"An honour, recognition of homoeopathy": Dr RS Pareek on being named for Padma Shri

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 26 (ANI): Dr RS Pareek, who has been conferred with Padma Shri for his services in the field of homoeopathy, said it was an honour and recognition of the medical practice that he represents.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Pareek said, "Apart from being a prestigious national award, the Padma Shri is an honour and recognition of the practice of homoeopathy."
"When I studied homoeopathy, no one knew or recognised the practice, and it wasn't seen as a respected field of study. There was a time when I went to England and Germany to study, and now doctors from England, Germany, and America come to me to study," he added.
There are 132 names on the list of Padma Awardees this year, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one), as per the list below. The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri Awards.
Thirty of the awardees are women, and the list also includes eight persons from the categories of foreign non-resident Indian (NRI), person of Indian origin (PIO), overseas citizenship of India (OCI), and nine posthumous awardees.
The Padma Awards, which were instituted in 1954, are one of the highest civilian honours of India and are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
The awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order), and Padma Shri (distinguished service).
The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
The Padma Awards are conferred on recommendations by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
The Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes the Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members. The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.
Last year, the government announced 106 Padma Awards, including three duo cases. The list then comprised six Padma Vibhushans, nine Padma Bhushans, and 91 Padma Shri Awards.Nineteen of the awardees were women, and the list also included two persons from the category of foreigners: NRI, PIO, OCI, and seven posthumous awardees. (ANI)