Agencies
New Delhi, Jan 26: Legal luminary Fali S. Nariman, well-known writer Khushwant Singh, former Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra and former Chief Justice of India, P.N. Bhagwati, were among the ten eminent personalities named for the Padma Vibhushan awards announced here late last night, Sahara Samay sources said.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar, Bharti Telecom chief Sunil Bharti Mittal, leading industrialist J. J. Irani, Pepsi chief Indra Nooyi, Suzuki Motor Corporation Chief O Suzuki Singh and well-known American writer Amitav Ghosh are among 32 people chosen for Padma Bhushan.
Others who have been chosen for the Padma Bhushan are well-known political scientist Bhikhu Parekh, noted social worker Ela Gandhi, poet Gopaldas Neeraj and American economist Jeffrey D. Sachs. The Padma Bhushan awardees also included social worker Dr. Mohini Giri, Kerala playwright Kavalam Narayan Panikkar, vocalists Rajan and Sajan Misra, artists Syed Haider Raza and Tyeb Mehta and former Supreme Court judge K. T. Thomas.
Former Home Secretary N.N. Vohra, Dr Balu Sankaran, late author Raja Rao, economist Raja J. Chelliah, former bureaucrat V. Krishnamurthy and US-based Sudarshan Erinackal Chandy George were also named for the Padma Vibhushan awards.
In all, 121 Padma awards were announced, including 10 Padma Vibhushan, 32 Padma Bhushan and 79 Padma Shri awards.
Writers Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth, choreographer Astad Deboo, Malayalam actor Balachandra Menon, Delhi-based dancer Geeta Chandran, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, NASSCOM chief Kiran Karnik, chess prodigy Koneru Humpy, singer Remo Fernandes and educationist Mushirul Hassan were among those named for the Padma Shri awards.
Master weaver P. Gopinathan of Kerala, ophthalmologist P. Namperumalsamy of Tamil Nadu, HSBC India CEO Naina Kidwai, singer Shanti Hiranand, cookery expert Tarla Dalal, activist Teesta Setalvad and Malayalam writer Sukumar Azhikode were also chosen for the Padma Shri.
However, no one has been named for the country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for the third straight year