The Government of India has released a provisional list of some winners of the Padma Awards 2026—a collection of the highest civilian honours in the country—on the eve of the 77th Republic Day.
While the final list is yet to be released on official portals, this provisional list offers a good picture of those in the running for the Padma Shri—India's fourth-highest civilian honour—for their exceptional service to a variety of fields.
The awardees will be felicitated in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on a later date.
UNSUNG & UNIQUE Padma Awardees (#PeoplesPadma)
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 25, 2026
Continuing the principle of celebrating Ordinary Indians making Extraordinary Contributions, this year’s Padma Awards recognise a wide spectrum of unsung heroes from across the length and breadth of India. Each awardee represents… pic.twitter.com/zA28HDEfMm
From a former bus conductor turned bibliophile (Anke Gowda) who set up 'Pustak Mane', the world's largest free-access library, to a paediatrician (Armida Fernandes) who formed Asia's first human milk bank, this year's 45 'unsung heroes' embody the spirit of ordinary Indians silently going about their extraordinary lives in service of the country, as per sources in the know.
Other winners of note include Bundeli war art trainer Bhagwandas Raikwar from Madhya Pradesh, veteran social worker Brij Lal Bhat, Budri Thati—who set up schools in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh—and Kumarasamy Thangharaj, who traced human migration from Africa to India.
Padma Shri awardees
Here is the full initial list of Padma Shri awardees for 2026, according to the sources:
1. Anke Gowda
2. Armida Fernandez
3. Bhagwandas Raikwar
4. Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda
5. Brij Lal Bhat
6. Budhri Tati
7. Charan Hembram
8. Chiranji Lal Yadav
9. Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya
10. Gafruddin Mewati Jogi
11. Hally War
12. Inderjit Singh Sidhu
13. K Pajanivel
14. Kailash Chandra Pant
15. Khem Raj Sundriyal
16. Kollakkayil Devaki Amma G
17. Kumarasamy Thangaraj
18. Mahendra Kumar Mishra
19. Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai
20. Mohan Nagar
21. Naresh Chandra Dev Varma
22. Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala
23. Nuruddin Ahmed
24. Othuvar Thiruthani Swaminathan
25. Padma Gurmet
26. Pokhila Lekthepi
27. Punniamurthy Natesan
28. R Krishnan
29. Raghupat Singh
30. Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar
31. Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar
32. Rama Reddy Mamidi
33. Ramchandra Godbole and Sunita Godbole
34. S G Susheelamma
35. Sangyusang S Pongener
36. Shafi Shauq
37. Shrirang Devaba Lad
38. Shyam Sundar
39. Simanchal Patro
40. Suresh Hanagavadi
41. Taga Ram Bheel
42. Techi Gubin
43. Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam
44. Vishwa Bandhu
45. Yumnam Jatra Singh
