As expected the list of probable recipients of Padma awards for Year 2015 is tipped to be painted with strong Saffron hues. Names of Padma front runners doing the rounds include BJP’s patriarch who has been elevated and confined to the Margdarshak Mandal, L K Advani. He is expected to be given Padma Vibhushan, the second highest award after Bharat Ratna.
The government has already announced the highest award of Bharat Ratna for noted freedom fighter and founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and BJP’s first Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Informed government sources said the list of Padma probables was forwarded by the union home ministry about a fortnight ago to the Prime Minister’s Office and several new names are learnt to have made the cut other than the list forwarded. The names appearing in the media are speculative and there is no official confirmation for the same.
The list of Padma Awards, including Bharat Ratna is expected to be 150, the highest since the institution of these awards in 1954. “But the list that is making rounds may not be the final list as the PMO has the authority to scrutinise it and make final changes. However, each awardee is asked for consent,” sources said. The union home ministry also cautioned that the Government has not yet announced the Padma Awards for the Year 2015.
“These awards are announced on 25th of January every year, on the eve of the Republic Day. The names appearing in the media are speculative and there is no official confirmation for the same,” home ministry spokesperson K S Dhatwalia said. Leading among the front runners whose names have got through for the Padma awards include the founder of Patanjali Yogpeeth or Divya Yog Mandir controversial Baba Ramdev. He is expected to receive either Padma Vibhushan or Padma Bhushan for his contribution in taking ancient Yoga to virtually every modern home. His name was almost decided to make the cut for Padma awards the day UN declared June 21 as the World Yoga Day.
Close of his heels is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of Art of Living Foundation, considered to be a spiritual Guru and Yoga exponent by millions of people and is expected to be in conferred the same Padma – Vibhushna or Bhushan like Baba Ramdev. Former bureaucrats, close to the BJP ideology like former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami, P V Rajaraman, and K S Bajpai are also tipped to awarded Padma. Among the probables are also senior lawyers like K.K Venugopal and Subhash Kashyap.
NITI Ayog member and economist Bibek Debroy and journalists Rajat Sharma, Swapan Dasgupta, Hari Shankar Vyas and cartoonist Pran have also been nominated for the award. In the Sports category, hockey team captain Sardara Singh, badminton player P V Sindhu, chess grandmaster Sasikiran Krishnan, wrestler Sushil Kumar along with coach Satpal have been included. Arunima Sinha, the woman amputee mountaineer may also receive a Padma award.
Actor Dilip Kumar, lyricist and ad guru who worked on BJP ad campaign, Prasoon Joshi, filmmaker from Gujarat who made films like Ram-Leela, Sanjay Leela Bhansali are also among the probables.
Business persons Shiv Nadar (HCL), Cipla’s Y K Hamid and T V Mohandas Pai (formerly of Infosys) have made it to the short list. From art and culture, the possible recipients include A Kanyakumari (Carnatic violinist), Girija Devi (Hindustani vocalist), L Subramaniam (musician), Malini Awasthi (folk singer), Smriti Biswas (actor), Sudha Raghunathan (Carnatic vocalist), music directors Anu Malik and Ravindra Jain and Assamese film director Jahnu Barua.
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