- Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and prominent singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, who passed away last year, were among the seven people named as recipients of the Padma Vibhushan award, the country’s second-highest civilian honour.
- The total list of 119 Padma awardees included 10 people from the “foreigners, Non-resident Indian, Person of Indian Origin and Overseas Citizenship of India” category. The list included 29 women and one transgender person. Sixteen awards were given posthumously.
- Sand artist Sudarshan Sahoo has been honoured with Padma Vibhushan. Former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Nripendra Misra, religious leader Kalbe Sadiq (posthumous), and social worker Tarlochan Singh have been awarded Padma Bhushan.
- Former governor late Mridula Sinha and former Union minister Bijoya Chakravarty are among Padma Shri winners.
- The seven Padma Vibhushan awardees include Belle Monappa Hegde, an eminent cardiologist from Karnataka, Indian-American physicist Narinder Singh Kapany (posthumous), Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and archaeologist B.B. Lal.
Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Late Singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam Awarded Padma Vibhushan
