President Pranab Mukherjee presented the highest civilian awards - the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri - at an investiture ceremony in New Delhi at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.
India’s second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan was presented to noted scientist Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, while 12 individuals were decorated with the Padma Bhushan and 53 with the Padma Shri at the ceremony attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President Hamid Ansari and several Ministers.
Actor Kamal Hasan, Prof. Susanne H. Rudolph and Prof. Llyod I. Rudolph both distinguished professors of Political Science from the University of Chicago, Dr. Neelam Kler, former Comptroller and Auditor General of India VN Kaul, badminton player and coach Pullela Gopichand, writer-lyricists and renowned Tamil literary figure Vairamuthu, Prof. Emeritus University of Dhaka Prof. Anisuzzaman, scientist Prof. Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi, vocalist Begum Parween Sultana, percussionist T.H. Vikku Vinayakram and Dr. Anumolu Ramakrishna (posthumous) were among the 12 presented the Padma Bhushan.
Actor Vidya Balan, Sanskrit scholar Dr. Naheed Abidi, renowned poet Ashok Chakradhar, Bengali actor Sabitri Chatterjee, Mizo writer Chhakchhuak Chhuanvawra, Manipuri artiste Elam Indira Devi, Literary theorist Prof. G.N. Devy, social activist Dr. Brahm Dutt, medical practitioner Dr. Pawan Raj Goyal, former Secretary Prof. Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Prof. IIS, Bangalore, Prof. Eluvathingal Devassy Jemmis, theatre personality Bansi Kaul, well know activist for the visually challenged Jawahar Lal Kaul, Sarangi player Ustad Moinuddin Khan, dancer Geeta Mahalik, poet and critic Prof. Vishnu Narayanan Namboodiri, squash player Dipika Rebecca Pallikal and designer Wendell Augustine Rodricks were among the Padma Shri.
