Veteran doctor, educationist Belle Monappa Hegde awarded Padma Vibhushan

New Delhi: Veteran doctor and educationist Belle Monappa Hegde was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan award by President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday.

President Kovind is presenting Padma Awards at the 2021 Civil Investiture Ceremony-I at Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

This year’s list of Padma Awards includes seven Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 102 Padma Shri Awards, of which 29 awardees are women, 16 posthumous awardees, and one transgender awardee.

The Padma awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, are amongst the highest civilian awards of the country. Instituted in 1954, these awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

The awards seek to recognise ‘work of distinction’ and are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements or service in all fields or disciplines, such as, art, literature and education, sports, medicine, social work, science and engineering, public affairs, civil service, trade and industry etc.

The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.