Why in News?

• The Padma awards were announced on January 25. The awards are always announced a day before the Republic Day celebrations. The awards are given away by the President at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The functions for the 2020 and 2021 awardees were held together last November because of the COVID19 pandemic. This year the President approved the conferment of 128 Padma Awards.

Bharat Ratna

• Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country.
• It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
• It is treated on a different footing from Padma Award.
• The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President of India.
• No formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna are necessary.
• The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• Government has conferred Bharat Ratna Award on 45 persons till date.

About Padma awards

• After Bharat Ratna, Padma awards are the second highest civilian awards in the country and are given in three categories.
• The awards, initially known as Padma Vibhushan and then categorised as Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg, were first constituted in 1954.
• These were subsequently renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri vide Presidential Notification issued on January 8, 1955.
• The Padma Vibhushan is given for exceptional and distinguished service.
• Padma Bhushan is given for distinguished service of higher order.
• Padma Shri is given for distinguished service.
• All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards. However, Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these Awards.

Fields recognised for awards

The award seeks to recognize works of distinction and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines.

• Art (includes Music, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Cinema, Theatre etc.)
• Social work (includes social service, charitable service, contribution in community projects etc.)
• Public Affairs (includes Law, Public Life, Politics etc.)
• Science & Engineering (includes Space Engineering, Nuclear Science, Information Technology, Research & Development in Science & its allied subjects etc.)
• Trade & Industry (includes Banking, Economic Activities, Management, Promotion of Tourism, Business etc.)
• Medicine (includes medical research, distinction/specialization in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Sidhha, Allopathy, Naturopathy etc.)
• Literature & Education (includes Journalism, Teaching, Book composing, Literature, Poetry, Promotion of education, Promotion of literacy, Education Reforms etc.)
• Civil Service (includes distinction/ excellence in administration etc. by Government Servants)
• Sports (includes popular Sports, Athletics, Adventure, Mountaineering, promotion of sports, Yoga etc.)
• Others (fields not covered above and may include propagation of Indian Culture, protection of Human Rights, Wild Life protection/conservation etc.)

Who decides the awards?

• All nominations received for Padma Awards are placed before the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members.
• The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.

Award entail

• The awards are presented by the President of India where the awardees are presented a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
• The recipients are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any ceremonial/ State functions etc., if the awardees so desire.
• The names of the awardees are published in the Gazette of India on the day of the presentation ceremony.
• The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.
• The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name