Venkaiah Naidu, Mithun Chakraborty, Usha Uthup conferred with Padma awards
Venkaiah Naidu, Bindeshwar Pathak and Padma Subrahmanyam were awarded Padma Vibhushan award at Rashtrapati Bhavan ceremony.
Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, the late Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak, and acclaimed Bharat Natyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam were honoured with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremonial function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.

Actor Mithun Chakraborty, singer Usha Uthup, former Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, and industrialist Sitaram Jindal were among those conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah and external affairs minister S Jaishankar were among the dignitaries present at the function.
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What are Padma awards?
• Padma awards, among India's highest civilian honours, are presented in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
• These awards recognise outstanding contributions in various fields such as art, social work, science, literature, sports, and civil service.
• The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and the Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.
• The awards are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
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• In 2024, 132 Padma awards were approved by the president, including 5 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri awards, with representation from diverse fields and demographics.
In an X post, President Droupadi Murmu lauded the five decades-long career of Venkaiah Naidu as a leader. “He made for himself a unique place in Indian politics with his simplicity and a humane approach towards governance,” the president said.
Praising Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, President Murmu wrote, “He advocated for behaviour change by encouraging millions to adopt hygienic and safe sanitation practices.”
Dr Subrahmanyam has bridged the gap between the history, theory and practice of Bharatiya Sastriya Natana, the president said.
