Bhubaneswar, November 8: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday presented the prestigious Padma Awards for the year 2020 to as many as 141 personalities, including eleven from Odisha at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On account of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March last year, the Government of India had deferred the Padma awards ceremony in 2020 to a later date as a precautionary measure.
Eminent litterateur from Odisha, late Manoj Das received the Padma Bhusan award (posthumously) for his contribution to literature. Das passed away while undergoing treatment at a nursing home in Puducherry on April 27, 2021. He was 87.
Similarly, Binapani Mohanty, Dr Damayanti Beshra and Dr Prasanta Kumar Pattanaik from the State received the Padma Shri award for their contributions towards literature and education.
The other recipients of the top honours from the State include – Mitrabhanu Gountia (Art), Manmohan Mohapatra (Posthumous Art), Professor Digambar Behera (Medicine), Professor Radha Mohan (Agriculture), Sabarmatee (Agriculture), Utsab Charan Das (Art) and Batakrushna Sahoo (Animal Husbandry).
Among the 141 Padma Awards in 2020, seven received Padma Vibhushan while 16 were conferred with Padma Bhusan and 118 with Padma Shri awards. 34 awardees are women and 18 foreigners. Total 12 persons were awarded posthumously.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year. The nomination process is open to the public. Even self-nomination can be made.
