Aishwarya Rai

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief G Madhavan Nair, Sister Nirmala of the Kolkata-based Missionaries of Charity, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna and Ashok S Ganguly, a member of the PM’s Council on Trade and Industry, have been chosen for the Padma Vibhushan awards for this year.

Padma Bhushan has been awarded to technocrat and chairman of the National Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda, journalist Shekhar Gupta, historian Ramchandra Guha, Lt Gen (retd) Satish Nambiar and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra among others.

Other eminent personalities who will be conferred the Padma awards include cricketer and team India skipper M S Dhoni, Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Helen, composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar and singers Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan and Penaz Masani — all Padma Shri.

A total of 133 Padma awards were announced — 10 Padma Vibhushan, 30 Padma Bhushan and 93 Padma Shri.