Economylead.com presents the list of Padma awardees for 2015 with bytes about each awardee. Reliable information about some of the awardees isn’t available yet. Therefore, we have skipped bytes in a few cases.
Padma Vibhushan
1, L K Advani, BJP veteran, Gujarat
2, Amitabh Bachchan, Actor, Brand Ambassador of Gujarat, Maharashtra
3, Prakash Singh Badal, Chief minister of Punjab
4, Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Chief trustee of Dharmasthala temple, Karnataka
5, Mohammad Yusuf Khan alias Dilip Kumar, Veteran film actor, Maharashtra
6, Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya, Spiritual leader, Uttar Pradesh
7, Malur Ramaswamy Srinivasan, Former BARC chairman and winner of Padma in 1984, Tamil Nadu
8, Kottayan K Venugopal, Indian constitutional lawyer and a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India, was given Padma Bhushan earlier, Delhi
9, Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan, British business magnate, racehorse owner and breeder, the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailism, a denomination of Ismailism within Shia Islam, France/UK
Padma Bhushan
1, Jahnu Barua, Multiple national and international award-winning Indian film director, Assam
2, Dr Vijay Bhatkar, Indian computer scientist, Maharashtra
3, Swapan Dasgupta, Senior Indian journalist, Delhi
4, Swami Satyamitranand Giri, Hindu spiritual guru, Uttar Pradesh
5, N Gopalaswami, Former chief election commissioner of India 1966 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, Tamil Nadu
6, Dr Subhash C Kashyap, Former secretary-general of the 7th, 8th and 9th Lok Sabhas and Lok Sabha Secretariat from 1984 to 1990, a well-known political scientist, expert in Indian Constitution, constitutional law and distinguished scholar, Delhi
7, Dr (Pandit) Gokulotsavji Maharaj, Classical vocalist of khayal and dhrupad gayan, Madhya Pradesh
8, Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman, division of endocrinology and diabetes, Medanta – The Medicity, Delhi
9, Sudha Ragunathan, Carnatic composer and vocalist from South India who had received an Indian government scholarship to study music under a doyenne Dr ML Vasantha Kumari, Tamil Nadu
10, Harish Salve, Leading lawyer in the areas of constitutional, commercial and taxation laws, primarily practices at the Supreme Court of India, solicitor general of India from 1999 to 2002, Delhi
11, Ashok Seth, Interventional cardiologist, 2003 Padma awardee Fortis Hospital and Medicine, Delhi
12, Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV, Delhi
13, Satpal Singh, Wrestling coach, Delhi
14, Shivakumara Swami, Head of Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur District, founder of the Sree Siddaganga Education Society, Karnataka
15, Dr Kharag Singh Valdiya, Environmental geologist at the Jawaharalal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and former Vice-Chancellor of Kumaon University Science and Engineering, Karnataka
16, Prof Manjul Bhargava, Indian-American mathematician,R Brandon Fradd Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, adjunct Professorships at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and the University of Hyderabad, known primarily for his contributions to number theory, USA
17, David Frawley (Vamadeva), American Hindu teacher (acharya) and author, who has written more than thirty books on topics such as the Vedas, Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic astrology, published both in India and in the United States, USA
18, Bill Gates, Co-founder Microsoft, richest man in the world, philanthropist founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
19, Melinda Gates, Wife of Bill Gates, USA
20, Saichiro Misumi, One of the oldest living associates of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Japan
Padma Shri
1, Dr Manjula Anagani, Chief gynaecologist, obstetrician, infertility specilist and laparoscopic surgeon at Sunshine Super Speciality Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana
2, S Arunan, project director India’s Mars mission, Karnataka
3, Kanyakumari Avasarala, Classical violinist and disciple of Dr ML Vasanthakumari, Tamil Nadu
4, Dr Bettina Sharada Baumer, Austrian scholar of religion, expounder of Kashmir Saivism and well-known in inter-religious dialogue, Jammu and Kashmir
5, Naresh Bedi, artist, Delhi
6, Ashok Bhagat, Secretary of Vikas Bharti, a social organisation working to uplift rural masses in back of behind areas of Jharkhand, Jharkhand
7, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Film director, producer, screenwriter, and music director, next directorial venture is the period romance Bajirao Mastani, based on the love story between Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife Mastani, Maharashtra
8, Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora, Former professor of physics and agro-meteorology and chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board, he now edits the widely circulated Assamese weekly Goriyoshi, Assam
9, Dr Gyan Chaturvedi , Literature and Education, Madhya Pradesh
10, Prof (Dr) Yogesh Kumar Chawla, hepatologist, director PGIMER Chandigarh, Chandigarh
11, Jayakumari Chikkala, Physician, Delhi
12, Bibek Debroy, Economist, professor at Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, visiting honorary senior research fellow for Institute for South Asian Studies in National University of Singapore from May 2009, Delhi
13, Dr Sarungbam Bimola Kumari Devi, Chief Medical Officer of Imphal West, Manipur, recipient of Dr BR Ambedkar International Award 2014, Manipur
14, Dr Ashok Gulati, Head of Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices, pointed that Gujarat’s more than 10 per cent growth in agriculture can be an inspiration for other states, Delhi
15, Dr Randeep Guleria, Professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi
16, Dr K P Haridas, gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeon, chairman and managing director at Lords Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
17, Rahul Jain, Artist, Delhi
18, Ravindra Jain, Music composer and lyricist Ravindra Jain was born blind to Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedacharya Pandit Indramani Jain and mother Kiran Jain, Maharashtra
19, Dr Sunil Jogi, Literature and Education, Delhi
20, Prasoon Joshi, Chairman Asia Pacific & CEO of McCann Worldgroup India, writer, poet, lyricist, screenwriter and advertising guru, Maharashtra
21, Dr Prafulla Kar, Singer and musician, Odisha
22, Saba Anjum Karim, Field hockey right wing forward, youngest woman player in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, part of the gold medal winning team at CWG and Bronze medal winning team at 2005 Asian Games, Arjuna Awardee in 2013, Chhattisgarh
23, Ushakiran Khan, Hindi and Maithili litterateur, Bihar
24, Dr Rajesh Kotecha, Executive director of Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic and Research Center, Jaipur, HoD of Kayachikitsa (Internal Medicine) at Post Graduate Institute of Ayurveda, Mahatma Ghandi Chitrakoot Gramodaya University. Though he is active in Rajasthan, he is a Gujarati, Rajasthan
25, Prof Alka Kriplani, professor and head, department of obstetrics and gynaecology, AIIMS, Delhi
26, Dr Harsh Kumar, Director, glaucoma services, Centre for Sight, Gurgaon, Delhi
27, Narayana Purushothama Mallaya, Educationist whose efforts helped Konkani to be included in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, Kerala
28, Lambert Mascarenhas, Nonagenarian journalist, freedom activist and writer from Goa, Goa
29, Dr Janak Palta McGilligan, Activist working for the empowerment of rural and tribal women through Barli Institute, resource person for UNICEF, National Institute of Public Cooperation and child development (NIPCCID)) and other NGOs in MP, Madhya Pradesh
30, Veerendra Raj Mehta, Closely associated with the charitable work of Jaipur Foot and Mother Teresa and has also co-authored a book on Mother Teresa, founded Dredging Corporation of India and serves as its Managing Director, has served as a Senior Expert in the Asian Development Bank, Delhi
31, Tarak Mehta, Veteran author based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
32, Neil Herbert Nongkynrih Neil Nongkynrih, Founder of Shillong Chamber Choir that once performed for US President Barack Obama, Meghalaya
33, Chewang Norphel, Indian civil engineer from Ladakh, who has built 12 artificial glaciers. He has earned the nickname Ice Man, Jammu and Kashmir
34, TV Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal Global Education, was member of the board of directors of Infosys, Karnataka
35, Dr Tejas Patel, interventional cardiologist, Gujarat
36, Jadav Molai Peyang, Environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat, he reforested a sandbar along River Brahmaputra, Assam
37, Bimla Poddar, Philanthropist in Varanasi for exploration and preservation of India’s rich culture, her vision led to inception of Jnana-Pravaha, a centre for cultural studies which is situated on western bank of Ganga. The organisation encourages practices of Indian traditions and houses a museum of artifacts from ancient India, Uttar Pradesh
38, Dr N Prabhakar, scientist, Delhi
39, Dr Prahalada, Chief controller of Defence Research and Development Organisation, Maharashtra
40, Dr Narendra Prasad, Surgeon, Bihar
41, Ram Bahadur Rai, Eminent Hindi journalist, editor of Yathavat, a Hindi fortnightly news magazine published from Delhi, former news editor of Jansatta, author of “Rahvari ke Sawal” and “Manjil se Jyada Safar”, founder organiser of JP Movement, he declined to walk into the corridors of power, Delhi
42, Mithali Raj, Hyderabad-based cricketer, awarded the Arjuna award in 2003 Sports, Telangana
43, PV Rajaraman served as MD of India Cements, chairman and MD of Tamilnadu Housing Board, commissioner of sugar and chairman and MD of Tamilnadu Sugar Corporation; he has more than 37 years of experience in Indian Administrative Service, Tamil Nadu
44, Prof JS Rajput, former director NCERT, Uttar Pradesh
45, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Film actor known for works primarily in Telugu cinema and theatrek, also starred in Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam films, a former politician, Rao, has served as MLA from Vijayawada East assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh, India from 1999–2004, Andhra Pradesh
46, Prof Bimal Roy, Director of Indian Statistical Institute, West Bengal
47, Shekhar Sen, singer, music composer, lyricist and actor famous for his monoact musical plays, Maharashtra
48, Gunvant Shah, thinker, writer and columnist, recipient of Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 1997, Gujarat
49, Brahmdev Sharma (Bhaiji), Literature and Education, Delhi
50, Manu Sharma, Literature and Education, Uttar Pradesh
51, Prof Yog Raj Sharma, Ophthalmologist, Delhi
52, Vasant Shastri, Scientist, Karnataka
53, SK Shivkumar, Indian scientist who developed telemetry system for Chandrayaan-I, India’s first lunar exploration mission, Karnataka
54, PV Sindhu, Badminton player supported by Olympic Gold Quest, a not-for-profit foundation that identifies and supports Indian athletes, first Indian woman to win a medal in singles at the World Championships, Telangana
55 Sardara Singh or Sardar Singh, Field hockey player and captain of Indian national team, usually plays center half, Haryana
56, Arunima “Sonu” Sinha, First female amputee to climb Mount Everest and first Indian amputee to climb Mount Everest, Uttar Pradesh
57, Mahesh Raj Soni, artisan family specializing in thewa handicraft of Rajasthan, his family has been featured in the LIMCA yearbook 2011 as “Eight national awards in one family”, Rajasthan
58, Dr Nikhil Tandon, endocrinologist, Delhi
59, H Thegtse Rinpoche, social worker associated with the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh
60, Dr Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi, Prof and Director, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre, Institute of Transplantation Sciences, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
61, Huang Baosheng, Scholar of Sanskrit and Pali, known for translating into Chinese many Sanskrit and Pali texts, including the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Lalitavistara Sutra and the Vajracchedikā, China
62, Prof Jacques-Emile Blamont, a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, completed his doctoral thesis at ENS’ Physics Laboratory under Alfred Kastler, was appointed director of science and technology of the newly-formed CNES in 1962, senior science advisor in 1972, responsible for developing the first artificial satellites launched by France, France
63, Late Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin, 52nd Da’i al-Mutlaq of a minority group of Shia Muslims, the Dawoodi Bohras, Maharashtra
64, Jean-Claude Carriere, French novelist, screenwriter, actor, and Academy Award honoree, frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel, president of La Fémis, the French state film school, France
65, Dr Nandrajan “Raj” Chetty, Indian-American economist specializing in public economics, some of Chetty’s recent papers have studied equality of opportunity in the United States, USA
66, George L Hart, professor of Tamil language at the University of California, Berkeley, PhD in Sanskrit from Harvard University and Sanskrit teacher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, responsible for inaugurating the Tamil department at Berkeley, USA
67, Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda Maha Raja, Practitioner of the yoga philosophy at the beginning of the Seventies, teaches practical and theoretical bases of yoga, Portugal
68, Meetha Lal Mehta (Posthumous), former chief secretary of Rajasthan he launched ‘Apna Rickshaw Apne Naam Yojna’ a scheme that helped more than 13,000 rickshaw pullers to own their carriages, Rajasthan
69, Tripti Mukherjee, Classical vocalist of Mewati Gharana, founder and director of the Pandit Jasraj Institute for Music, Research, Artistry and Appreciation, USA
70, Dr Dattatreyudu Nori, Radiation oncologist named among top doctors in America for the treatment of cancers, USA
71, Dr Raghu Rama Pillarisetti, Medicine, USA
72, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Medicine, UK
73, Prof Annette Schmiedchen, Honorary research fellow, International Association of Sanskrit Studies, Germany
74, Pran Kumar Sharma alias Pran(Posthumous) better known as Pran, cartoonist best known as the creator of Chacha Chaudhary, Delhi
75, R Vasudevan, Civil Service, Tamil Nadu
**Accuracy may be contested in some cases owing to the scarcity of information.
