Pejawar Swamiji, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Fernandes given Padma Vibhushan posthumously

Udupi/New Delhi: Eminent personalities, including former union ministers Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and George Fernandes, Olympian boxer Mary Kom, former Mauritius prime minister Anerood Gugnauth have been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan on the Republic Day this year, officials said on Saturday.

Famous classical bhajan singer from Varanasi Channulal Mishra and Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji Sri Pejavara Adhokshaja Matha Udupi, who passed away recently, have also been given the highest Padma award–Padma Vibhushan.

The Padma Vibhushan, which is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, is the highest civilian award in India after the Bharat Ratna.

Former Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, Industrialists Anand Mahindra and Venu Shrinivasan, Olympian badminton player P V Sindhu, former Nagaland chief minister S C Jamir and Jammu and Kashmir politician Muzaffar Hussain Baig have been awarded with the Padma Bhushan, they said.

Jaitley, Swaraj, Fernandes, Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji, and Parrikar have been given the award posthumously, the officials said.

The Padma Vibhushan for this year has been awarded to a total of seven prominent personalities, while 16 have been given the Padma Bhushan, 118 have been given the Padma Shri on the 71st Republic Day this year, they said.