Padma Awards 2025: Overview
President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Awards 2025 at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 27 May 2025. These awards were announced on the eve of Republic Day. This year, a total of 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards were conferred.
Key Statistics
Total Awardees: 139 (23 women, 13 posthumous, 10 foreign/NRI/PIO)
Major Fields: Education/Literature (37), Arts (32), Social Work (21)
Top States: Uttar Pradesh (14), Tamil Nadu (12), Maharashtra (10)
Padma Vibhushan 2025 (7 Awardees)
India’s second-highest civilian honor for "exceptional and distinguished service":
Justice (Retd.) Jagdish Singh Khehar (Public Affairs, Chandigarh) – Former Chief Justice of India
Dr. Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy (Medicine, Telangana) – Pioneer in gastroenterology
Kumudini Lakhia (Posthumous, Art, Gujarat) – Renowned Kathak dancer
Sharda Sinha (Posthumous, Art, Bihar) – Popular folk singer of Chhath songs
Laxminarayan Subramaniam (Art, Karnataka)
M. T. Vasudevan Nair (Posthumous, Literature and Education, Kerala)
Osamu Suzuki (Posthumous, Trade and Industry, Japan)
Padma Bhushan 2025 (19 Awardees)
For "distinguished service of high order":
Vinod Dham (Science, USA) – Inventor of Intel Pentium chip
Rambhadur Rai (Literature & Education – Journalism, Uttar Pradesh)
Bibek Debroy (Literature & Education, Delhi) – Economist and author
A Suryaprakash (Literature & Education – Journalism, Karnataka)
Other notable names
Notable Padma Shri Awardees 2025
The fourth-highest civilian honor for "distinguished service":
Dr. Neerja Bhatla (Medicine, Delhi) – Pioneer in cervical cancer prevention; developed FIGO’s cancer management app
Bhim Singh Bhavesh (Social Work, Bihar) – Uplifting the Musahar community for 22 years through the ‘Nayi Asha’ organization
Harvinder Singh (Sports, Haryana) – Gold medalist at Paris 2024 Paralympics (archery)
L. Hangthing (Agriculture, Nagaland) – Promoting exotic fruit farming for over 30 years
P. Datchanamoorthy (Art, Tamil Nadu) – Thavil artist with over 15,000 performances
Key Facts for UPSC
First Padma Awards: Started in 1954, current names adopted in 1955
2025 Theme: Emphasis on grassroots contributors (e.g., farmers, tribal artisans)
Selection Process: Recommendations by a committee headed by the Prime Minister; no self-nominations
Why this matters for your exam preparation
UPSC Prelims
Static GK: History of Padma Awards, categories, recent winners
Polity: Awards under the President’s authority (Article 18)
UPSC Mains
Governance: Role of civilian awards
Essay Topics: “Art and Culture as Soft Power” or “Inclusive Growth through Grassroots Innovation”
State PCS
State-specific winners: e.g., L. Hangthing (Nagaland), Bibek Debroy (Delhi)
Related Articles on Atharva Examwise:
Civilian Awards in India: Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Others
Current Affairs: India’s Cultural Diplomacy
External References:
Press Information Bureau Release
Why Padma Awards 2025 Matter
Knowledge of these awards helps in understanding India’s socio-cultural priorities and is essential for excelling in UPSC’s governance, polity, and current affairs sections. Stay tuned to Atharva Examwise for more exam-focused updates!
