President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday conferred Padma awards on 56 eminent personalities, including Dhirubhai Ambani (posthumously), actor Anupam Kher and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai, at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
Mukherjee bestowed Padma Vibhushan on Ambani, economist Avinash Kamalakar Dixit, former Jammu and Kashmir governor Jagmohan, danseuse Yamini Krishnamurthi and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Padma Bhushan awardees included architect Hafeez Sorabe Contractor, educationist and journalist Barjinder Singh Hamdard, actor Anupam Kher, industrialist Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, badminton star Saina Nehwal, scientist Alla Ventaka Rama Rao and gastroenterologist Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy.
The 43 Padma Shri awardees included ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, actor Ajay Devgn, archer Deepika Kumari and celebrated chef Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi.