NEW DELHI: In line with the Modi govt’s tradition of recognising the contributions of unsung heroes, the 2025 Padma Shri list once again highlighted individuals who have significantly contributed to Indian culture, heritage, and social progress. The list, released on the eve of Republic Day on Saturday, includes para-archer Harvinder Singh and social worker Libia Lobo Sardesai.
Singh, who is fondly called ‘Kaithal ka Eklavya’, became the first Indian to win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games, while Sardesai, a social worker from Goa, played a key role in the freedom movement by co-establishing an underground radio station, ‘Voz da Liberdade’, to mobilise people against the Portuguese rule.
The art and culture segment featured stalwarts like Gokul Chandra Das, a dhak player from West Bengal, who has overcome caste-related barriers to popularise the art form, and Maand and Bhajan folk singer Batool Begum from Rajasthan, who promotes ‘sadbhavana’ by singing devotional songs despite being from the Muslim community.
Puppetry, a traditional art form, has been preserved for over 70 years by Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyaathra, a 96-year-old Togalu Gombeyaata puppeteer from Karnataka, while Velu Aasaan from Tamil Nadu has been conserving Pariyar instrument tradition for over four decades. Similarly, Parmar Lavjibhai Nagjibhai, a Tangaliya weaver from Gujarat’s Dangasia community, has been instrumental in preserving the 700-year-old textile craft.
From, conservationist and author Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli from Maharashtra stands out for his contributions to wildlife sanctuaries and education, while MP’s Jagdish Joshila has been a torchbearer for Nimadi literature.
Farmers, too, have been honoured and they include Hariman Sharma from Himachal Pradesh and L Hangthing from Nagaland.
International recognition went to Shaikha A J Al Sabah from Kuwait, a yoga practitioner who promotes the discipline in the Gulf, Brazilian mechanical engineer Jonas Masetti, now a Hindu spiritual leader, and late Colleen Gantzer and her husband Hugh, renowned travel writers.
