New Delhi: India's highest civilian awards, the Padma awards, would be conferred on 110 eminent people, including the late Bhupen Hazarika and cartoonist Mario Miranda, showbiz star Dharmendra and cardiologist Devi Prasad Shetty, it was announced here yesterday. This year, too, nobody has been listed for the Bharat Ratna honour.
In the list are those who have contributed in an entire gamut of fields, from cinema and civil service to science and social work.
While five people have been listed for Padma Vibhushan, 27 will get the Padma Bhushan and 77 the Padma Shri. Among the awardees are 19 women such as actor Shabana Azmi, director Mira Nair and activist Uma Tuli.
Eight people of Indian origin and two foreigners are in the list, traditionally announced the day before Republic Day and conferred by the president in March or April.
President Pratibha Patil gave the nod for five people to get the Padma Vibhushan for "exceptional and distinguished service".
Mario Miranda and Bhupen Hazarika found posthumous mention. The others are sculptor K.G. Subramanyan, orthopaedist Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti and civil servant T.V. Rajeswar.
Prominent showbiz names like Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Mira Nair as well as artist Jatin Das will get the Padma Bhushan for "distinguished service of high order". Former ambassador to the US Ronen Sen and Devi Prasad Shetty also figure in the list.
Among the eminent NRIs getting the Padma Bhushan are sculptor Anish Kapoor (Britain) and judge P.C. Rao (Germany). The list also includes four people in the literature and education category — Vidya Dehejia, Arvind Panagariya and Jose Pereira from the US and Homi K. Bhabha from Britain.
George Yong-Boon Yeo, Singapore's former foreign affairs minister, will get the Padma Bhushan too.
Another Singaporean, Gopinath Pillai, is slated to get the Padma Shri in the trade and industry category. Shoji Shiba from Japan (trade and industry) and US-based professor Jagadish Shukla (science and engineering) are also in the list.
The 77 Padma Shris for "distinguished service in any field" include 22 people from the field of art. Vocalist Fariduddin Dagar, theatre veteran Joy Michael as well as composer Vanraj Bhatia, bhajan singer Anup Jalota and the famous Gundecha brothers, Ramakant Gundecha and Uma Kant Gundecha, who sing dhrupad have been acknowledged as well.
