VS Achuthanandan awarded Padma Vibhushan
The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday as part of the Padma awards for 2026.
The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday as part of the Padma awards for 2026.
The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday as part of the Padma awards for 2026.
Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan will be posthumously honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced the honour on Sunday as part of the Padma awards for 2026.
Achuthanandan, who passed away on July 21, 2025, was a towering figure in Kerala politics and one of India’s most senior communist leaders. He served as Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and remained a prominent voice in public life for decades.
Other recipients of the Padma Vibhushan include Justice K T Thomas, recognised for his contributions to public affairs; renowned classical violinist N Rajam in the field of art; P Narayanan for literature and education; and veteran actor Dharmendra.
Those named for the Padma Bhushan include Malayalam superstar Mammootty; the late Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren; playback singer Alka Yagnik; former Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj; former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari; US-based physician Dr Nori Dattatreyudu; late advertising stalwart Piyush Pandey; industrialist Uday Kotak; senior BJP leader and former MP V K Malhotra; and SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan.
The Padma Shri honours have gone to a diverse group of achievers, including Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, former men’s team captain Rohit Sharma, former UGC chairman and JNU Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, veteran actor Satish Shah (posthumous), Indian women’s hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia, and Tollywood actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, among others.
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the conferment of 131 Padma Awards, including two duo cases, which are counted as a single award, according to an official statement. The list, released on the eve of Republic Day, comprises five Padma Vibhushan awards, 13 Padma Bhushan awards and 113 Padma Shri honours. Of the total awardees, 19 are women, while six fall under the foreigner, NRI, PIO or OCI categories. Sixteen awards have been announced posthumously.
The Padma Awards are presented in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri — and recognise excellence across a wide range of disciplines, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service. “Padma Vibhushan” is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; “Padma Bhushan” for distinguished service of high order, and “Padma Shri” for distinguished service in any field.