🏆 Chapter 04 · Topic 02 · National Awards

Padma Awards

Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri — criteria, categories, announcement, and key facts.

🌸 Padma Awards — Overview

Instituted in 1954 (same year as Bharat Ratna)
Three categories in descending order of precedence:
- Padma Vibhushan — 2nd highest civilian award; for exceptional and distinguished service
- Padma Bhushan — 3rd highest; for distinguished service of a high order
- Padma Shri — 4th highest; for distinguished service in any field
Announced on the eve of Republic Day (25 January)
Awarded by the President of India at a ceremony usually held in March/April
Discontinued in 1977 (Janata Party government) and 1992 (V.P. Singh government); revived in 1980 and 1993

📋 Padma Awards — Key Features

Feature	Padma Vibhushan	Padma Bhushan	Padma Shri
Rank	2nd highest civilian	3rd highest civilian	4th highest civilian
Criteria	Exceptional and distinguished service	Distinguished service of a high order	Distinguished service in any field
Fields	Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Public Affairs, Civil Service
Posthumous	Can be awarded posthumously in exceptional cases
Foreigners	Can be awarded to foreign nationals

📋 Padma Awards — Process

Nominations are invited from the public, state governments, and central ministries
A Padma Awards Committee (chaired by the Cabinet Secretary) reviews nominations
The committee’s recommendations are submitted to the PM and then to the President for approval
No quota for states/UTs; no distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex
Government servants (including those working with PSUs) are generally not eligible, except doctors and scientists
The award is not a title and cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name

⭐ Notable Padma Vibhushan Recipients: Lata Mangeshkar (2001), Bismillah Khan (2001), Ravi Shankar (1999), Amartya Sen (1999), Sachin Tendulkar (2008), Saina Nehwal (2016), Virat Kohli (2017), P.V. Sindhu (2020), Neeraj Chopra (2022). Note: Many Bharat Ratna recipients first received Padma awards.

📌 Padma Awards and Sports: Sports was added as a field for Padma awards in 2011 (same year sports was added to Bharat Ratna criteria). Before 2011, sportspersons could only receive Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, or Khel Ratna. Now many cricketers, badminton players, wrestlers, and athletes have received Padma awards. The Padma Shri is often the first Padma award received by a sportsperson, followed by Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan for continued excellence.

✅ Revision Checklist

✅ Padma awards = instituted 1954 = 3 categories
✅ Padma Vibhushan = 2nd highest; Padma Bhushan = 3rd; Padma Shri = 4th
✅ Announced on 25 January (Republic Day eve)
✅ Awarded by President = ceremony in March/April
✅ Discontinued 1977 and 1992; revived 1980 and 1993
✅ Can be awarded posthumously and to foreign nationals
✅ Government servants generally not eligible (except doctors and scientists)
✅ Not a title = cannot be used as prefix/suffix
✅ Sports added as field in 2011