Padma Awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Awards to 71 individuals during a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 April 2025.

♦ The awards honour their contributions in fields such as the arts, public affairs, science, and sports.

♦ The awards included four Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri recognitions.

♦ This was the first phase of the 2025 Padma Awards presentation.

♦ Renowned violinist L. Subramaniam received the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to art.

♦ Former Suzuki Motor Corporation CEO Osamu Suzuki was posthumously honoured with the same award for contributions to trade and industry.

♦ His son, Toshihiro Suzuki, the current CEO, accepted the award.

♦ Among Padma Bhushan recipients were filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actor and Andhra Pradesh legislator Nandamuri Balakrishna, actor S. Ajith Kumar, and the late singer Pankaj Udhas.

♦ Udhas’s wife, Farida Udhas, received the award on his behalf.

♦ Former Indian hockey goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was also honoured in this category.

♦ Padma Shri awards were presented to singer Jaspinder Narula and cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin for their contributions to music and sports, respectively.

Hubballi Airport

♦ Hubballi Airport in Karnataka was awarded the Platinum Recognition--the highest level of honour--in the Green Airports Recognition 2025 by Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific and Middle East.

♦ Hubballi Airport was awarded in the category "Sustainable Energy at Airports" among airports handling less than 6 million passengers per annum.

♦ The recognition celebrates AAI's innovative 8 MW solar power plant project commissioned at Hubballi Airport in December 2022, which has been a pioneering step towards energy self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability.

♦ The plant is the first of its kind in India to supply renewable energy to multiple airports within a state, including Hubballi, Belagavi, and Mysuru airports, with plans to extend to upcoming airport terminals in Karnataka.

♦ The solar power plant is capable of generating over 11 million units of clean electricity annually, contributing to an estimated lifetime reduction of 215,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Verchol Dalit Literary Award

♦ Retired IAS officer, writer and politician, P. Sivakami received the Verchol Dalit Literary Award and a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh from Neelam Cultural Centre, founded by filmmaker Pa. Ranjith.

♦ The award ceremony, held in Chennai. 

International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)

♦ The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) presented eminent Indian endocrinologist, Dr Ambrish Mithal, with the prestigious 2025 Committee of Scientific Advisors (CSA) Medal of Achievement.

♦ He got this for his exceptional contributions to osteoporosis research.

♦ The award was presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis & Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2025) in Rome, Italy.

♦ Dr Mithal was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2015 in the field of medicine.

♦ CSA Medal of Achievement, honours individuals who have significantly advanced the field of osteoporosis through their original and outstanding scientific contributions, and whose work has helped to increase understanding and awareness of osteoporosis.

♦ Candidates are nominated by members of IOF’s CSA and the winner is selected by the chair of the CSA with the endorsement of the IOF executive committee.

Sudarsan Pattnaik

♦ Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has become the first Indian to receive the prestigious Fred Darrington Sand Master Award for his outstanding contributions to sand art.

♦ The award was presented during the Sandworld 2025 International Sand Art Festival in Dorset, England. 

♦ Pattnaik created a 10-foot-high sculpture of Lord Ganesha carrying the message of “World Peace”.

♦ The award holds special significance this year as it commemorates the 100th birth anniversary of legendary British sculptor Fred Darrington.

♦ Sudarshan Pattnaik, a Padma Shri awardee from Odisha, has participated in over 65 international sand art festivals and championships. 

Akarsh Shroff

♦ Akarsh Shroff of Bengaluru was conferred the prestigious National Youth Award for his ‘commitment to improving quality of early childhood education at anganwadi centres in India’.

♦ The award was conferred during a ceremony at Parliament House in Delhi by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya.

♦ A total of 22 awardees were honoured across both the years (2024, 2025).

♦ The National Youth Awardis conferred by the Ministry of Youth Affairs to recognise the excellent efforts of youth working towards national development and social service.

♦ The prize recognises work in health, research, culture, human rights, tourism, education, sports, innovation, community service, by people under the age of 30.

♦ Akarsh founded YuvaSpark as a 17-year-old high school student in 2018.

♦ The organisation has built technology platforms that have digitised learning at over 600 anganwadi centres across rural India.

♦ To enhance quality of education at anganwadis (early childhood education centres in rural India), YuvaSpark’s digital platform is periodically providing teachers with custom-curated interactive vernacular language academic content.

Gold Mercury Award for Peace and Sustainability in Dharamshala

♦ The Dalai Lama was awarded the prestigious Gold Mercury Award for Peace and Sustainability in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

♦ Nicolas De Santis, President and Secretary General of Gold Mercury International, presented the Gold Mercury Award for Peace to the Dalai Lama.

♦ The award was presented by Gold Mercury International, a globally recognised think tank and international non-governmental organisation (INGO) dedicated to promoting peace, governance and sustainable development.

♦ The Gold Mercury International Award, originally established in Italy, has evolved into a globally recognised honour for individuals and organisations making significant contributions to world peace, good governance and international commerce.

♦ Over the years, the award has been presented in major cities such as Brussels, Moscow, Madrid and Washington, celebrating visionary leaders who shape the future with courage and integrity.

♦ Gold Mercury International, now headquartered in London, continues its mission under the leadership of Santis, son of the organisation's founder, Eduardo De Santis.