Bhil Kala ki Bhuri Abhushan

BHURI BAI

Padma Shri | Art (Painting - Folk) | Madhya Pradesh | 60 Yrs

“Internationally acclaimed Bhil Painter

from Jhabhua - First to transfer mud wall

paintings to huge canvasses”

• 1st Bhil Artist to use paper and canvas for

traditional Pithora paintings which have

traditionally been done on mud walls

• Began painting from a young age, bringing

Bhil life and culture to life since 40 years –

from myths about triumphant goddesses to

everyday village life filled with songs, rituals,

tattoos and folklore

• Used neem twigs as brushes and extracted

natural colors from plants, soil and clays

• Took up painting despite being from a

community where women are not allowed

to pick a paintbrush - encouraging other

women to take up painting as well

• Through diligence and devotion she rose

to prominence with her artwork being

exhibited and sold globally

Shanti aur Seva ki Devi

SHANTI DEVI

Padma Shri | Social Work (Gandhian) | Odisha | 86 Yrs

“Gandhian Social Worker serving poor for 6 decades in maoist-hit Rayagada - known

for her work in eradication of Yaws, chronic bacterial infection”

• 86 yr old Gandhian from Gunupur village

who founded Seva Samaj Ashram for

rehabilitating orphan, destitute and poor

children

• The Ashram which started with 8 tribals, has

now transformed into a hub of education

and welfare of 131 such children

• Imbibed with ideologies of Mahatma

Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave, worked to wipe

out a skin disease called Yaws and cured

over 4,000 infected

• Participated in the Bhoodan Sarvodaya

Movement led by Vinobha Bhave in 1951

• With a focus on empowering women, she

provided vocational training to 200 destitute

women of Adivasi and weaker sections in

tailoring, knitting, spices making, etc

Chitrakathi ki Aatma Ganga

PARSHURAM ATMARAM GANGAVANE

Padma Shri | Art (Painting – Folk) | Maharashtra | 65 Yrs

“Folk Artist from Sindhudurg - famous

for preserving 500 year old art of

Chitrakathi storytelling”

• Narrates the stories of Ramayana and

Mahabharata through paintings and folk

songs

• Till date, he continues to use natural

colours made from soil, flowers, vegetables

and leaves

• Established 'Thakar Adivasi Kala Aangan'

museum and art gallery to showcase the

Thakar tribal folk arts of Sindhudurg

• Has trained more than 100 students to

keep the dying art form alive

• Contemporized Chitrakathi beyond

mythological stories, by painting to raise

awareness about current situation and

educate people about cleanliness, Covid-19

and social distancing

Yellamma ki Jogati

MANJAMMA JOGATI

Padma Shri | Art (Dance) | Karnataka | 63 Yrs

“Transgender Folk Dancer of Jogamma

heritage - 1st transwoman President of

Karnataka Janapada Academy”

• Jogati Nritya Folk Dancer who has

performed 1,000 times in the past 35 years

• Became the 1st transwoman President of

Karnataka Janapada Academy in 2019

• Found a reason to live through dance after

being stuck in a life of destitution, social

stigmas and resistance

• Her story of resilience is now a part of

syllabus for Bachelor in Arts course at

Karnataka Folk University in Haveri

• Jogati Nritya is a ritual folk dance

performed by a group of women - generally

Jogappas, a community of transgender

people in north Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

and Maharashtra, to appease Goddess

Yellamma

Kashmiri Kaarigari ke Khan

GHULAM RASOOL KHAN

Padma Shri | Art (Textiles - Jamawar) | Jammu and Kashmir | 66 Yrs

• Jamawar considered to be the oldest form

of Kashmiri shawl technique, which is

being practiced by artisans for more than

700 yrs

• Developed new form of Jamawar shawl by

creating the first Shawl with 64 pieces as

opposed to conventional 32 pieces

• Crafted new prints of Sozni embroidery, the

traditional style of Kashmiri embroidery

• As Director of B K Handicrafts has provided

employment to over 300 artisans

• Winner of National Award for Textile (2006)

+ Shilp Guru Award (2010)

“Jamawar Patchwork Artist from

Srinagar - conserving the oldest form of

Kashmiri shawl technique”

Seraikela ki Sherni

CHUTNI DEVI

Padma Shri | Social Work (Women) | Jharkhand | 62 Yrs

“Tribal activist from Seraikela famous as

'Tigress' - for having single-handedly

saved 60 women from Witch-hunting”

• 62 yr old brave-heart popular as 'Tigress' in

her locality for strongly opposing the social

evil of Witch-hunting - tirelessly fighting

the evil practice for decades

• From being branded a ‘Dayan' herself, she

faced and overcame strong opposition and

even violent attacks with undeterred

willpower, and has till date successfully

rescued more than 60 women

• She also served as an example for humanity,

by providing food to the underprivileged on

her own with no support from local

authorities

• It is estimated that more than 1,500 women

have been killed because of being branded

as witches over the past 2 decades

Bhojpuri Naach Nayak

RAMCHANDRA MANJHI

Padma Shri | Art (Dance - Folk) | Bihar | 95 Yrs

“95 yr old Naach Folk dancer from Bihar

- carrying forward the legacy of grameen

natak for over 8 decades”

• Dedicated his life to keep the tradition of

Naach alive, a prominent Bhojpuri folk art

form where men impersonate women in

performances - comprising of songs, dance,

comedy, satire, pun, banter, parody and

theatre

• Plays are based on social evils and raise

pertinent questions on caste discrimination,

dowry killings etc

• Following his Guru (Bhikari Thakur)'s

narrative art, passed from generation to

generation since 11th century – continues

to represent the dusty land of Bhojpur belt

• Even at the age of 95, his performances

continue to be as astounding as ever

Meghalaya’s Black Pepper Marak

NANADRO B MARAK

Padma Shri | Others (Agriculture) | Meghalaya | 61 Yrs

“Organic Farmer from West Garo hills

growing black pepper - transferring his

knowledge to others”

• A pioneering, progressive farmer, he

produces 10,000 kgs of black pepper

every year through complete organic

farming techniques

• Black pepper is a crop which is very time

consuming to grow

• Did not compromise on his farming

methods despite hardships – the trees

suffered damage during the initial years

• Apart from the 3,400 trees on his ancestral

land, he planted 100 new saplings every

year for over 3 decades

• To help farmers, he conducted training

sessions which have benefitted 800 farmers

across 18 villages

King of Naga Blues

REWBEN MASHANGVA

Padma Shri | Art (Music - Folk) | Manipur | 59 Yrs

“Naga Folk Blues musician - known for

resurrecting Manipur's Tangkhul Naga

musical heritage”

• Modified Yangkahui, the traditional

Tangkhul Naga flute to suit the western

tone

• Created Naga tribal folk songs based on

blues and ballad rhythms - 'Tantivy', 'Naga

Folk Blues', 'Creation'

• Born in a remote village of Choithar in

Ukhrul district, he is one of the most

popular and ingenious Naga musicians

• Popularly known as 'King of Naga Folk

Blues' and 'Cultural Ambassador of the

Nagas'

• His latest song captures the emotions of

people affected by Covid-19

Piplantri’s Super Sarpanch

SHYAM SUNDER PALIWAL

Padma Shri | Social Work (Environment) | Rajasthan | 55 Yrs

“Inspirational Sarpanch of model village of Piplantri - catalysing pioneering work

across forestry, water, conservation and girl child empowerment”

• As former Sarpanch of Piplantari village,

successfully transformed his village – with

the Piplantri Model now recognized

internationally

• Emulated by 157 panchayats in Rajasthan,

Maharashtra, Bihar and other states

• Transformed village into lush green belt by

planting 3.5 lakh trees through community

engagement, which has improved water

level by 10 times

• Initiated ‘Kiran Nidhi Yojana’ to celebrate

every girl child’s birth in the village by

planting 111 saplings - dedicated himself

towards the cause of the girl child, after the

tragic death of his daughter

• Villagers now plant trees to commemorate

births, deaths, and other major life events

Organic Kheti Grannie

PAPPAMMAL

Padma Shri | Others (Agriculture) | Tamil Nadu | 106 Yrs

“106 yr role model Organic Farmer from

Coimbatore - cultivating varieties of millets,

pulses & vegetables for 9 decades”

• Continues to cultivate herself on 2.5 acres

of land in Thekkampatti village - going to

her farm every morning without fail

• Loved by everyone, she is an inspiration to

all on how age is never a barrier

• Eager to learn, she joined Tamil Nadu

Agriculture Uni to receive formal training,

and now is a part of its Advisory Committee

• Losing her parents at a young age, she was

brought up by her paternal grandmother,

who bequeathed a provision store for her

• Earnings from the provision store and an

eatery she launched, helped her buy 10

acres of agricultural land - three-fourths of

this she has given to her sister’s daughters

whom she brought up

Ganjam's ke Swasthya ke Krishna

KRISHNA MOHAN PATHI

Padma Shri | Medicine (Healthcare) | Odisha | 82 Yrs

“People's doctor from Ganjam known for

serving the underprivileged - recognized for

his pioneering work in Tribal healthcare”

• Born in Sukunda village, he earned his MS

from England on scholarship, travelling over

22 countries, to ultimately quit his affluent

life and return to India to fulfill his father's

dream of serving the poor - continues to

go strong even at 82 yrs

• Did pioneering work in sickle cell disease

• His innovative work on Tempramandibular

Ankylosis led to a patient being able to eat

for the first time in 20 years

• Still actively involved in research and

education, presents papers internationally

• Established Bharadwaj Gurukul Ashram in

maoist-affected backward region of

Ganjam – a charitable organization

providing free healthcare to tribals

Pardhi ke Guru Girish

GIRISH PRABHUNE

Padma Shri | Social Work (Tribal) | Maharashtra | 70 Yrs

“Social Worker who has dedicated his life

towards the empowerment of nomadic

Pardhi tribals”

• Established Punaruththan Samarasta

Gurukulam, school housing more than 300

students, mostly tribals

• Working particularly for upliftment of the

Pardhi community, a denotified nomadic

tribe criminalized under the British Raj

• He travels to remote places to request

parents to send their children to Gurukul -

with a vision of bringing smiles to the faces

of everyone attending his school

• Promotes traditional arts through Gurukul

tradition

• Founder of Chapekar Memorial Museum -

transformed “Chapekar Wada” into a

memorial, with photos of more than 450

revolutionaries

Nanda Master

NANDA PRUSTY

Padma Shri | Literature & Education (Education) | Odisha | 100 Yrs

“100 yr old Village School Teacher from

Jajpur - providing free education to

generations since independence”

• Selfless, dedicated teacher with a mission

to eradicate illiteracy, providing free

education in Kantira village in Jajpur

• Keeping the tradition of chatashali alive

(non-formal school, under a tree) - teaching

multiple batches of students at dawn and

elders at sunset without charging any fee for

over 7 decades

• Many of his students have gone on to have

successful careers

• Unfazed by health and financial issues,

continues to tirelessly serve the society

• A people’s person, respected and loved by

all, is considered as a Head in resolving

Panchayat issues

Rajgond’s Gussadi Master Raju

KANAKA RAJU

Padma Shri | Art (Dance – Folk) | Telangana | 63 Yrs

“Gussadi dancer preserving the dying

tribal art form by training Adivasi youth

for decades”

• From the tribal dominated Kumuram

Bheem Asifabad district, preserving the

Gussadi dance form of Rajgond tribal

community for more than 4 decades

• Popular as “Gussadi Master”, trained

hundreds of Adivasi youth to keep the

traditional dance form alive

• Led Gussadi cultural troupe to Delhi,

performing at the 1981 Republic Day

celebrations - promoting Unity in Diversity

• Performs wearing a Gussadi hair cap made

of 1,500 peacock feathers locally known as

Mal Boora

• From a very modest background, works as a

cook on daily wages at a welfare hostel in

Marlavai village

Rythimic Reang’s Hojagiri Hero

Maitya Ram Reang

Padma Shri | Art (Dance - Folk) | Tripura | 77 Yrs

“Tribal Hojagiri dancer from Tripura -

conserving & promoting Reang tribe's

traditional dance for over 5 decades”

• Established Hojagiri Dance Academy and

Lokaranjan Shakha for the propagation of

indigenous art and dance forms of Tripura

• Started at an early age and imbibed the

music and dance traditions of Reang tribe

• Gained proficiency in Hojagiri dances and

Kokborok songs by performing in

traditional festivals of the community

• Travelled widely across the country and

globally

• Continues to strive to conserve and

promote Hojagiri Dance by training young

people of 'Reang' tribe - passing on his

knowledge of the art form to the younger

generation

DILIP KUMAR SINGH

Padma Shri | Medicine (Healthcare) | Bihar | 92 Yrs

“92 yr Physician from Bhagalpur - devoted

to healthcare of poor for over 7 decades”

• Doctor who chose to serve in rural areas

throughout his life despite being from a

well-to-do family – dedicated to helping the

poor fighting Leprosy, Polio, Cataract,

Deaddiction etc

• Practicing in remote Pirpainti town in

Bhagalpur district since 1952 - when there

was no electricity and roads, used horses to

travel to different villages to offer treatment

• Treated and rehabilitated 250 Leprosy

patients over a three decade period

• Amongst first to conduct free Polio vaccine

camps in which thousands of children were

vaccinated

Bhagalpur ke Bhagya-vidhata

VIRENDER SINGH

Padma Shri | Sports (Divyang) | Haryana | 34 Yrs

“Para Freestyle Wrestler from Jhajjar - won

India multiple medals on the world stage”

• Living through hearing and speech

impairment, went on to not just represent

India, but win her 7 medals in global events

• Won Gold Medal at Melbourne Summer

Deaflympics

• Continues to contribute as a Coach at

Sports Authority of India

• Born in Jhajjar district’s Sasroli village,

trained under his father, a former wrestler -

woke up daily before dawn followed by 8 hr

workouts, no vice and single-minded focus

• Inspired by him rising above circumstances,

a National Award winning documentary film

has been made on his life

Goonga Pehlwan

Chandamama Sankar

K C SIVASANKAR

Padma Shri | Art (Cartoon Art) | Tamil Nadu | 97 Yrs

“Veteran Cartoonist from Chennai -

creator of the iconic Chandamama

magazine for children”

• 97 year old Veteran Cartoonist, who is

famous for the remarkable ‘Vikram Vetala’

series of Chandamama magazine

• Published in 13 regional languages, the

magazine became a mainstream favourite

powered by his work

• His illustrations helped bring to life various

stories and folklores for children, while also

persuading them to think and critically

apply their minds

• Contributed to the field by making cartoons

of both cultural connection and fiction

• His drawings incorporated vivid colours

which made everything seem real

• Last artist of the original 'Chandamama'

magazine's team from nineties

Sanitation Subbu

MARACHI SUBBURAMAN

Padma Shri | Social Work (Sanitation) | Tamil Nadu | 69 Yrs

“Social Worker from Trichy who has impacted lakhs, especially fishermen, by installing 30 lakh eco-friendly, low-cost

toilets”

• Established 'SCOPE', Society for Community

Organisation and People's Education with

the idea of promoting sanitation and rural

development

• Introduced people to ECOSAN toilets,

which are dry toilets with no flushes and

septic tanks - suitable for areas with rocky

terrain water scarcity

• A journey that started in 1986, evolved into

installation of over 30 lakh units of

environmentally sound toilets thereby

impacting lives of 1.5 crore people

• The Ecosan toilet system is suitable for

Manure produced through the toilets after

6 to 12 months of composting – this is

distributed to the farmers free of cost, who

earlier used to spend Rs 20,000 a year on

manure and urea

Mahila ki Lakshmi Ma

LAKHIMI BARUAH

Padma Shri | Social Work (Women) | Assam | 71 Yrs

“Social Worker from Jorhat who

established Assam's first Women-run

Cooperative Bank”

• Set up Assam’s 1st women run Co-

operative Bank - Konoklota Mahila Urban

Co-operative Bank Ltd

• Witnessed illiterate women getting turned

away from the Bank where she worked,

which inspired her to start her initiative

• Struggled for 8 years to turn idea into a

reality – after numerous rejections, before

several housewives came forward to buy

shares with their hard earned money

• Starting with 1 branch in 2002, expanded to

4 branches handling 34,000 accounts -

aiming to open at least 1 branch in each of

Assam’s 33 districts

• Provided loans worth crores to thousands at

low interest rate, with a high recovery rate

- 70% of her customers are illiterate & 80%

from deprived backgrounds

Master Moshai

SUJIT CHATTOPADHYAY

Padma Shri | Literature & Education (Education) | West Bengal | 77 Yrs

“77 yr Village School Teacher from Bardhaman - working for decades to spread education, especially amongst

tribals”

• Retired school teacher, who since

retirement has devoted his life to providing

quality education to tribal students of

Ausgram at a nominal fee of Rs 2

• Set up his school, Sadai Fakirer Pathshala

(eternal fakir’s school) to make education

accessible in an area where proper

schooling facilities are unavailable

• 80% of his students are girls belonging to

lower middle-class families

• Led campaigns on socio-environmental

issues and raised funds for thalassemia

patients for five years in a row

Zanskar’s Selfless Sevak

TSULTRIM CHONJOR

Padma Shri | Social Work (Service) | Ladakh | 76 Yrs

“Selfless hero who single handedly constructed 38-km road - connecting

Ramjak to Kargyak village in remote Zanskar region of Kargil”

• Retired state government employee from

Stongde village in Zanzkar

• Constructed the road from Ramjak, an

inhabited area to Kargyak village, the first

properly inhabited village – an area

neglected for decades by the administration

• Spent over Rs 50 lakhs from his own pocket

after dipping into life savings and also

selling his ancestral property

• Rented a JCB machine and 5 donkeys to

build the road

• Constructing the road for over a decade at

an average altitude of 11,500 feet also

deteriorated his health

Handa Bhona er Dada Debnath

NARAYAN DEBNATH

Padma Shri | Art (Cartoon Art) | West Bengal | 95 Yrs

“95 yr old Veteran Cartoonist from

Bengal - most popular for his comic strips

Handa Bhonda”

• Flagbearer of Bengali pop culture for over

6 decades

• While his works have mainly been aimed at

children, there has always been a note of

social and nationalistic idealism behind his

characters

• Apart from publishing comic artwork, he has

also published in an array of genres

including detective, adventure and horror

in Bengali literature

• His characters ‘Bantul the Great’, ‘Nonte

Fonte’, ‘Handa Bhonda,’ are characters that

have permeated down generations and

have remained favourite among children

even decades later

• A familiar name in all Bengal’s households,

children there have grown up reading his

comics

Madhubani ki Dulari

DULARI DEVI

Padma Shri | Art (Painting - Folk) | Bihar | 52 Yrs

“Acclaimed self-made Maithili Painter

from Madhubani - rose from being a Dai

against all adversity”

• Despite coming from fisherman community

usually not involved in the art-form, picked

it up from her employer Karpoori Devi (an

accomplished painter) to emerge as a

nationally recognized artist today

• Overcame multiple adversities, from being

abandoned by her husband at the age of

16, to losing her child, and working as a

housemaid for 16 years at a meagre pay

• Having faced harsh challenges, she spreads

awareness on issues like child marriage,

AIDS, foeticide through her paintings

• Made 10,000 paintings, displayed in over

50 exhibitions

• Trained more than 1,000 students through

bodies like Mithila Art Institute and Seva

Mithila Sansthan

Mamata ki Prakashini

PRAKASH KAUR

Padma Shri | Social Work (Children) | Punjab | 60 Yrs

“Social Worker from Jalandhar taking

care of abandoned girls for 3 decades -

after being abandoned as a child”

• Started Unique Home for girls, through

which she has rescued and rehabilitated 60

baby girls abandoned by their families at

the time of birth, over last 3 decades

• Her own childhood of abandonment

inspired her to dedicate her life to the cause

of protecting unwanted, abandoned and

orphaned girls

• Devoted to provide them a life worth

looking forward to, when their own parents

wished them death

• Cares for the girls like her own by providing

for everything from education to marriage

• Planning to start a home for mentally

challenged children

Star of the Shadows

K K RAMACHANDRA PULAVAR

Padma Shri | Art (Puppetry) | Kerala | 60 Yrs

“11th Generation Shadow Puppeteer

who has performed in 45+ countries on

Indian culture and mythologies”

• From the sole family propagating the art, he

is reviving and recreating age-old

Tolpavakoothu shadow puppetry

• The original Tolpavakoothu performance

lasts for 10 hours, from dusk to dawn and is

performed for 21 days at temple festival in

Koonathara, Shornur

• He took this art form outside of temple

premises – incorporated ancient techniques

in contemporary forms and performed in

more than 45 countries

• Apart from performing mythological stories

of Ramayana and Puranas in over 40

temples, also performed shows describing

Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom struggle and

raised awareness on topics like women

empowerment, road safety etc

Biru Baido

BIRUBALA RABHA

Padma Shri | Social Work (Women) | Assam | 61 Yrs

“Decades-old crusader against Witch-

hunting from Goalpara - working across

North East, at risk to her own life”

• Tribal lady who overcame being accused of

witchcraft herself, to fight relentlessly and

fearlessly against this social evil

• Initiated Mission Birubala, rescuing more

than 50 women termed witches

• Faced tremendous opposition including

death threats through sheer will and

courage – inspiring over 500 volunteers

• Instrumental in passing of Prevention and

Protection from Witch Hunting Act, 2015,

by the Government of Assam

• Dropped out of school after Class 5 and

was married off early

• Witch-hunting is a form of superstition

wherein women are blamed for unfortunate

occurrences and targeted by fellow villagers,

at times even being killed

Wayanad Vanvasi ke Vivekananda

DHANANJAY DIWAKAR SAGDEO

Padma Shri | Medicine (Healthcare) | Kerala | 64 Yrs

“Hematologist dedicated to the healthcare

and empowerment of Tribals for 4 decades

• Treated tribals in Wayanad since early 1970s

for 4 decades - First to detect Sickle Cell

Anemia in the community

• Set up Hospital treating more than 1 Lakh

patients yearly (75% tribals), and Mobile

Medical unit reaching remote areas

• Founded 'Swami Vivekananda Medical

Mission‘ with a 5 point holistic program for

Tribals - Shikshan (education), Swasthya

(healthcare), Sanskar (grooming),

Swavalamban (self-reliance), Samajik

(social work)

• What started as a small initiative has now

blossomed into an umbrella of initiatives - a

more importantly a place of trust

• Originally a native of Nagpur, made

Wayanad his home in 1970s – serving

selflessly ever since

Child-bride to Bridalwear Queen

Hanjabam Ongbi Radhe Sharmi

Padma Shri | Art (Textiles - Potloi) | Mizoram | 88 Yrs

“88 yr Potloi Setpi Weaver from Manipur

- keeping the art of ‘Potloi' alive”

• Defying her age, she is keeping the art of

Potlio alive - a skirt that forms an important

part of Manipuri wedding attire

• Working for over 6 decades, she has

dressed 1,000 brides with her self-designed

outfits

• Married off at the age of 15, she now

creates awareness on issues like drug

addiction and women employment

• Apart from designing Potloi, she also makes

costumes for Khamba-Thoibi dances

• ‘Potloi' is a skirt that forms an important

part of the Manipuri wedding attire and

comprises of stiff cylindrical skirt, blouse,

woven belt around the waist, & 'Innaphi',

which is a delicate muslin shawl wrapped

around the upper body

Gurbani Kirtan ke Kartar

KARTAR SINGH

Padma Shri | Art (Vocals) | Punjab | 92 Yrs

“One of the foremost Gurbani singers

and scholars today”

• Gurbani Kirtan legend from Ludhiana, with

an illustrious career in performing and

teaching spanning 6 decades

• Scholar who has authored multiple books

on Gurbani, selling thousands of copies

• Heading Gurmat Sangeet Academy at Sri

Anandpur Sahib in Ropar, training a large

number of students

• Many of his students are serving “kirtan

sewa” with “tanti saazas” as “ragi jathas”

and accompanying artists from prominent

Gurudwaras in globally

• He was assigned to restart “Gurbani Kirtan”

in prescribed ragas with traditional musical

instruments in Golden Temple in 2006

• Even at the age of 92, feels as eager as ever

to learn music

Guru Maa Soren

KAMALI SOREN

Padma Shri | Social Work (Tribal) | West Bengal | 50 Yrs

“Santhali Social Worker from Maldah

working for 3 decades for the betterment

of Tribals”

• Contribution towards tribal empowerment,

value-education, healthcare

• Through her Ashram in Gazoli village, she

provides primary treatment to the tribals

and also promotes good health practices

• Focused on empowering tribal women and

girls through awareness and education

• Mentoring the Santhal community of

Maldah and adjoining districts for the past

25 years

Shanthi Gear to Shanthi Seva

P SUBRAMANIAN

Padma Shri | Trade & Industry (Manufacturing) | Tamil Nadu | 78 Yrs

“Gear Man of Coimbatore, founder of

Shanthi Gears - dedicated his wealth to the

upliftment of underprivileged”

• As a First Generation Entrepreneur

founded Shanthi Gears in 1972 - a gears

manufacturing company in Coimbatore

• Company was listed on the stock exchange

in 1986 and subsequently became the third

largest gear manufacturer in India

• A devoted philanthropist, set up Shanthi

Social Service (SSS), in memory of his late

wife – for undertaking welfare activities,

construction of roads and schools in

downtrodden areas and providing support

to underprivileged children

• SSS runs a hospital and pharmacy known

for extending medical services to the needy,

and a canteen which serves free food to

300 senior citizens every day

• Posthumous (11 Dec 2020)

Vyasarapadi’s Five Rupees Doctor

THIRUVENGADAM VEERARAGHAVAN

Padma Shri | Medicine (Healthcare) | Tamil Nadu | 70 Yrs

“Doctor from Chennai who dedicatedly

served the poor day and night for 5

decades”

• Started a clinic in 1973 in Vyasarapadi

neighborhood of Chennai, attending to

patients daily at nominal charge of Rs 2 to 5

• With growing pressure from other doctors

in the area, suggested his patients to pay

him back according to their convenience,

even in kind

• Born into a farmer family, he lived his

childhood aspiration to serve the poor and

downtrodden to his last breath, being

available through day and night

• Despite losing almost everything he owned

during the 2015 Chennai floods, he

continued to serve humanity to the best of

his abilities

• Posthumous (16 Aug 2020)

India’s Tallest Dwarf

K Y VENKATESH

Padma Shri | Sports (Divyang) | Karnataka | 48 Yrs

“India's leading Dwarf Para Athlete -

won record number of medals in World

Dwarf Games”

• Born with dwarfism, at 4 feet 2 inches tall,

he never let his short stature dishearten him

from moving forward in life

• Multi-sport Para athlete who became the

first athlete to represent India at World

Dwarf Games 2005, bagging 6 medals

• Has brought laurels to the country in

Badminton, Shot-put, Javelin, Discus

throw and many other athletic events

• Without letting Dwarfism become a

barrier, he has become a role model for

para-badminton athletes in the country who

are now following his footsteps

• Continues to play a significant role in sports

as Secretary of Karnataka Badminton

Association for the Disabled

“selflessly organizing langars for 500+

poor patients daily for over 2 decades”

Jagdish Lal AhujaLangar Baba

• Serving free food daily to hundreds of poor

patients and attendants outside PGIMER

• Also provides patients other support, from

financial assistance to blankets and clothes

• Had started serving free food in the 1980s,

moving to PGIMER in 2000 to serve over

2,000 people daily for 15 years

• Self-made crorepati, who had come to India

empty handed during partition

• Sold off properties worth crores to fuel his

mission, and continues to serve undeterred

even by Stomach cancer

• Born in Peshawar in Pakistan, partition had

forced him into becoming the sole

breadwinner of the family at a young age -

looks for his own lost childhood through the

eyes of the children he feeds

Padma Shri | Social Work (Service) | Punjab | 84 Yrs

“transformed a drought prone village into a

green model village”

Popatrao PawarGram Swaraj ke Super Sarpanch

• Sarpanch of Hiware Bazaar village in

Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra

• Transformed Hiware Bazar from an

impoverished drought-prone village, into a

role model of village development

• The village now has no BPL families, no

alcohol consumption & was amongst the first

ODF villages in 1992

• Reduced STD rates by making HIV tests

mandatory before marriages

• Prepared 5-year action plans for ecological

conservation

• Built 40,000 trenches around hills to

conserve rainwater

• Planted 4.5 lakh trees

Padma Shri | Social Work (Water) | Maharashtra | 60 Yrs

“former manual scavenger, who through

decades of service has become President of

Sulabh International, at the forefront of

environmental sanitation”

Usha ChaumarSulabh se Swachhta

• Dalit lady who’s life is an embodiment of

strong will & empowerment - one who was

helpless herself, has now become the voice of

countless

• A manual scavenger since the age of 7, she

had lived a life full of hardships – from being

married off at the age of 10, to be ostracized

in markets and temples for being an

untouchable

• She was rescued by Nai Disha NGO of Sulabh

International, and through her hard work rose

to now head Sulabh International Social

Service Organisation as its President –

leading the fight for Sanitation and against

the practice of manual scavenging

Padma Shri | Social Work (Sanitation) | Rajasthan | 53 Yrs

“illiterate Halakki Tribal woman known for

possessing endless knowledge of plants and

herbs”

Tulasi GowdaEncyclopedia of Forest

• Known as the ‘Encyclopedia of Forest’ due to

her vast knowledge of diverse species of

plants & herbs - despite not having any

formal education

• Despite growing up in poverty amongst

backward community, planted and nurtured

thousands of trees over the past 60 years

• Even at the age of 72, continues to nurture

plants and share her knowledge with the new

generation, carrying forward the message of

environmental protection

• Joined the Forest Depart as a temporary

volunteer - the department recognized her

dedication towards nature, offering her a

permanent job as a Member

Padma Shri | Social Work (Environment) | Karnataka | 72 Yrs

“‘retired Railways Medical Officer, cherished as

the Mother of Ratlam for her over 2 decade

long, high impact work amongst women

suffering from Anemia in Ratlam”

Leela JoshiMother of Ratlam

• Retired Gynecologist from Railways, who has

treated over 2.5 lakh women & children

suffering from Anemia in Ratlam

• Instrumental in reducing neonatal deaths,

maternal mortality & morbidity

• Organized 1,000 free of cost health camps &

distributed supplements

• Initiated health scheme ‘12/12/12’, where 12

year old girls, or girls studying in Class 12,

must have 12 GMS% HB in their blood

• President of Shri Seva Sansthan, Ratlam

• Retired as Chief Health Director – Railway

Medical Services in 1996

Padma Shri | Medicine (Affordable Healthcare) | Madhya Pradesh | 81 Yrs

“fought for fair treatment and rehabilitation

of Bhopal Gas Tragedy survivors for over 3

decades”

Abdul JabbarVoice of Bhopal

• Convener of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila

Udyog Sangathan, an advocacy group for

victims, survivors & their families

• His 35-year-long struggle from a hand

pump fitter to a people’s advocate is

reference point in independent India’s history

of people’s movements

• Provided vocational training to 2,300

widows of those who died from the gas leak

• Filed petitions in court seeking medical

rehabilitation for victims

• Gas leak from the Union Carbide plant in

Bhopal had killed more than 3,500 people

• Lost his family after the gas leak, while he

suffered lung fibrosis and lost 50% of his

vision due to the accident

• Posthumous (15 Nov 2019)

Padma Shri | Social Work (Service) | Madhya Pradesh | 63 Yrs

“muslim bhajan singer, epitome of India’s

syncretic ethos”

Munna MasterBhaichare ke Bhajan

• Bhajan singer from a traditional Muslim

family of Bagaru in Jaipur district, carrying

forward the family tradition of singing Ram-

Krishna bhajans

• Has penned bhajans in praise of Lord

Krishna & Cows

• His book 'Shri Shyam Surabhi Vandana' is

popular in the area

• Epitome of India’s syncretic ethos - offers

namaz, sings bhajans, knows Sanskrit, takes

care of cows

Padma Shri | Art (Vocals - Bhajan) | Rajasthan | 61 Yrs

“self-taught tribal woman famous globally

for her work in agro bio-diversity

conservationparticularly of indigenous

varieties”

Rahibai Soma Popere

Seed Mother

• Tribal farmer from Ahmednagar district,

honoured with the title of ‘Seed Mother’ by

CSIR for her inspirational work in the tribal-

dominated region

• Conserved 50 acres of collective indigenous

land, growing many varieties of rice &

vegetables

• Established seed bank - successfully

preserving hundreds of varieties of various

crops in a traditional tribal way

• Created methods to harvest water on farms

thereby turning wasteland into fertile land

• Increased crop yield by 30% with improved

cultivation practices

• Excellent outreach work, training other

farmers and spread awareness

Padma Shri | Others (Agriculture - Organic) | Maharashtra | 56 Yrs

“veteran folk artist preserving the ancient

art of storytelling, shadow puppetry”

Dalavai Chalapathi Rao

Kathputli ke Chhayachitra

• Veteran exponent of Shadow puppetry, an

ancient art form of storytelling using flat cut-

out leather figures as puppets

• Narrations are on mythological themes like the

Mahabharata & Ramayana

• Performed over 60 shows internationally

• Inspired & trained youth in the art form

• Preserving a dying art, as poverty turns these

puppet artistes into farmhands

• Despite being old & frail, continues to be the

patriarch of Nimmalakunta village in Anantpur

district synonymous with the art form

Padma Shri | Art (Puppetry) | Andhra Pradesh | 83 Yrs

“founder of Maiti movement integrating

tree plantation into social customs, which

has led to plantation of more than 1 lakh

trees in the Himalayan region”

Kalyan Singh RawatHimalaya ke Harit Nandan

• Maiti – derived from Mait, meaning married

woman’s parental home, began with

encouraging tree plantation on a girl’s

wedding

• Started in 1995, Maiti movement has spread

across 6,000 villages in 18 states & 5

countries (UK, Canada, Indonesia, Nepal &

Bhutan) in past 25 years

• It is one of India’s biggest afforestation

movements

• Founder President - Himalayan Vanya Jeev

Sansthan

• Created ‘Shaurya Van’ in memory of Kargil

martyrs

• Also campaigned against animal sacrifice and

providing education to the girl-child

• Retired Teacher, Government Inter College

Padma Shri | Social Work (Environment - Afforestation) | Uttarakhand | 66 Yrs

“bicycle mechanic who has been performing

the last rites of thousands of unclaimed dead

bodies for the last 25 years”

Mohammed SharifChacha Sharif

• Performed the last rites of 25,000+

unclaimed bodies in and around Faizabad

over the past 25 yrs,

• An apostle of Communal Harmony, he has

never differentiated on the basis of religion –

performing the last rites in accordance with

the person’s religious practices (cremating

Hindus and burying Muslims)

• Bicycle mechanic by profession, he struggles

to make ends meet

Padma Shri | Social Work (Service - Last Rites) | Uttar Pradesh | 80 Yrs life years

“improving the lives of Kashmir’s

divyang children”

Javed Ahmad TakAnantnag ke Apne

• Divyang Social Worker, working with

specially-abled children for 2 decades, to

integrate them into mainstream life

• Established Humanity Welfare Organization,

Kashmir and Zaiba Aapa School for the

specially-abled (physically & intellectually) -

providing free education, material aid &

motivation to 100+ such children

• Implemented project for child-friendly spaces

in 40+ villages in Anantnag & Pulwama

• Wheelchair-ridden since 1997, due to spinal

injury from a bullet hit in militant attack

• Lives by the motto of ‘Be a part, not apart’

• From Bijbehara, Anantnag in Kashmir

Padma Shri | Social Work (Divyang Welfare) | Jammu & Kashmir | 46 Yrs

“treating burn & bite victims for free in the

Himalayas for over 35 years”

Yogi AeronHimalaya’s Helping Hand

• Started Helping Hand, Dehradun - dedicated

to providing medical help to hill people

• Treats over 500 patients free of cost every

year, suffering from burns or are mauled by

animals - Patients are mostly poor, hill

women from remote villages in the Himalayas

• Govt hospitals redirect complicated cases of

burn & bite, to him due his expertise

• Organized 14 days camps in remote villages,

consecutively for the last 13 years

• Still lives in rented house, with very limited

earnings – had converted the hall into a

dispensary & place to perform surgeries

when he returned from the US in 1983

• Believes “designations are responsibilities

more than pride”

Padma Shri | Medicine (Affordable Healthcare) | Uttarakhand | 81 Yrs

“farmer who has planted lakhs of plants in

desert areas of Rajasthan”

Himmata Ram Bhambhu

Registan ke Ratna Ram

• Farmer & Environmentalist, working selflessly

for the protection of nature

• Promotes afforestation in desert areas

• Developed a unique integrated agro-forestry

plantation & biodiversity conservation centre

• Motivated people towards conservation in

forest deficit districts like Nagaur, Jodhpur,

Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sikar & Ajmer

• Took care of 1,000+ birds & animals by

feeding them with 20 kg grains every day

• Takes care of birds & animals, especially

peacocks, chinkaras & other rare creatures

• Also fought against social evils like poaching

& drug addiction

Padma Shri | Social Work (Environment) | Rajasthan | 63 Yrs Super

“fruit vendor who has devoted his life and

life’s earnings towards educating others”

Harekala HajabbaAkshara Santa

• Educated poor children in his village,

Newpadupu, in Dakshin Kannada for over 20

yrs, through meagre earnings from selling

oranges in Mangalore

• Set up Hajabba School initially in a

community mosque, later turned into

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher

Primary School with the help of local people

& the government

• He now plans to upgrade the school to pre

University College for children in the village

• Having faced hardships because of being

uneducated, didn’t want future generations

to go through the same

• Hajabba selflessly worked for others,

neglecting his own needs – didn’t even have

a proper house to live in

Padma Shri | Social Work (Affordable Education) | Karnataka | 64 Yrs

“father of modern Nagpuri lok geet,

entertaining audiences for over 6 decades

with his songs based on the natural beauty

of Jharkhand”

Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh

Lok Geet ke Mansur

• Folk Singer, Poet & Lyricist - Raag Ragni,

Kuduk & Mundari folk

• His songs are on the natural beauty of

Jharkhand - become the voice of various

movements including Jharkhand movement

• Brought Nagpuri & tribal folk tradition to

international platforms - performed on

1,000+ stages, wrote 100+ songs

• Founder of Shisht Manch, providing a

platforms to other lok gayak & sahitya

Padma Shri | Art (Music - Folk) | Jharkhand | 71 Yrs

“husband-wife journalist duo - running the

world's only daily newspaper published in

Sanskrit”

K V Sampath Kumar & K S Jayalakshmi

Sanskrit ke Sudharma

• Editors of Sudharma - world's only daily

newspaper published in Sanskrit for the last

50 years

• Having a circulation of 3,500 and a free e-

paper, it’s readership is spread across India,

Germany, Japan & Sri Lanka,

• Beyond news, the paper aims to educate the

young about Sanskrit and its greatness

• Started by K V Sampath Kumar’s father Pt

Kalale Nadadur Varadaraja Iyengar in 1970

• Published 100+ books in Sanskrit, including

stories for children

Padma Shri | Literature and Education (Journalism) | Karnataka

“medical messiah for cancer patients in

remote Barak Valley”

Ravi KannanSilchar’s Saviour

• Surgical Oncologist from Chennai, who has

treated over 70,000 cancer patients free of

cost in Barak valley – in the back of beyond

• Treatment includes accommodation, food,

employment & spreading awareness

• Transformed the rural cancer centre into a

full-fledged hospital & research centre

• Launched innovative measures for healthcare

at doorstep including ‘home visits’ and

‘satellite clinics’

• Quit job in Chennai and shifted to Assam

with family in 2007 to make healthcare

accessible in the Barak valley – before this

the nearest hospital was over 300 kms away

Padma Shri | Medicine (Oncology) | Assam | 55 Yrs

“tirelessly providing medical aid to the

needy in remote Sunderbans for 2 decades”

Arunoday MondalSunderban ke Sujan

• Doctor who travels 6 hrs every weekend to

treat patients in remote Sundarban villages

• More than 250 people, 80% of whom are BPL,

are treated every weekend – across a range

of treatments from cardiac to eye, thyroid,

gynaecology & Paediatrics

• Arranges medicines, conducts medical

camps, blood donation drives

• Set up Sujan Sundarban – a free medical

service centre at his own residence in

Chandanpur after Bengal floods of 2000

• Before starting Sujan, worked as a visiting

doctor in remote flood prone parts of Bengal,

having limited government services

• Has treated more than 4,000 people

• From a poor Dalit family, had worked as tutor

to raise money for his studies, rent & meals

Padma Shri | Medicine (Affordable Healthcare) | West Bengal | 66 Yrs

“Keralite who has devoted his life to

spreading the joy of reading in Arunachal”

Sathyanarayan Mundayoor

Uncle Moosa of Arunachal

• Promoting education & reading culture in

remote areas of remote Arunachal Pradesh

for 4 decades

• Established 13 Bamboosa libraries in remote

areas like Wakro, Chongkham, Lathaw, Anjaw

• Libraries have 10,000 books from Amar

Chitra Katha to Roald Dahl, Ruskin Bond

• Started a Home library movement

entrusting books to volunteers who in turn

distribute the books to children

• Written a children’s book in Malayalam on

folk heritage of Arunachal Pradesh

• Born in Kerala, left his government job as a

Revenue Officer in Mumbai – moving to to

Lohit in Arunachal Pradesh in 1979

Padma Shri | Social Work (Affordable Education) | Arunachal Pradesh | 69 Yrs

“one of India's oldest working Journalists -

veteran peace and social activist from

Mizoram”

Pu Lalbiakthanga Pachuau

Patrakar Pachuau

• Editor of local Mizo daily Zoram Tlangau,

which he started in 1970s

• Former President of Mizoram Journalist

Association

• Amongst Mizoram’s earliest peace & social

activists - campaigned to end drug &

alcohol menace, popularize blood donation

• Awarded several medals, during his 17-year-

long military career – fought the Japanese in

WW2 as a member of Assam Regiment

Padma Shri | Literature and Education (Journalism) | Mizoram | 93 Yrs

“only practitioner of Nokkuvidhya Pavakalli,

a traditional puppetry art, very difficult to

perform”

Moozhikkal Pankajakshi

Pavakalli ke Pankajakshi

• Preserving the traditional art form of

Nokkuvidhya Pavakalli, currently under the

threat of extinction

• Since the age of 8, she has performed across

Kerala, India and the World

• Nokkuvidhya Pavakalli is an indigenous

puppet theatre form practiced from 5

centuries by Pankajakshi’s ancestors in Kerala

• It narrates entire Ramayana & Mahabharata

• The art form requires extreme concentration

and practice, balancing and animating the

puppets perched atop a pole standing

vertically on one’s upper lip

• Passed on the knowledge of the art to her

granddaughter K S Ranjini

Padma Shri | Art (Puppetry) | Kerala | 70 Yrs

“gandhian father-daughter duo of farmers

who have converted a piece of degraded

land into a vast 'food forest’ using only

organic techniques”

Radha Mohan & Sabarmatee

Sambhav se Sanchay

• Started Sambhav, a resource center for

farmers across the country - where they visit

to exchange seeds & learn organic farming

• Sambhav has successfully grown many

vanishing food crops such as clove bean, jack

bean, black rice, sword bean amongst others

• Transformed 36 hectares of degraded land

in Nayagarh district, into a food forest by soil

& water conservation techniques

• The forest has over 1,000 species of plants &

500 varieties of rice, and supports a Seed

Bank with 700 indigenous varieties of seeds

• Run ‘Adopt a Seed’ initiative – which gives

region specific seed varieties to farmers for

free on the condition that they popularize it

• Radha Mohan is a retired Economics Prof,

while Sabarmatee is a Conservationist

Padma Shri | Others (Agriculture - Organic) | Odisha | 76, 47 Yrsof age

“neck-down fully paralaysed social worker,

among India’s biggest names in

rehabilitation of divyang”

S RamakrishnanAmar Sevani

• Divyang social worker who has rehabilitated

more than 14,000 specially-abled people

over 4 decades across 800+ villages

• Established Amar Seva Sangam – one of

India’s largest establishments serving the

specially-abled

• Rehabilitation programmes include shelter,

medical help, education, vocational training

& employment

• Also runs a Daycare center for children with

cerebral palsy & intellectual difficulties

• Was completely paralysed below the neck

at the age of 20, due to an accident during a

Naval Recruitment Exercise

Padma Shri | Social Work (Divyang Welfare) | Tamil Nadu | 65 Yrs

“Gujarati scholar & humorist who has been

entertaining audiences and readers with his

witty and sharp humor for half a century”

Shahbuddin RathodHaasya ke Shah

• Gujarati Scholar & Humorist - household

name in Gujarat

• Known for fostering communal harmony

through his work – concepts of religions

including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism

• Written 10 humor books in Gujarati

• His work has also been adapted into films &

TV series (Papad Pol - Shahbuddin Rathod ki

Rangeen Duniya)

• From a Gujarati Muslim family, he was

formerly a School Teacher & Headmaster

Padma Shri | Literature and Education (Literature – Gujarati) | Gujarat | 80 Yrs

“spearheaded the women-led turmeric

farming movement in Meghalaya, enabling

the women farmers to triple their incomes”

Trinity SaiooTurmeric Trinity

• School teacher & tribal farmer, who led 800

women in the Jaintia Hills regions to

cultivate & boost the popularity of the

indigenous, high curcumin content

Lakadong variety of Turmeric

• Helped the illiterate women with organic

certification, marketing, documentation to

avail subsidies

• What started with 800 farmers, now has 100

turmeric SHGs in her Federation

• Under her leadership, foundation exports

lakadong turmeric across the North-Eastern

states and as further off Kerala & Karnataka

• Helped the State further Mission Lakadong,

mobilising growers & expanding the area of

Lakadong turmeric farming

Padma Shri | Others (Agriculture - Organic) | Meghalaya | 52 Yrs

“extraordinary elephant doctor devoted to

Asia’s gentle beasts”

Kushal Konwar Sarma

Haathi ka Saathi

• Veterinarian in Guwahati, who has devoted

his life to the conservation of Asian

Elephants – hasn’t taken a single weekend

off in the last 3 decades

• Treats more than 700 elephants every year

• Pioneer research in elephant anesthetics -

especially use of remote tranquilizing

injection technique in the North East

• Stands unwavering despite 20 near death

experiences

• Works with other animals including rhino –

and called for major surgeries across India

• HoD (Surgery & Radiology) - College of

Veterinary Sciences, Guwahati, Assam

• Inspired by the death of an elephant, who

succumbed to wounds due to not getting

timely treatment

Padma Shri | Medicine (Veterinary) | Assam | 60 Yrs

“pioneer activist working for education and justice, for the past 6 decades - at the

forefront of the fight against the social evil of Triple Talaq”

Sayed Mehboob Shah Qadri

Satya ke Shodhak

• Co-Founder of Muslim Satyashodhak

Mandal in 1970 - inspired by Jyotiba Phule

• Founded with Hamid Dalwai, the mandal

aimed at creating a spirit of nationalism &

establishing social equality among the

Muslim community

• Fighting against the practice of Triple Talaq

for the past 6 decades, after his elder sister

Khatija suffered the same – he has dedicated

his life to protecting the rights of Triple Talaq

pidit women

• Faced verbal & physical attacks for his

activism

• Authored book 'Jihad-e-Teen Talaq' (2014),

a revised version of Dagadawarchi Perani

(Marathi) (2001)

Padma Shri | Social Work (Women & Child) | Maharashtra | 85 Yrs age

“renowned printmaker cum painter,

imbibing colourful devotion of Mathura in

his art through a machine-free process”

Shyam Sunder Sharma

Mudran me Mathura ke Rang

• Developed machine-free process of

printmaking from earthen blocks

• Exhibited in India and abroad

• Was Principal in College of Art & Craft, Patna

• Established Print Making Department in Arts

College, Patna (1966)

• Imbibed vibrancy of Indian tradition from the

colourful devotion of Govardhan, Mathura

• Received first-hand experience in the art from

printing press of his father, carrying on the

legacy of innovation

Padma Shri | Art (Craft) | Bihar | 78 Yrs

“planted 50,000+ trees in arid areas of

Rajasthan with 100% survival rate, using just

1 litre of water per tree”

Sundaram VermaSanvahniyata ke Sikar

• Farmer who grew 50,000 trees with a water-

saving technique 'dryland agroforestry' that

requires only 1 litre of water per tree, in the

arid Shekawati region of Rajasthan

• His technique involved leveling the land to

prevent rainwater from draining away,

ploughing the fields multiple times to remove

the weeds & capillaries, planting the saplings

in deeper and wider pits, pouring 1 litre of

water in it and allowing the plant to grow

• Set-up 6 nurseries, distributing 1,50,000

saplings among farmers

• Collected & preserved local varieties of

seeds, crops and plants

• Recognised for his outstanding work in the

afforestation of dry lands and conservation

of Bio-diversity

Padma Shri | Social Work (Environment - Afforestation) | Rajasthan | 68 YrsfdsaD