President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday presented India’s second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, to Justice (Retd.) Jagdish Singh Khehar, the former Chief Justice of India, for his contribution to the field of Public Affairs.

Other recipients of the Padma Vibhushan include classical dancer Kumudini Lakhia (posthumous).

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Murmu conferred the Padma Awards to 68 individuals who have made exceptional contributions in diverse fields such as art, literature, education, public affairs, medicine, social work, science, sports, and industry.

The President presented Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Awards for the year 2025 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II held at Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, Union Ministers Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, Pralhad Joshi, Jitendra Singh, G Kishan Reddy and several other ministers and dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Padma Awards, among the highest civilian honours of India, are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. This year, the government had announced a total of 139 Padma awardees on the eve of Republic Day.

Among those honoured in this phase were three Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan, and 56 Padma Shri awardees. The ceremony held special significance with 13 posthumous recognitions, honouring legends who left a lasting legacy in their fields.

At the event, Sharda Sinha, the legendary folk singer famous for her folk, devotional, and Chhath songs, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for her contribution to the field of arts – folk music. At the ceremony, Sharda Sinha’s son Anshuman Sinha received the award on her behalf.

The Padma Bhushan awardees included social activist Sadhvi Ritambhara, known for her role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna, and celebrated journalist and author A Surya Prakash. Among the posthumous Padma Bhushan recipients were legendary singer Pankaj Udhas, veteran politician Manohar Joshi, economist Bibek Debroy. renowned Malayalam writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair, and Osamu Suzuki, the Japanese industrialist known for his pivotal role in Suzuki’s partnership with India.