The grandeur of the Padma Awards 2026 will continue at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 23 when President Droupadi Murmu hosts the second Civil Investiture Ceremony. 65 more recipients out of 131 awarded on January 25 will be recognized and there will be a rich diversity in arts, culture and sports in India.
Rohit Sharma, who has captained India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, is of particular importance as a cricketing great, not only a person in the world of cricket but indeed a manifestation of our nation’s pride.
Also in the programme will be Carnatic vocalists Ranjani and Gayatri Balasubramanian of Tamil Nadu, with their innovative ways of playing classical music which have changed the face of classical music for the modern world. Their work also reflects the evolving but still very much rooted values of the Indian performing arts.
Pokhila Lekthepi, a 72-year-old Assam folk artist who has been on a lifelong mission to save Karbi folk songs, is another inspiring recipient. She is proof that indigenous culture is important only when people remember it and they carry it to their children.
There is inclusivity and diversity, with 19 women recipients, overseas Indians and several posthumous honors in the list of awards this year. Many of these are the unsung heroes of arts, heritage, and grassroots sports whose achievements have largely gone unnoticed in the past. And in honor of them, the Padma Awards are part of India’s highest civilian honors.
The ceremony is not just for famous people, but also for those who have quietly created an uplift to India’s cultural and social fabric, they said. The government’s focus on grassroots artists alongside global icons is the only way to acknowledge talent at its highest level.
Next Tuesday’s ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan will also honour India’s varied achievements– from cricketing achievements to musical innovation and folk preservation. President Murmu will give the awards and it will be to underscore the enduring spirit of excellence and to honour those who have been an integral part of the nation’s heritage.
