New Delhi: President Ramnath Kovind on Monday presented 55 of the 112 Padma awards – a Padma Vibhushan, eight Padma Bhushan and 46 Padma Shri – to distinguished personalities from different fields including a doctor pair. The Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian honour, went to theatre personality and writer Balwant Moreshwar Purandare from Maharashtra.
Among the other prominent recipients in other categories were late journalist-writer Kuldip Nayar, Prabhu Deva, Shankar Mahadevan, Mohanlal and late Kader Khan from the film industry. Doctors Ravindra and Smita Kolhe were awarded as a duo, which is counted as one Padma Shri award, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said. There are a total of four Padma Vibhushan award winners.
