Justice K T Thomas and P Narayanan receive Padma Vibhushan; Vellappally Natesan and Mammootty honoured with Padma Bhushan

NEW DELHI: Several eminent personalities from across the country received the prestigious Padma Awards from the President of India at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. Justice K T Thomas and P Narayanan were conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, while SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan and actor Mammootty received the Padma Bhushan. Bollywood playback singer Alka Yagnik was also honoured with the Padma Bhushan.

Mohiniyattam dancer Kalamandalam Vimala Menon, environmentalist Kollakkayil Devaki Amma, and space scientist Dr A E Muthunayagam received the Padma Shri awards for their contributions in their respective fields.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, senior BJP leader V K Malhotra, and advertising industry veteran Piyush Pandey were awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously.

Former Maharashtra Governor and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, along with Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak, were also among those honoured with the Padma Bhushan.

In the sports category, several athletes were conferred with the Padma Shri, including cricketers Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, former tennis player Vijay Amritraj, hockey player Savita Punia, and Paralympic athlete Praveen Kumar.