Padma Awards 2026: From Tribal Education To Paralympic Glory, Inspiring Stories Honoured

From preserving endangered tribal languages to scripting Paralympic history and keeping ancient traditions alive, the Padma Awards 2026 honoured individuals whose journeys reflect dedication, resilience and grassroots transformation. As President Droupadi Murmu presented the honours at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the awardees for inspiring the nation through service, culture, sports and social impact.

Amit Shah Calls Padma Awardees ‘Real Change Makers’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hosted a dinner for the Padma Awards 2026 recipients on Monday and described the honours as a celebration of people strengthening society at the grassroots.

In a post on X, Shah said he was “delighted to host a dinner for the distinguished personalities who received the Padma Awards 2026 today.”

“It was engaging to discuss with them about the socio-economic and cultural transformations they are striving for in various parts of the country,” he wrote.

Congratulating the awardees, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had transformed the Padma Awards into an institution recognising people driving meaningful social change.

“Congratulations to the luminaries and change makers conferred with the Padma Awards by the Honourable President of India today. PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji has reoriented Padma Awards as an institution to drive socio-economic progress by honoring the real change makers strengthening our society at grassroots. The awards ceremony advances this vision and inspires more people to contribute to India's journey towards greatness. All my best wishes are with them,” Shah said.

The Padma Awards — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri — are among India’s highest civilian honours and are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

Which Inspiring Journeys Did PM Modi Highlight?

Prime Minister Modi also encouraged people to learn more about the stories behind the awardees, saying each recipient represented an inspiring life journey.

“Every Padma awardee has had an inspiring life journey. The official Padma Awards Instagram page highlights some of their fascinating efforts. Do have a look,” Modi wrote on X.

Among those honoured was Dr Mahendra Kumar Mishra, who received the Padma Shri in Literature and Education for his decades-long work preserving tribal heritage, folk literature and endangered indigenous voices.

In a post on X, Rashtrapati Bhavan said, “President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Shri in the field of Literature and education to Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra. Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra is a linguist, folklorist and educationist who has dedicated more than four decades to preserving endangered tribal voices while embedding them in modern pedagogy. He has earned global acclaim for voicing the Indian knowledge system embedded in tribal and rural population of India.”

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati also congratulated Mishra, saying, “Heartiest congratulations to Mahendra Kumar Mishra on being conferred the prestigious Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to tribal education, folk literature and indigenous culture.”

“Hailing from Nuapada, he has made remarkable contributions to preserving Odisha's tribal heritage. Best wishes to him for his continued service,” the Governor added.

Veteran actor Arvind Vaidya was also conferred the Padma Shri at the ceremony attended by Modi and Shah. With a career spanning over three decades, Vaidya has directed more than 200 plays and remains a respected figure in Indian theatre and cinema.

Who Else Was Honoured At The Padma Awards 2026 Ceremony?

The ceremony also recognised sporting excellence and the preservation of traditional Indian art forms.

Veteran hockey coach Baldev Singh received the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian women’s hockey. Singh played a key role in transforming Shahabad Markanda in Haryana into a major centre for nurturing women hockey players.

Silambam exponent K. Pajanivel was honoured for promoting the ancient Tamil martial art across India and internationally. Born in Puducherry, Pajanivel dedicated decades to training students, many free of cost, while preserving the 5,000-year-old martial tradition known for its bamboo staff combat techniques and fluid footwork.

Paralympic gold medallist Praveen Kumar also received the Padma Shri for his achievements in para athletics. The world No. 1 para high jumper first won silver at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 before clinching gold at the Paris Paralympics with a personal-best jump of 2.08 metres.

The Government of India had announced the Padma Awards 2026 on the eve of Republic Day, recognising exceptional contributions across public service, arts, science, education, medicine, sports and social work.

(With inputs from ANI)