilian award of India.
- All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards.
- However, government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these Awards.
- The award recipients are announced on Republic Day.
- Some of the early recipients of the Padma Vibhushan were S N BOSE, NANDALAL BOSE, ZAKIR HUSSAIN, B G TILAK.
The awardees of 2023 includes Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, Gujarat architect and educationist Balkrishna Doshi, tabla player Zakir Hussain, mathematician S R Srinivasa Vardhan etc.
WHO DECIDES AWARDEES?
- All nominations received for Padma Awards are placed before the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
- The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members.
- The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.
Syllabus : Prelims + Mains; GS2 – International Relations
