Padma Awards
♦ President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Awards to 71 individuals during a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 April 2025. ♦ The awards honour their contributions in fields such as the arts, public affairs, science, and sports. ♦ The awards included four Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri recognitions. ♦ This was the first phase of the 2025 Padma Awards presentation. ♦ Renowned violinist L. Subramaniam received the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to art. ♦ Former Suzuki Motor Corporation CEO Osamu Suzuki was posthumously honoured with the same award for contributions to trade and industry. ♦ His son, Toshihiro Suzuki, the current CEO, accepted the award. ♦ Among Padma Bhushan recipients were filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actor and Andhra Pradesh legislator Nandamuri Balakrishna, actor S. Ajith Kumar, and the late singer Pankaj Udhas. ♦ Udhas’s wife, Farida Udhas, received the award on his behalf. ♦ Former Indian hockey goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was also honoured in this category. ♦ Padma Shri awards were presented to singer Jaspinder Narula and cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin for their contributions to music and sports, respectively.