The Padma Awards — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri — are India’s second, third, and fourth highest civilian honours, announced every year on Republic Day (January 26) and one of the most consistently tested Awards & Honours topics in every major exam.
This page covers the complete 2025 and 2024 Padma awardees list, all-time notable recipients, and key historical facts — with MCQs, flashcards, and memory tips for UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Railways, Banking Awareness, and State PSC exams.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Padma Awards instituted 1954 — same year as the Bharat Ratna. Announced every year on Republic Day (January 26).
- Hierarchy: Bharat Ratna (1st) → Padma Vibhushan (2nd) → Padma Bhushan (3rd) → Padma Shri (4th).
- Suspended twice: 1977–1980 (Janata Party govt) and 1992–1995. Continuously awarded since 1995.
- Foreign nationals eligible: Satya Nadella (USA), Indra Nooyi (USA) — Padma Bhushan 2024. Osamu Suzuki (Japan) — Padma Vibhushan 2025.
- Sachin Tendulkar received all three Padma levels: Shri (1999) → Vibhushan (2008) → Bharat Ratna (2014).
“Padma Shri is higher than Padma Bhushan” — WRONG. The correct order from highest to lowest: Bharat Ratna → Padma Vibhushan → Padma Bhushan → Padma Shri. Vibhushan is HIGHER than Bhushan, and Bhushan is HIGHER than Shri. Also: Padma Awards were NOT established in 1947 or 1950 — they were established in 1954. And Sachin received Padma Shri first (1999), then Padma Vibhushan (2008) — NOT Padma Bhushan. Most-Tested Traps
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🏅 Padma Awardees — 2025, 2024 & Notable Historical
| # ↕ | Year ↕ | Name ↕ | Award | Field | State / Country | Exam Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 | Osamu Suzuki Posthumous | Padma Vibhushan | Trade & Industry | Japan | Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corp; architect of India\u2019s Maruti-Suzuki partnership; foreign national posthumous award Hot |
| 2 | 2025 | Sharada Sinha Posthumous | Padma Vibhushan | Art — Folk Music (Chhath) | Bihar | Bihar’s beloved Chhath folk singer; passed away 2024 Hot |
| 3 | 2025 | Kumudini Lakhia | Padma Vibhushan | Art — Classical Dance (Kathak) | Gujarat | Legendary Kathak dance guru |
| 4 | 2025 | S. M. Krishna | Padma Vibhushan | Public Affairs | Karnataka | Former CM of Karnataka; former External Affairs Minister |
| 5 | 2025 | Laxminarayan Subramaniam | Padma Vibhushan | Art — Music (Violin) | Tamil Nadu | Legendary violinist; Carnatic classical music maestro |
| 6 | 2025 | Nirmala Deshpande Posthumous | Padma Vibhushan | Social Work | Maharashtra | Gandhian activist and social worker |
| 7 | 2025 | Shekhar Kapur | Padma Bhushan | Art — Cinema | Maharashtra | Acclaimed film director (Elizabeth, Bandit Queen) |
| 8 | 2025 | Ratan Thiyam | Padma Bhushan | Art — Theatre | Manipur | Renowned theatre director from Manipur; Chorus Repertory Theatre |
| 9 | 2025 | Sarojini Mahishi Posthumous | Padma Bhushan | Public Affairs | Karnataka | Posthumous; public affairs Karnataka |
| 10 | 2025 | Prafulla Kar | Padma Bhushan | Art — Music (Odia) | Odisha | Legendary Odia singer |
| 11 | 2025 | Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar | Padma Bhushan | Public Affairs — Law | Punjab | Former Chief Justice of India |
| 12 | 2025 | Durga Bai Vyam | Padma Shri | Art — Gond Painting | Madhya Pradesh | Celebrated Gond folk art painter from Madhya Pradesh |
| 13 | 2025 | Jatin Goswami | Padma Shri | Art — Painting | Assam | Visual artist from Assam |
| 14 | 2025 | Harvinder Singh Phoolka | Padma Shri | Social Work | Punjab | Activist for justice for 1984 Sikh riot victims |
| 15 | 2024 | Venkaiah Naidu | Padma Vibhushan | Public Affairs | Andhra Pradesh | Former Vice President of India (2017–2022) Hot |
| 16 | 2024 | Bindeshwar Pathak Posthumous | Padma Vibhushan | Social Work | Bihar | Founder of Sulabh International; sanitation revolution in India; posthumous Hot |
| 17 | 2024 | Gopichand Hinduja | Padma Vibhushan | Trade & Industry | UK (Indian-origin) | Hinduja Group chairman; foreign national awardee |
| 18 | 2024 | Satya Nadella | Padma Bhushan | Science & Technology | USA (Indian-American) | Microsoft CEO; Indian-American tech leader Hot |
| 19 | 2024 | Indra Nooyi | Padma Bhushan | Trade & Industry | USA (Indian-American) | Former PepsiCo CEO; Indian-American business leader Hot |
| 20 | 2024 | Koneru Humpy | Padma Bhushan | Sports — Chess | Andhra Pradesh | Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion 2019–20; first Indian woman GM |
| 21 | 2024 | Mithun Chakraborty | Padma Bhushan | Art — Cinema | West Bengal | Veteran Bollywood actor; 3 National Film Awards |
| 22 | 2024 | Usha Uthup | Padma Bhushan | Art — Music | West Bengal | Legendary pop and folk singer; Hare Rama Hare Krishna fame |
| 23 | 2024 | Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Padma Bhushan | Art — Cinema | Maharashtra | Acclaimed film director (Bajirao Mastani, Gangubai Kathiawadi) |
| 24 | 2024 | Ram Naik | Padma Bhushan | Public Affairs | Maharashtra | Former Governor of Uttar Pradesh; former Petroleum Minister |
| 25 | 1954 | C.V. Raman | Padma Vibhushan | Science | India | First-ever Padma Vibhushan recipient; Nobel laureate (Physics 1930) Hot |
| 26 | 1999 / 2008 / 2014 | Sachin Tendulkar | Shri → Vibhushan → Bharat Ratna | Sports — Cricket | India | Full civilian journey: Padma Shri (1999) → Vibhushan (2008) → Bharat Ratna (2014) — first sportsperson with Bharat Ratna Hot |
| 27 | 1999 (+ Bharat Ratna 2001) | Lata Mangeshkar | Padma Vibhushan | Art — Music | India | Padma Vibhushan (1999); Bharat Ratna (2001); “Nightingale of India” |
| 28 | 1999 | Amartya Sen | Padma Vibhushan | Economics | India | Nobel Prize in Economics (1998); Padma Vibhushan (1999) |
| 29 | 2000 & 2008 | Ratan Tata | Bhushan → Vibhushan | Trade & Industry | India | Padma Bhushan (2000) → Padma Vibhushan (2008); Tata Group patriarch |
| 30 | 2010 | A. R. Rahman | Padma Bhushan | Music — Film | Tamil Nadu | Oscar winner (Slumdog Millionaire); Padma Bhushan 2010 |
| 31 | 2013 | Mary Kom | Padma Bhushan | Sports — Boxing | Manipur | 6-time World Amateur Boxing Champion; Padma Bhushan 2013 |
| 32 | 2014 | B. K. S. Iyengar | Padma Vibhushan | Yoga | Karnataka | Global promoter of Iyengar Yoga; Padma Vibhushan 2014 |
| 33 | 2015 | P. V. Sindhu | Padma Shri | Sports — Badminton | Telangana | First Indian woman to win Olympic silver; Padma Shri 2015 |
| 34 | 2016 | Girija Devi | Padma Vibhushan | Music — Thumri | Uttar Pradesh | “Queen of Thumri”; Padma Vibhushan 2016 |
| 35 | 2018 | M. S. Dhoni | Padma Bhushan | Sports — Cricket | Jharkhand | India’s most successful cricket captain; ICC titles (WC 2011, T20 WC 2007) |
| 36 | 1959 | Milkha Singh | Padma Shri | Sports — Athletics | Punjab | “The Flying Sikh”; Padma Shri 1959 |
| 37 | 2001 (+ Bharat Ratna 2001) | Bismillah Khan | Padma Vibhushan | Music — Shehnai | Uttar Pradesh | Padma Vibhushan + Bharat Ratna both in 2001; shehnai maestro |
| 38 | 1999 | Pandit Ravi Shankar | Padma Vibhushan | Music — Sitar | India | Global ambassador of Indian classical music; sitar legend |
| 39 | 1965 | Satyajit Ray | Padma Bhushan | Cinema | West Bengal | Later received Oscar (Honorary) and Bharat Ratna (1992); Pather Panchali |
| 40 | Earlier (Nobel Peace 2014) | Kailash Satyarthi | Padma Bhushan | Social Work | Madhya Pradesh | Nobel Peace Prize 2014; Bachpan Bachao Andolan; anti-child labour |
| 41 | Earlier | Bindeshwar Pathak | Padma Bhushan | Social Work | Bihar | Founder of Sulabh International; India’s sanitation revolution; also received Padma Vibhushan (posthumous) 2024 |
| 42 | 1955 | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru | Padma Vibhushan | Public Affairs | India | First Prime Minister of India; early Padma Vibhushan recipient |
| 43 | 1992 (Posthumous, declined by family) | Subhas Chandra Bose | Padma Vibhushan | Public Affairs | India | Posthumous Padma Vibhushan declined by family; remains controversial |
| 44 | Earlier / 2019 Nobel | Abhijit Banerjee | Padma Shri (earlier) | Economics | India / USA | Nobel Economics 2019; earlier Padma Shri; Indian-American economist |
| 45 | Padma Shri (earlier) + Padma Bhushan 2002 | Kapil Dev | Padma Bhushan (2002) | Sports — Cricket | Haryana | 1983 World Cup winning captain; Padma Shri + Padma Bhushan (2002) |
| Award | Rank | Established | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna | 1st (Highest civilian) | 1954 | Exceptional service of highest order to the nation |
| Padma Vibhushan | 2nd | 1954 | Exceptional and distinguished service to the nation |
| Padma Bhushan | 3rd | 1954 | Distinguished service of a high order |
| Padma Shri | 4th | 1954 | Distinguished service in any field |
| Name | Awards Received | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | Padma Shri (1999) → Padma Vibhushan (2008) → Bharat Ratna (2014) | Only sportsperson with all three levels + Bharat Ratna Hot |
| Ratan Tata | Padma Bhushan (2000) → Padma Vibhushan (2008) | Progressed from Bhushan to Vibhushan |
| Lata Mangeshkar | Padma Vibhushan (1999) + Bharat Ratna (2001) | “Nightingale of India”; highest civilian honour in 2001 |
| Bismillah Khan | Padma Vibhushan + Bharat Ratna (both 2001) | Received both in the same year |
| Bindeshwar Pathak | Padma Bhushan (earlier) → Padma Vibhushan (posthumous, 2024) | Sulabh International; sanitation revolutionary |
⚖️ Compare Two Awardees
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
The correct order from highest to lowest India civilian honours: Bharat Ratna (1st) → Padma Vibhushan (2nd) → Padma Bhushan (3rd) → Padma Shri (4th). All four were instituted in 1954. The Padma Awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day (January 26) and formally presented by the President. This ordering question is among the most commonly tested across SSC, Banking, and UPSC exams — and is frequently presented in reverse order as a trap.
- First suspension: 1977–1980 — under the Janata Party government of Morarji Desai
- Second suspension: 1992–1995 — under a subsequent government
- The awards have been given continuously every year since 1995
- This suspension history is directly tested in UPSC and SSC questions about Indian civil honours history
- Padma Shri (1999) — fourth highest civilian honour; awarded at age 26
- Padma Vibhushan (2008) — second highest; skipped Padma Bhushan entirely
- Bharat Ratna (2014) — highest; first sportsperson to receive it; youngest at the time (age 40)
- Note: Sachin received Padma Shri, NOT Bhushan first — a commonly confused sequence
- 2025: Osamu Suzuki (Japan) — Padma Vibhushan posthumous (Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corp; architect of Maruti-Suzuki partnership)
- 2024: Satya Nadella (USA, Microsoft CEO) — Padma Bhushan; Indra Nooyi (USA, former PepsiCo CEO) — Padma Bhushan; Gopichand Hinduja (UK) — Padma Vibhushan
- Foreign nationals and NRIs are eligible for Padma Awards; this is increasingly tested in current affairs sections
“Bharat Ratna is the BEST — then VBS”
V = Padma Vibhushan (2nd) | B = Padma Bhushan (3rd) | S = Padma Shri (4th)
Alternative hook: “V comes before B in the alphabet, and Vibhushan ranks higher than Bhushan. B comes before S, and Bhushan ranks higher than Shri.”
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🧩 Practice Quiz
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The correct descending order of India’s top civilian honours is Bharat Ratna (highest) → Padma Vibhushan → Padma Bhushan → Padma Shri. This order is among the most commonly tested GK facts in SSC, Banking, and UPSC exams. Use mnemonic: “VBS” — Vibhushan comes first (V before B), then Bhushan (B before S), then Shri.
The Padma Awards were instituted in 1954, the same year as the Bharat Ratna. Both are among India’s oldest civilian honours, established in the early years of the Republic. C.V. Raman was among the first recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in 1954. The awards are NOT from 1947 (Independence), 1950 (Republic Day), or 1952 (first general elections).
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft and an Indian-American, received the Padma Bhushan in 2024. Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO) also received the Padma Bhushan in 2024. Sundar Pichai (Google CEO), Arvind Krishna (IBM CEO), and Shantanu Narayen (Adobe CEO) are also Indian-Americans but did not receive Padma Awards in 2024.
Sachin Tendulkar received the Padma Shri (1999), Padma Vibhushan (2008), and Bharat Ratna (2014) — making him the first sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna and the youngest at the time. Importantly, he received Padma SHRI first (not Padma Bhushan), and then jumped directly to Padma Vibhushan — skipping Padma Bhushan entirely. This sequence is a very commonly tested exam trap.
The Padma Awards were suspended twice — from 1977 to 1980 under the Janata Party government (Morarji Desai as PM) and from 1992 to 1995. They have been awarded continuously every year since 1995, announced on Republic Day. The 1977 suspension was a political decision to distance the new government from the Indira Gandhi-era recognition system.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The Padma Awards are India’s second, third, and fourth highest civilian honours — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri respectively. They are announced by the Government of India every year on the eve of Republic Day (January 26) and formally presented by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually in March or April. All four awards (Bharat Ratna + three Padmas) were established in 1954. The complete Padma awardees list for each year is published in the official gazette and the Ministry of Home Affairs website.
Yes, foreign nationals and NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) are eligible for Padma Awards. Notable foreign recipients include Osamu Suzuki of Japan (Padma Vibhushan, 2025 — Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corp; architect of India’s Maruti-Suzuki partnership), Gopichand Hinduja (UK, Padma Vibhushan, 2024), and Satya Nadella and Indra Nooyi (USA, Padma Bhushan, 2024). Honorary and posthumous awards can also be conferred. This makes the Padma Awards global in scope and frequently tested in current affairs sections of competitive exams.
Sachin Tendulkar is unique in having received all three Padma levels — Padma Shri (1999), Padma Vibhushan (2008), and Bharat Ratna (2014). Ratan Tata similarly progressed from Padma Bhushan (2000) to Padma Vibhushan (2008). Lata Mangeshkar received the Padma Vibhushan (1999) and later the Bharat Ratna (2001). Bismillah Khan received both the Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna in the same year (2001). Bindeshwar Pathak received Padma Bhushan and later a posthumous Padma Vibhushan in 2024.
Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honour, awarded for exceptional service of the highest order to the nation — typically for lifetime achievement in public service, literature, science, arts, or sports. Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award, given for exceptional and distinguished service. Both are announced on Republic Day, but Bharat Ratna is far rarer — only 53 individuals have received it since 1954, compared to hundreds of Padma Vibhushan awardees. Both were established in 1954. Key rule: only Indian citizens (or people of Indian origin) typically receive Bharat Ratna; Padma awards can go to foreigners.
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