India’s first Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash last year.
New Delhi:
General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defense Staff who was killed in a helicopter crash last year, vaccine maker Krishna Ella, Suchitra Ella, Cyrus Poonawalla, opposition politicians Ghulam Nabi Azad, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and Indian-origin Silicon Valley titans Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai were on Tuesday nominated for the country’s top civilian awards on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day.
General Rawat has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, along with Kalyan Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh at the time of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. He too passed away last year.
Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress and former Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of Communist Party of India (Marxist) was awarded the third highest honor – Padma Bhushan.
However, a lifelong Marxist and a staunch critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Bhattacharya, Rejected Award In an extremely rare instance, it was seen as a major embarrassment to the government.
Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech and Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute of India will also receive Padma Bhushan for their role in India’s response to COVID-19 with Covaxin and Covishield vaccines.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google’s Sundar Pichai Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran was also nominated for the Padma Bhushan.
US-based culinary expert Madhur Jaffrey, Paralympic javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, Gujarat-based religious teacher Swami Satchidananda were among other Padma Bhushan awardees.
Jamia Millia Islamia University Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar along with singer Sonu Nigam and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra have been awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest honour.
This year’s list of Padma awardees has 130 names, including two shared.
There are 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri awards in this list. Thirty-four of the awardees are women.
No name was announced for Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, which was last given to former President Pranab Mukherjee, social reformer Nanaji Deshmukh and noted singer Bhupen Hazarika in 2019.
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