So, the first phase of the Padma Awards 2026 presentation ceremony happened on Monday, at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu went ahead and presented the awards to 66 individuals , for what they did in areas like arts, education, medicine, sports, public service , and literature.

In a way, the event showed national recognition for folks who made a solid difference in their own professions and local communities. Senior political figures, Union Ministers and a set of other distinguished guests were also there.

President Droupadi Murmu Presents Padma Awards

During the ceremony , President Murmu handed out two Padma Vibhushan awards, six Padma Bhushan awards, and 58 Padma Shri awards.

The Padma Awards, are counted among India’s top civilian honors. Each year, the Government of India highlights people for exceptional service and achievement, across multiple sectors, kind of broad range.

For 2026, the honorees were actually announced earlier, during the Republic Day celebrations. Altogether, 131 individuals were selected for the honors this year.

Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan Recipients Recognized

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra received the Padma Vibhushan posthumously, for his contribution to Indian cinema. His wife, actor and politician Hema Malini, accepted the award on his behalf, without much fuss.

Renowned classical violinist N. Rajam received Padma Vibhushan too , for her contribution to Indian classical music.

As for the Padma Bhushan recipients, there were names like former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari , scholar and Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak, and the well known gastroenterologist Dr. Kallipatti Ramaswamy Palaniswami.

Advertising expert Piyush Pandey and former Member of Parliament Vijay Kumar Malhotra were honored with posthumous Padma Bhushan awards. During the ceremony their family members, received the awards, as it happened. 

Telugu Personalities Receive Padma Shri Honors

• This year, several Telugu personalities were among the Padma Shri awardees which is kinda notable. Former UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar got the award for his contribution to higher education and academic reforms. 
• Singer Garimella Balakrishna Prasad was also honored posthumously for his popular renditions of Annamacharya sankeertanas , his son Anil Kumar accepted the award for the family. 
• Dr. Guduru Venkat Rao, Director of AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad, received recognition for his work in gastroenterology and healthcare services. 
• Classical dancer Deepika Reddy, got the Padma Shri for her contribution to Indian dance traditions. 
• Leading oncologist Dr. Palakonda Vijayanand Reddy, Director of Apollo Cancer Centre, was honored for his service in cancer treatment , and medical research too. 
• Sanskrit scholar and educationist Professor Vempati Kutumbasastri was recognized for promoting Advaita Vedanta and Sanskrit education internationally. 

Sports, Arts, and Public Service Figures Among Awards

• Indian Women’s Cricket Team captain Harmanpreet Kaur received the Padma Shri for her achievements in cricket, basically for what she did on the field. 
• Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee and para-athlete Praveen Kumar were also among the recipients. 
• Former CRPF Director General K. Vijay Kumar received recognition for his service in national security and public administration. 
• All these awardees, represented a wide range of professions, showing diversity in talent and public service across India. 

Special Moments During the Award Ceremony

There was a pretty notable moment at the event, involving athlete Pazhanivel from Puducherry. Before he actually received his award , he went down on his knees and prostrated before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a sign of respect, you know.

Prime Minister Modi then stood up, walked toward him, and gave a respectful greeting back. Later on, Pazhanivel bowed again before President Droupadi Murmu, right before he took his award.

People definitely noticed this during the ceremony and it ended up becoming one of those widely talked about scenes from the event.

National Recognition, kind of Excellence Across Fields

The Padma Awards ceremony pulled together achievers from different backgrounds and professions . It also shone a light on contributions across arts , medicine, education, sports, governance, and public service.

A number of senior leaders were there too, like Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla , former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Union Ministers Kishan Reddy, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,and H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Overall, the Padma Awards keep acting as a major national honor, one that recognizes dedication, accomplishment, and service to society.