Padma Awards & Symbolic Gesture of India-ASEAN Bonding

Padma Shri awards on one achiever from each ASEAN country were announced on 25 January 2018 by India’s Prime Minsterin an unprecedented and symbolic gesture of India-ASEAN bonding on occasion of Silver Jubilee of India-ASEAN partnership, as ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit started in New Delhi on the eve of India’s 69^th Republic Day, where heads of all the 10 ASEAN States were the Chief Guests. The awardees from ASEAN countries are as unde

No. Country Awardee-Category

1. Myanmar: Dr Thant Myint – Public Affairs, Author and historian
2. Singapore: Tommy Koh – Public Affairs, Diplomat
3. Malaysia: Ramli Bin Ibrahim -Art-Dance
4. Thailand: SomdetPhraAriyaMahaMuniwong-Others-Spiritualism, Supreme Patriach
5. Vietnam: Sangha Nguyen TienThien-Others-Spiritualism,Secretary General of National Vietnam Buddhist
6. Indonesia: NyomanNuarta- Art- Sculpture
7. Laos: BounlapKeokangna Vat Phou – Others-Architecture
8. Brunei: Malai Haji Abdullah -Social work, is the founder of the Society for the Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and . . .   Resources.
9. Philippines: Jose Ma Joey Concepcion III – Trade & Industry, now a presidential .  . . advisor to President Rodrigo Duterte.
10. Cambodia: Hun Many – Public Affairs, the youngest Cambodian parliamentarian . .  and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son.

Besides the ASEAN, one person each; from Russia and United States of America have beengiven the Padam Bhushan; and from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Tajikistan and Nepal were also given the Padma Shri awards:

PadamBhushan

1. Russia: Alexander Kadakin – Public Affairs
2. USA: VedPrakash Nanda (OCI) – Literature and Education

Padma Shri

1. Saudi Arabia: NoufMarwaai- Others- Yoga
2. Japan: TomioMizokami – Literature andEducation
3. Tajikistan: HabibulloRajabov – Literature andEducation
4. Nepal: SandukRuit – Medicine-Ophthalmology

Conferment of 85 Padma Awardsapproved this year by the President of India Ram NathKovind, includes two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one), include 3 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan and 73 Padma Shri Awards. 14 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 16 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 3 posthumous awardees.

Padma Vibhushan were awarded to music maestro Illaiyaraja from Tamil Nadu and Hindustani classical singer Ghulam Mustafa Khan from Maharashtra in the field of Art-Music, writer ParameswaranParameswaran was conferred the award for his work in the field of Literature and Education.

Padma Bhushan were awarded to Billiards player PankajAdvani and former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the field of Sports; Philipose Mar Chrysostom from Kerala in Others- Spiritualism; RamachandranNagaswamy from Tamil Nadu in Others-Archaeology; LaxmanPai from Goa in Art-Painting; and Arvind Parikh from Maharashtra and Ms.ShardaSinha from Bihar in  Art-Music.

Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘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. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.