Assam Shines at 2026 Padma Awards Ceremony
Celebrating Excellence: Padma Awards 2026
File image of Rashtrapati Bhavan (Photo: Vikas Gupta/Google Maps)
New Delhi, May 25: The first civil investiture ceremony for the Padma Awards 2026 will take place at the Ganatantra Mandap in Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu is set to honor 66 recipients. This year, Assam will have a notable representation among the awardees.
Among the distinguished individuals from Assam receiving the Padma Shri are veteran Sattriya dancer Haricharan Saikia, sculptor Nuruddin Ahmed, silk specialist Jogesh Deuri, Karbi folk music artist Pokila Lektepi, and the late former Union Minister Kabindra Purkayastha, who is being honored posthumously. This makes Assam the leading contributor from the Northeast in this year's awards.
In addition to Assam, the Northeast will also see recognition for Sangyusang S. Pongener from Nagaland, Techi Gubin from Arunachal Pradesh, Yumnam Jatra Singh from Manipur, Naresh Chandra Dev Varma from Tripura, and Hally War from Meghalaya.
The ceremony will be attended by notable figures including Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during which the President will present two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri Awards.
This year, a total of 131 Padma Awards have been approved, comprising five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri Awards. The remaining awardees will be honored in a subsequent ceremony.
The Padma Awards are traditionally announced on Republic Day and recognize excellence in various fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature, education, sports, and civil service.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional service, the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order, and the Padma Shri for notable service in any field.
This year's awards also highlight 45 unsung heroes from across India, who have triumphed over significant personal challenges to excel in their fields and contribute to society. Many of these individuals come from marginalized and Dalit communities, primitive tribes, and remote areas.