"I happily accept this award": Poet Tushar Shukla on receiving Padma Shri

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 26 (ANI): Poet Tushar Shukla, who was recently conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri, expressed his heartfelt gratitude in a self-recorded video on Sunday.
Shukla emphasised how his words have helped bridge generational gaps and described the recognition as a profound respect for his literary contributions.
In a self-recorded video, poet Shukla said, "I am indebted for all the best wishes I am receiving. My words--written and pronounced--came into some work to reduce the gaps between generations and this (award) is the respect of that. I happily accept this award..."
On Saturday, the Centre announced the list of recipients for the prestigious Padma Awards with President Droupadi Murmu's approval for 139 honourees.
The list includes 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards.
Among the awardees are 23 women, and the list features 10 distinguished individuals from the Foreigners, NRI, PIO, and OCI categories, as well as 13 posthumous awardees. The recognition spans a wide array of fields, honouring exceptional contributions to the nation's progress and global standing.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian awards in India and are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
The awards are given in various disciplines, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order, and the Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.
The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day each year. They are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually around March or April. (ANI)