Singer KJ Yesudas, spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, politicians Sharad Pawar, Murli ManoharJoshi, late PA Sangma and Sunderlal Patwa, and UR Rao for science have been awarded the PadmaVibhushan for 2017.

Among the seven Padma Bhushan winners are late Cho Ramaswamy for literature/journalism, instrumentalist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (Thailand) for literature/education.

The Padma Shri winners include Telangana–based founder of Cyient, BVR Mohan Reddy, cricketers Virat Kohli and Shekar Naik, sportswomen Dipa Karmakar and Sakshi Malik, film journalist BhawnaSomaya, singers Kailash Kher, Anuradha Paudwal, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, civil servants TK Viswanathan and Kanwal Sibal and medical doctors Bhakti Yadav and Mukut Minz.

The 2017 list for Padma Awards is smaller at 89, compared with 112 names declared in 2016. This year, over 18,000 nominations for 4,000 nominees were received online, of which 89 deserving candidates were chosen, said an official release, adding that to make the process of selection transparent, an online nomination process was initiated from May-September 2016.

The awardees this year also include 15 ‘unsung’ persons, such as Kalayaripattu trainer MeenakshiAmma from Kerala, Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal from Punjab for developing an underground sewerage model and Chintakindi Mallesham for inventing a mechanised Pochampalli silk sari weaving machine.

The awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the country, are given in three categories -- PadmaVibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri – in fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, among others. The awards are conferred by the President at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhawan in March/April every year.

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