Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj Conferred With Padma Vibhushan Award

The Padma Vibhushan is the highest civilian award in India after the Bharat Ratna, which is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.

Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Former Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, George Fernandes will be awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously on the 71st Republic Day on Sunday. The Padma Vibhushan is the highest civilian award in India after the Bharat Ratna, which is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. Olympian boxer MC Mary Kom, former Mauritius prime minister Anerood Jugnauth and Hindustani classical singer Chhannulal Mishra are among the other seven Padma Vibhushan awardees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Padma awardees, saying they include extraordinary people. The prime minister said the awardees include "extraordinary individuals who have made exceptional contributions to our society, nation and humanity". "Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma Awards," he tweeted.

Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma Awards. The awardees include extraordinary individuals who have made exceptional contributions to our society, nation and humanity. https://t.co/POdpBsPtq4

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2020

Mahindra & Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra and TVS group Chairman Srinivasan are also on the list of the country's third highest civilian award. Besides the former Defence Minister and the two industrialists, former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Syed Muazzem Ali, who served as Bangladesh's envoy to India, has also been conferred with the Padma Bhushan Award posthumously. Shuttler P.V. Sindhu is the only player to get the Padma Bhushan Award this year. Kangana Ranaut, Ekta Kapoor, Adnan Sami and Karan Jahor have been conferred with Padma Shri award. "I’m humbled&honored. I thank my country for this recognition& I dedicate this to every woman who dares to dream. To every daughter... to every mother... to the dreams of women who will shape the future of our country," said Kangana Ranaut, on being conferred with Padma Shri.