Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said honouring unsung heroes with the Padma awards is in a way discovery of India.
Congratulating all the Padma awardees, Naidu, in a series of tweets, said this year's Padma awards are also an "ode to the unsung heroes" who have quietly contributed to the cause of our society in different ways.
"I appreciate the Government for recognizing the unrecognized irrespective of their visibility. One way, this is a discovery of India," he said.
Complimenting all the Padma awardees, the vice president appreciated their spirit of selfless service to the cause of the nation.
Among the unsung heroes who were awarded the coveted Padma Shri award this year include Jagdish Lal Ahuja, who serves free food to patients and attendants outside the PGI Hospital in Chandigarh, Mohammed Sharif from Faizabad, who has performed last rites of over 25,000 unclaimed bodies, and elephant doctor from Assam Kushal Konwar Sarma.