16 Foreigners/NRIs, 16 women among 85 Padma awardees in 2018

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Patna : Sixteen Foreigners/NRI/PIO/Overseas Citizens of India figure in the list of 85 Padma Awards winners in 2018.

Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year. This year the President of India has approved conferment of 85 Padma Awards including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). The list comprises 3 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan and 73 Padma Shri Awards. Fourteen of the awardees are women and the list also includes 16 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 3 Posthumous awardees, according to a PIB release.

The Padma Awards winners in 2018 include noted singer Sharda Sinha ( Padma Bhushan) and scientist Manas Bihari Verma (Padma Shri) from Bihar, cricketer M S Dhoni ( Padma Bhushan) and litterateur and educationist Digambar Hansda ( Padma Shri) from Jharkhand.