President Murmu confers Padma Awards on 66 at 2026 Investiture Ceremony
Synopsis
President Droupadi Murmu honoured 66 Indians at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the first Padma investiture of 2026 — with Dharmendra receiving a posthumous Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Shri list stretching from cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur to Rajasthan folk musicians, underscoring the government's push to recognise excellence far beyond the mainstream.
Key Takeaways
President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma Awards on 66 personalities at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 26 May 2026 .
Padma Vibhushan was awarded to veteran actor Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumously) and classical violinist Dr N.
Padma Bhushan recipients included banker Uday Kotak , former Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari , and advertising legend Piyush Pandey (posthumously), among others.
The Padma Shri list of 57 honourees included cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar , actor Prosenjit Chatterjee , and multiple folk artistes and grassroots practitioners.
This was the first phase of the 2026 investiture; remaining awardees will be honoured at subsequent ceremonies.
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, 26 May 2026, conferred the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri on 66 distinguished personalities at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony of 2026, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The ceremony honoured achievers spanning public affairs, arts, literature, medicine, business, social service, and grassroots cultural traditions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior ministers were present.
Top Honours: Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan
The highest civilian honour conferred at the ceremony, the Padma Vibhushan, was awarded to veteran actor Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumously) for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, and to noted violinist Dr N. Rajam for her decades of service to Hindustani classical music.
The Padma Bhushan was conferred on six individuals: Shatavadhani Dr R. Ganesh; former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari; veteran banker Uday Kotak; senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra (posthumously); senior gastroenterologist Dr Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy; and advertising icon Piyush Pandey (posthumously).
Padma Shri: Regional Diversity and Grassroots Excellence
The Padma Shri list — spanning 57 recipients — reflected strong regional and social diversity, recognising folk artistes, medical professionals, writers, academics, and entrepreneurs from across the country. Among the honourees were Rajasthan folk musician Taga Ram Bheel, Tamil music exponent N. Swaminathan, cardiologist Prof. (Dr.) Saroj Mandal, writer Prof. Shafi Shauq, and industrialist Satyanarayan Nandlal Nuwal. Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar and actor Prosenjit Chatterjee were also among the honourees.
The full Padma Shri list includes: Bishwa Bandhu (posthumous), Bharat Singh Bharti, Taga Ram Bheel, Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, Ratilal Mohanlal Borisagar, Kumar Bose, Janardan Bapurao Bothe, Swami Brahamdev, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Devaki Amma G, Dr Ramchandra Godbole, Suneeta Godbole, Techi Gubin, Dr H. V. Hande, Gafruddin Mewati Jogi, Mir Haji Kasam, Raghuvir Khedkar, R. Krishnan Kitna (posthumous), Prof. Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Praveen Kumar, K. Vijay Kumar, Shrirang Devba Lad, Ankegowda M, Prof. (Dr.) Saroj Mandal, Prof. Buddha Rashmi Mani, Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala, Dr Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Tripti Mukherjee, Harimadhab Mukhopadhyay (posthumous), Dr A. E. Muthunayagam, Satyanarayan Nandlal Nuwal, K. Pajanivel, Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya, Kailash Chandra Pant, Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (posthumous), Prof. (Dr.) Rajendra Prasad, Dr Guduru Venkat Rao, Deepika Reddy, Dr Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy, Haricharan Saikia, Prof. Vempaty Kutumba Sastry, Prof. Shafi Shauq, Baldev Singh, Yumnam Jatra Singh (posthumous), Dr Ashok Kumar Singh, Sivasankari, Dr R. Sreedher, Prof. Shyam Sundar, Dr S. G. Susheelamma, N. Swaminathan, Dr Kewal Krishan Thakral, Dr Gopal Ji Trivedi (posthumous), Arvind Vaidya, Prof. Juzer Vasi, Dr Narayan Vyas, Hally War, and Prof. Gambir Singh Yonzone.
Spotlight on Traditional Knowledge and Folk Culture
A defining feature of this year's ceremony was the deliberate recognition of practitioners of India's traditional knowledge systems and regional cultural forms — from Rajasthan's Algoza folk music to Tamil devotional traditions and grassroots education initiatives. This continues a pattern seen in recent Padma cycles, where the government has widened the honours beyond metropolitan achievers to include individuals who have worked largely outside the national spotlight for decades.
What Comes Next
Monday's event was the first phase of the 2026 investiture cycle. The remaining awardees from the full Padma list are expected to be honoured at subsequent ceremonies at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Padma Awards — instituted in 1954 — remain among India's highest civilian distinctions, conferred annually across three tiers: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
Point of View
Regional academics, and grassroots practitioners who rarely feature in national discourse. While that inclusivity is genuinely commendable, the posthumous cluster — Dharmendra, Piyush Pandey, Vijay Kumar Malhotra — raises a recurring question about whether India's civilian honours process moves fast enough to recognise living achievers. The Padma cycle, announced in January and conferred in May, still takes months to translate recognition into ceremony, a lag that has cost several awardees the moment in their lifetimes.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who received the Padma Vibhushan at the 2026 Civil Investiture Ceremony?
The Padma Vibhushan was conferred on veteran actor Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumously) and classical violinist Dr N. Rajam at the ceremony held on 26 May 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. These are among India's highest civilian honours.
Who were the Padma Bhushan awardees at the 2026 ceremony?
The Padma Bhushan was awarded to Shatavadhani Dr R. Ganesh, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Uday Kotak, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra (posthumously), Dr Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy, and Piyush Pandey (posthumously) at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony of 2026.
How many people received Padma Awards at the first 2026 investiture?
A total of 66 personalities were honoured at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony of 2026, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 26 May 2026. The remaining awardees from the full 2026 Padma list are expected to be recognised at subsequent ceremonies.
Did Harmanpreet Kaur receive a Padma Award in 2026?
Yes, cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar was among the Padma Shri recipients at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony of 2026 held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 26 May 2026.
What are the three categories of Padma Awards in India?
The Padma Awards are conferred in three tiers: Padma Vibhushan (the highest), Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri, recognising exceptional service across diverse fields including arts, medicine, public affairs, business, and social work. The awards were instituted in 1954.
