Sat Jan 25 23:40:00 UTC 2025: **India Announces 2025 Padma Awards; Telugu Film Star, Gastroenterologist Among Recipients**

NEW DELHI, January 26, 2025 – The Indian government announced the recipients of the prestigious Padma Awards for 2025, recognizing outstanding achievements across various fields. Seven individuals will receive the Padma Vibhushan, the nation’s second-highest civilian award, nineteen will be honored with the Padma Bhushan (third highest), and 113 will receive the Padma Shri (fourth highest).

Among the notable recipients are:

* **Padma Vibhushan:** World-renowned gastroenterologist Dr. Duvvuru Nageswara Reddy from Telangana, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Justice Jagadish Singh Khehar, the late Malayalam writer Vasudevan Nair, renowned violinist L. Subramaniam, and others.

* **Padma Bhushan:** Telugu film actor and MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi, senior journalist K. Suryaprakash, actors Anant Nag, Ajit Kumar, and director Shekhar Kapur, Bharatanatyam dancer Shobana, and others.

* **Padma Shri:** This year’s Padma Shri recipients include Mandakrishna Madiga (Telangana), a prominent Madiga reservation movement leader; renowned Avadhani (a scholar who can improvise verses on any given topic) Madugula Naga Phani Sharma from Andhra Pradesh; prominent academician and writer K.L. Krishna; the late Burrakatha (a traditional Telugu folk theatre) artist Miriyalla Apparao (posthumously); academician Vadhiraju Raghavendracharya Panchmukhi; and singer Arjit Singh. The award also went to cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, and venture capitalist Prashant Prakash.

The awards celebrate contributions in various fields, including medicine, social activism, film, arts, literature, and business. The list demonstrates a wide range of achievements and recognizes individuals from different parts of the country and abroad. The selection process is rigorous, with nominations reviewed by a committee before final approval by the President of India. The awards will be presented at a formal ceremony later in the year.

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