Padma Awards: Mulayam, Jhunjhunwala Among 7 Honoured Posthumously
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday conferred Padma awards to 106 people belonging to various fields including art, social work, public affairs, trade and industry, medicine, and science and engineering among others.
The president had approved the conferment of 106 Padma awards, including three duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one), on the eve of this year’s Republic Day. The list comprised six Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri Awards, including seven Posthumous awardees ( 3 Padma Vibhushan and 4 Padma Shri).
Of these, over 50 people were awarded on Wednesday. Rest of the awardees would be conferred the honour in another ceremony later.
India’s top civilian award Bharat Ratna has not been given to anyone since 2019.
Here’s the Posthumous awardees:
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi: The renowned Indian architect, credited with designing some of the most iconic structures in the country such as IIM Bangalore, NIFT Delhi and CEPT University in Ahmedabad, was awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously. He passed away earlier this year in January at the age of 95 in his home state of Gujarat.
Dr Dilip Mahalanabis: The eminent paediatrician was among the many unsung heroes who was awarded the civilian honour this year. Dr Dilip Mahalanabis pioneered the use of oral rehydration therapy during the outbreak of cholera among refugees of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata in October 2022 at the age of 88.
Mulayam Singh Yadav: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was conferred Padma Vibhushan posthumously. The Samajwadi Party patriarch passed away on October 10 at the age of 82.
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala: Billionaire stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who had passed away last year, was conferred Padma Shri posthumously.
Narendra Chandra Debbarma: The Tripura politician, who headed the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), ruling BJP’s ally in the state, was conferred Padma Shri. He was serving as Tripura revenue minister when he breathed his last at a hospital in Agartala on January 1, 2023, at the age of 84. Prior to the formation of the IPFT, Debbarma also had direct or indirect involvement in several indigenous regional parties.
Areez Khambatta: The founder of Rasna Group was conferred Padma Shri posthumously. Khambatta is known for creating the iconic home-grown beverage brand Rasna, which is sold at 1.8 million retail outlets in the country. Khambatta, who was also the chairman of Areez Khambatta Benevolent Trust and Rasna Foundation, passed away in November last year at the age of 85.
Karma Wangchu: Karma Wangchu was among the 13 distinguished personalities from North East conferred with Padma Awards this year. Wangchu, born in 1936 at Seru village in Tawang, was the first person from his district to become a minister in the state cabinet of Arunachal Pradesh. In his extensive political career, Wangchu never lost any election. As part of his philanthropic activities, he provided free education along with residential facilities to more than 1,256 children, mostly orphans and destitute. The former minister breathed his last on October 20, 2022 at the age of 86.