Padma Awards 2025: Brazilian Vedanta Philosopher, 'OG Travel Bloggers' Among Recipients This Year

Medicine expert Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy from Telangana, retired Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar from Chandigarh, and late singer Sharda Sinha from Bihar were honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

Jonas Masetti, a Hindu spiritual leader from Brazil, and Hugh and Colleen Gantzer, a couple renowned for writing about India’s heritage, were among those conferred with the Padma Shri.

Devotional singer Bheru Singh Chouhan, journalist Bhim Singh Bhavesh, novelist Jagdish Joshila, cervical cancer advocate Neerja Bhatla, and Shaikha A J Al Sabah, a yoga practitioner from Kuwait, are also among the recipients of the Padma Shri award.

The Padma awards, among the country’s highest civilian honours, are conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.

In 2024, former Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, actors Chiranjeevi and Vyjayanthimala Bali, Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam and the first woman judge of the Supreme Court late M Fathima Beevi were some of the eminent personalities to receive the Padma awards.

Padma Awards 2025 Full List

PM Modi Extends Wishes To Awardees

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended warm wishes to the Padma awardees of 2025, saying that the country is proud to honour and celebrate their extraordinary achievements.

“Congratulations to all the Padma awardees! India is proud to honour and celebrate their extraordinary achievements. Their dedication and perseverance are truly motivating. Each awardee is synonymous with hardwork, passion and innovation, which has positively impacted countless lives. They teach us the value of striving for excellence and serving society selflessly," he said in an X post.

Brazilian Vedanta Philosopher & ‘OG Travel Bloggers’

Hugh and Colleen Gantzer, the “OG Travel Bloggers" were awarded the Padma Shri recognising their significant contributions to Indian travel journalism for over five decades.

Together, the couple authored over 30 books and wrote more than 3,000 articles, columns and magazine features, highlighting popular tourist spots and unorthodox locations and offering in-depth insights into India’s culture, history and landscapes.

Jonas Masetti, a mechanical engineer turned Hindu Spiritual Leader from Brazil, also found mention in the list of Padma Shri awardees for promoting Indian spirituality, philosophy and culture worldwide.

For many years, he worked to enable accessible education on Vedantic wisdom to people and has reached 1.5 lakh students worldwide in his mission of cultural

education and spiritual development.

He is also one of the key figures in the spiritual community, particularly for his teachings of Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita, which have reached a broad audience across the globe.

Padma Awards 2025: Fruit Farmer, Paralympian & More

Among those awarded Padma Shri on Saturday also include Hariman Sharma, an Apple Farmer from Bilaspur who developed a low-chilling apple variety ‘HRMN 99′ – which grows in low altitudes at 1,800 feet above sea level, making it a first-of-its-kind innovation.

Harvinder Singh, who became 1st Indian to win Gold in the Paralympic Games, was also honoured with the Padma Shri award. He won a Gold in the 2024 Paris Paralympic and a Bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic.

Another name that caught everyone’s attention was Bhim Singh Bhavesh, a social worker from Bhojpur who worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the Musahar community, one of society’s most marginalised groups, for the past 22 years through his foundation Nayee Asha’.

President’s Address On R-Day Eve

President Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation on Republic Day eve and paid homage to the brave souls who made great sacrifices for India’s freedom from foreign powers.

“Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are not just theoretical concepts that we have been introduced to in the modern age. These life values have always been essential elements of our civilisation and culture," she added while paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

President Murmu remembered tribal activist Birsa Munda, saying that his role in national history is now being recognised in true proportions.

She advocated for the “One Nation One Election" initiative, asserting it has the potential to redefine “good governance" in the country by promoting consistency in governance, preventing policy paralysis, mitigating resource diversion, and alleviating financial burdens on the state.