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Padma Awards presented

Staff Reporter

Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Nirmala Deshpande, Nandan Nilekani among recipients

THE WINNERS: The Padma Awards were given away to 42 personalities by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. Seen among others are (from left) Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Sudha Varghese, Sudha Murty, Sucheta Dalal, Shobana Chandrakumar. - PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT

NEW DELHI: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the country's highest civilian awards — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri — to 42 extraordinary achievers at a grand ceremony in the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.

Padma Bhushan, the highest civilian honour in the country, was conferred on Adoor Gopalakrishnan for his contribution to new Indian cinema. Mr. Gopalakrishnan has also received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement in cinema.

Padma Bhushan was also conferred on Colathur Rama Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib (for his distinguished service in the Government as a bureaucratic) as well as on noted Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande.

The grand old man of Hindi cinema, A.K. Hangal, was conferred Padma Bhushan. Having worked side by side with giants of cinema such as Ritwik Ghatak, Mr. Hangal is at present chairman of National Committee of Indian People's Theatre Association.

Mr. Hangal told the media, "I don't know why I received it so late, now that I have only a few years at my disposal. But it is better late than never."

Popular filmmaker Sai Paranjpye was also conferred Padma Bhushan.

Breaking protocol several times during the evening, Dr. Kalam was at his usual approachable best and walked over to confer the award on Dineshnandini Dalmia, a well-known Hindi writer.

Dressed in a sari with her head covered, the frail Dr. Dalmia, being helped by a young girl, was met halfway by the President, who came forward to award her Padma Bhushan.

Padma Bhushan was also conferred on noted industrialist Ganga Prasad Birla, maestro of classical vocal music Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil and Chief Executive Officer of Infosys Nandan Mohan Nilekani.

Padma Bhushan was also awarded to several eminent personalities in the field of medicine — noted ophthalmologist Jaiveer Agarwal, chairperson of Cancer Institute in Chennai V. Shanta and cardiologist Kewal Krishan Talwar. Chairman of India's pioneer housing-finance institution HDFC Deepak S. Parekh was also awarded Padma Bhushan.

Breaking protocol again to confer Padma Shri on visually-impaired musician Gayatri Sankaran from Chennai, Dr. Kalam walked up to her amid thundering applause by the audience.

From the world of sports, Bahadur Singh Sagoo, who won a gold medal for India in the Asian Games after 20 years, and Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom was conferred Padma Shri for being a gifted international boxer. Tennis icon Sania Mirza, who was also to receive Padma Shri, was not present at the function.

Padma Shri was also conferred on business journalist Sucheta Dalal, chairperson of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murty, social worker Sister Sudha Varghese and well-known dancer Shobana Chandrakumar.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi were also present at the function.

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