India to Honour 45 ‘Unsung Heroes’ with Padma Awards Ahead of Republic Day

New Delhi- Ahead of the 77th Republic Day celebrations, at least 45 individuals have been selected for the prestigious Padma Awards under the ‘Unsung Heroes’ category, in recognition of their distinguished and steadfast service to the nation.

According to sources familiar with the Padma Awards list, notable names such as Kailashchand, Brij Lal Bhatt, Dr Shyam Sundar and several others feature among the awardees. An official announcement is expected to be made by Sunday evening.

The ‘Unsung Heroes’ category recognises individuals who serve as inspirational forces behind transformative change, often without public recognition. These awardees have worked tirelessly and with unwavering commitment in their respective fields to bring about lasting social impact and improve the lives of fellow citizens.

The Padma honour celebrates their quiet dedication and sustained efforts in contributing to nation-building.

Earlier in the day, nearly 1,000 personnel from the police, fire services, home guards and Civil Defence were conferred gallantry and service medals on the eve of Republic Day.

**List of Padma Awardees (as per sources):**

Bhagwandas Raikar (Madhya Pradesh); Bhiklya Ladkya Dhinda (Maharashtra); Brij Lal Bhatt (Jammu and Kashmir); Charan Hembram (Odisha); Chiranjee Lal Yadav (Uttar Pradesh); Dr Padma Gurmet (Jammu and Kashmir); Kollakkaiyil Devaki Amma Ji (Kerala); Mahendra Kumar Mishra (Odisha); Naresh Chandra Dev Verma (Tripura); Othuvar Thiruthani (Tamil Nadu); Raghupat Singh (Uttar Pradesh); Raghuveer Khedkar (Maharashtra); Rajastapathi Kalaiyappa Gounder (Tamil Nadu); Sangyusang S. Pongener (Nagaland); Shrirang Devba Lad (Maharashtra); Thiruvarur Bakthavatsalam (Tamil Nadu); Anke Gowda (Karnataka); Armida Fernandes (Maharashtra); Dr Shyam Sundar (Uttar Pradesh); Gaffaruddin Mewati (Rajasthan); Khem Raj Sundriyal (Haryana); Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai (Gujarat); Mohan Nagar (Madhya Pradesh); Nilesh Mandlewala (Gujarat); R & S Godbole (Chhattisgarh); Ram Reddy Mamidi (Telangana); Simanchal Patro (Odisha); Suresh Hanagwadi (Karnataka); Techi Gubin (Arunachal Pradesh); Yumnam Jatra Singh (Manipur); Budhri Tathi (Chhattisgarh); Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj (Telangana); Dr Punniyamurthy Natarajan (Tamil Nadu); Haily War (Meghalaya); Inderjit Singh Sidhu (Chandigarh); K. Pazhanivel (Puducherry); Kailash Chandra Pant (Madhya Pradesh); Nuruddin Ahmed (Assam); Pokila Lektepi (Assam); R. Krishnan (Tamil Nadu); S.G. Sushilemma (Karnataka); Taga Ram Bhil (Rajasthan); Vishva Bandhu (Bihar); Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya (Gujarat); Shafi Shauq (Jammu and Kashmir).

The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. They are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a higher order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service.

The awards recognise achievements across a wide range of fields where public service and national contribution are involved.

— IANS