Pawar, Joshi, Sangma to get Padma Vibhushan

NEW DELHI: Senior politicians Sharad Pawar, Murli Manohar Joshi and the late P.A. Sangma are among seven recipients of the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second-highest civilian honour, it was announced on Wednesday.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker, the late Purno Agitok Sangma has become the first recipient from Meghalaya to be awarded India's second-highest civilian honour. "It is an honour for the people of the northeastern states and especially to our community (Garo tribals) that the government has conferred Padma Vibhushan to him," Sangma's widow Soradini K.Sangma said over phone from Australia. President Pranab Mukherjee has named 89 people for the country's highest civilian awards, including seven Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri awards, to mark India's 68th Republic Day. The awardees included 19 women and five persons NRIs/PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) while six of the awards have been made posthumously. Veteran classical and playback singer K.J. Yesudas was named for the Padma Vibhushan. Grammy-winning Hindustani classical music instrumentalist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was named for the Padma Bhushan. Popular singers Kailash Kher and Anuradha Paudwal are among this year's Padma Shri awardees. Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was among the eight sportspersons who were today picked for the prestigious Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award. Besides Kohli, the seven other sportspersons named for the award are Rio Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik, Paralympians Mariyappan Thangavelu and Deepa Malik, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, Indian hockey captain P R Sreejesh, discus thrower Vikas Gowda and blind cricket team captain Shekar Naik.