Superstar Rajinikanth, yoga teacher Ramdev, BJP leader and veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha were among the 1,793 prominent persons whose names were recommended for this year’s Padma awards but ignored.
Names of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, former US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwil, filmstar Ajay Devgan, noted playback singer Udit Narayan and industrialist Brijmohan Lall Munjal were also recommended to the Padma awards selection committee but they were not selected.
Rajinikanth was given Padma Bhushan in 2000 and his name was recommended to the second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan this time. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was given Padma Vibhushan this year.
Malayalam movie star Mohanlal, BJP leader in Jammu and Kashmir, Darakhshan Andrabi, who had unsuccessfully contested in Sonwar constituency against former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, fashion designer Ritu Beri, athlete Anju Bobby George, beautician Shahnaz Husain, filmmaker Rohit Shetty, Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Preetha Reddy and film director Madhur Bhandarkar were among the few other names which were recommended for consideration of Padma awards.
Before the names were finalised, Ramdev had announced that he would not accept the honour.
This year’s Padma award selection committee comprised of the Cabinet Secretary, the Union Home Secretary, the Secretary to the President, former head of DRDO V S Arunachalam, Sangh Parivar ideologue S Gurumurthy, eminent neurosurgeon P N Tandon, author and columnist A Surya Prakash and Vice-Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bangalore H R Nagendra.
The selection committee had received recommendations for 1,897 persons to be honoured with Padma awards.
Altogether 104 eminent persons were honoured with Padma awards in 2015 and they include L K Advani, Parkash Singh Badal, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar (all Padma Vibhushan).
Padma awards — one of the highest civilian awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
The awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service. The awards are announced on the eve of Republic day every year.
