112 Padma award recipients announced

New Delhi [India], Jan 25 (ANI): Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday announced the name of 112 recipients of the Padma awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the country on the eve of the country's 70th Republic Day.
The Padma awards are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, the second, third and fourth highest civilian awards of the country respectively, only after Bharat Ratna.
This year's awardees comprise four Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri recipients.
Folk artist Teejan Bai, Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, L&T chairman Anilkumar Manibhai Naik, and writer Balwant Moreshwar Purandare have been chosen for Padma Vibhushan award.
ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Kariya Munda, Actor Mohanlal, veteran journalist Kuldeep Nayyar (posthumous), Indian mountaineer Bachendri Pal and Lok Sabha MP Hukmdev Narayan Yadav have been selected for Padma Bhushan award.
Padma Shri awards will go to veteran actor Kader Khan (posthumously), actor Manoj Bajpayee, footballer Sunil Chhetri, choreographer/director Prabhu Deva, cricketer Gautam Gambhir, singer Shankar Mahadevan, freestyle wrestler Bajrang Punia, senior advocate Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Shadab Mohammad, Kabaddi player Ajay Thakur, former Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar, and basketball player Prashanti Singh among others.
"21 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 11 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, three posthumous awardees, and one transgender person," a statement from the MHA said. The government received 49,992 nominations for this year's Padma Awards. (ANI)