By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu will confer 66 Padma Awards at the first civil investiture ceremony for 2026, scheduled to be held on Monday at the Ganatantra Mandap of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony will be attended by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Assam has emerged as a major highlight in this year’s honours list, with five individuals from the state receiving Padma Shri awards. The recipients include Sattriya exponent Haricharan Saikia, sculptor Nuruddin Ahmed, silk expert Jogesh Deuri, Karbi folk music exponent Pokila Lektepi and former Union Minister Kabindra Purkayastha, who has been honoured posthumously.
With this, Assam has recorded the highest number of Padma Shri awardees from the Northeast region for 2026.
Other recipients from the Northeast include Sangyusang S. Pongener, Techi Gubin, Yumnam Jatra Singh, Naresh Chandra Dev Varma and Hally War, who have also been selected for the prestigious civilian honours.
For 2026, the President has approved a total of 131 Padma Awards, comprising five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. The first phase of the ceremony will see the presentation of two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 58 Padma Shri honours, while the remaining awards will be conferred in a subsequent ceremony.
The Padma Awards, announced annually on Republic Day, recognise distinguished contributions across fields such as art, literature, science and engineering, medicine, social service, public affairs, sports, trade and industry, 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.
Officials noted that this year’s list includes 45 individuals recognised as “unsung heroes,” many of whom have overcome significant personal hardships and come from marginalised communities, tribal groups, and remote regions, while continuing to contribute meaningfully to society.