Page 38 - NIS English 16-31 February,2023

Nation Padma Awards

PEOPLE'S PADMA

The country's top Padma honour is no longer just reserved for 'special' people, but it has
become accessible to the common man as well. Now common people can make nominations
or self-nominate on the national portal. Those who kept the country above all, devotedly
engaged in their work for the principle of the nation first and never expected any reward,
such selfless people are now being selected for Padma awards.

ike the Padma award ceremony of 2022 ancient Indian musical instruments, empowering
on the red carpet of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the nation with the gift of natural farming. Due to
Lwhere common citizens came in slippers the honor being given to unknown heroes, now
and loincloth to receive the awards, this year too the number of applicants for the Padma Awards
was remarkable as in the list of Padma Samman are also increasing.
of 2023 included the names of ordinary citizens Those who received Padma Awards for their
working day and night to preserve tribal culture, dedication and service at the grassroots level
language and traditional arts. Lok Padma i.e. include Hirabai Lobi from Gujarat, Mangala
Padma Samman announced on January 25, Kanti Rai from West Bengal, Muni Venkatappa
includes names of such people who have been from Karnataka, Ghulam Mohammad Zaz from
involved in the upliftment of the needy for many Jammu and Kashmir, Kapil Dev Prasad from
decades, treating patients at a nominal fees, Nalanda, Bihar and Tula Ram Upreti from Sikkim
bringing the youth on the right path in Naxal- who are anonymous faces. This time there is
affected areas, preserving the tradition of a good representation of the tribal community

36 New India Samachar February 16-28, 2023