President Ram Nath Kovind conferred Padma awards on 74 distinguished personalities, including former BJP leader late Kalyan Singh and Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, for the year 2022 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II at Rashtrapati Bhavan .
This year, 128 Padma awards are being presented in two Civil Investiture Ceremonies. The first Civil Investiture Ceremony was held on March 21 during which 54 personalities were given the honour.
Amongst the prominent awardees at the second investiture ceremony were Padma Vibhushan recipients, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister late Kalyan Singh (posthumous) and classical vocalist Prabha Atre, Padma Bhushan recipients actor Victor Banerjee, and Krishna Murthy Ella and Suchitra Krishna Ella of Bharat Biotech, the maker of coronavirus vaccine Covaxin, an official statement said.
Tokyo Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and singers Sulochana Chavan and Sonu Nigam received Padma Shri from the President.
Ireland’s Professor Rutger Kortenhorst also received Padma Shri for his contribution to popularising Sanskrit in Irish schools.
The awards are conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
