Famous weaver and handicraft artist Khemraj Sundriyal, who has taken Panipat’s handloom industry to new heights in the last 60 years, has been honored with the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Since then there is a wave of happiness in Panipat.

Actually, historical experiment in Jamdani art, new chapter created on wool. Jamdani art, which was traditionally done on muslin (cotton) cloth, Khemraj made a new experiment by trying it on wool shawl. This innovation proved to be revolutionary for the handloom industry. He has also received many national level awards for his contribution.

M.F. Hussain’s paintings put on the loom

Khemraj Sundriyal did not limit himself to just traditional designs. He worked with famous artist M.F. Hussain’s paintings were prepared exactly as woven tapestries. These artworks were so lifelike that it was difficult to recognize whether they were made on paper or cloth.

Came to Panipat in 1966, the picture of handloom changed from here

Khemraj came to Panipat after being transferred from Banaras in the year 1966. At that time he was associated with a department of the Government of India. Coming to Panipat, he made new experiments in traditional Khes weaving and gave a new market to the industry by converting Khes into bedsheets, bed covers and other products.

Historical development made in tapestry and wall hanging

He developed tapestry (wall hanging) so much that paintings of great artists were prepared on the loom in the same way as if they were on canvas. This work proved to be a milestone for the handloom industry of Panipat.

The journey from raw dyeing to permanent dyeing

Khemraj promoted solid dyeing in Panipat industry. When initially people were not ready for this, then he got them trained. Today the situation is that the entire Panipat industry has adopted permanent dyeing and is considered top class in terms of quality.

Life full of struggles, from farmer family to Padmashree

Born in Sumadi village of Uttarakhand, Khemraj comes from a farmer family. He had no family experience of weaving. During his study days, he had to walk 6 kilometers every day to go to the institute. Despite the neglect and taunts of the society, she made weaving the goal of her life.

‘Thousands of lives changed by joining the Weavers Service Center’

Khemraj joined the Weavers’ Service Centre, which was founded by renowned art expert Poopul Jayakar with the support of Pandit Nehru. This center provided employment and new direction to the weavers coming from Pakistan. Khemraj said that the effort of Modi government is commendable that it is giving respect to those people who remained anonymous for years.

Padmashree’s announcement gave a proud moment to the family

Khemraj, who had applied for Padmashree last year, received information about the honor through a phone call this year. A wave of happiness ran in the family. His daughter-in-law said this is a dreamlike moment for our family. Today the world is recognizing the art that Papa had adopted long ago.

Message for youth – hard work pays off

Khemraj believes that this honor will inspire the youth to adopt traditional art and handloom and work honestly. Today, the name of Khemraj Sundriyal is not just that of an artist but has become synonymous with the handloom identity of Panipat. His contribution will remain a source of inspiration for the coming generations.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday (January 25) expressed his gratitude to the Central Government on the announcement of honoring his late father and senior tribal leader Shibu Soren with Padma Bhushan. At the same time, the ruling party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) reiterated the demand for Bharat Ratna for Shibu Soren.

Shibu Soren’s name is among the 13 people selected for the country’s third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan. After this announcement, reactions in Jharkhand politics also intensified. Chief Minister Hemant Soren called it a matter of honor for Jharkhand and the tribal society.

Expressed gratitude to the central government

The Chief Minister said, “On behalf of the entire people of Jharkhand, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government for announcing the award of Padma Bhushan to our dear, respected and respected Baba Late Dishom Guruji Shibu Soren Ji.”

He further said, “His life goes far beyond the political boundaries, to infinity. His entire life has been a witness to the immense struggle for equality, inclusiveness and social justice, identity, tribal identity, education, women empowerment and the rights and entitlements of the exploited and deprived classes.”

Jharkhand state movement mentioned

The Chief Minister said, “This was the same struggle which, after decades of social and political battle, got Jharkhand its own separate state.”

He also said, “In the hearts and thoughts of the people of Jharkhand, and among the tribal society of the country from Ladakh to Kerala, from Rajasthan to Assam, the true son of Mother India, Shibu Soren ji was, is and will always be Bharat Ratna.”

JMM demands Bharat Ratna

JMM issued a statement saying that Shibu Soren should be honored with Bharat Ratna and not Padma Bhushan. The party made it clear that this demand will continue to be raised in future also. JMM MP Mahua Maji said that she is grateful to the Central Government for awarding Padma Bhushan, but according to her, Shibu Soren is the true deserver of Bharat Ratna.

Retired Punjab Police officer Inderjit Singh Sidhu has been selected for the prestigious Padmashree award for his outstanding contribution in the field of social service and cleanliness campaign. The central government announced this on the eve of Republic Day. Even at the age of 80, the disciplined and unique routine with which Sidhu is engaged in social service has become an inspiration for today’s generation.

Journey from police service to social service

Inderjit Singh Sidhu joined Punjab Police in the year 1963. After a long and responsible service, he retired as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in 1996.

Even after retirement, he did not choose the path of comfort, but resolved to work for the society. Since retirement, he has been continuously active in social activities and cleanliness campaigns while living in Chandigarh.

Disciplined routine even at the age of 80

The special thing about Sidhu is his daily routine. He wakes up every morning at the same time, walks regularly and then engages in social work. He takes active part in works related to helping the elderly, guiding the needy and social awareness. Those close to him say that age never came in the way of his enthusiasm.

Apart from Inderjit Singh Sidhu, many other names have been selected for Padmashree this year. These include female cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, Baldev Singh from the sports world, Niranjan Das from Punjab who contributed in the spiritual field, Khemraj Sundriyal from Haryana in the art field and Indian women’s hockey team goalkeeper Savita Punia.

Inderjit Singh Sidhu says that it is the duty of every citizen to give back to the society. His selection for Padmashree is not only a recognition of his hard work, but also gives the message that age never becomes a hindrance in the path of good work.

Padma Awards are among the most prestigious civilian honors of India, which are announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day. The Government of India has released the list of Padma Awards for the year 2026. This list includes eminent citizens of the country as well as many foreign citizens, who will be honored for their extraordinary contributions in various fields. The list released by the government includes citizens of Russia, Germany, America and Georgia. All of them will be awarded Padma Samman for their remarkable work in fields like art, education, literature, medicine and sports.

Padma awards are given in three categories. Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. Padma Bhushan is given for distinguished service of high order, while Padma Shri is given for notable contribution in any field. These honors are given in many fields like art, social work, public life, science, medicine, literature, education, sports and civil service.

How many awards in Padma Awards 2026?

According to government information agency PIB, a total of 131 Padma awards have been approved for the year 2026. This includes awards in all three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. There are also some joint awards, which have been counted as a single award.

Women, foreign nationals and posthumous honors

19 women have been honored in this year’s Padma award list. Apart from this, Padma Award will also be given to 6 foreigners, NRI, PIO and OCI category persons. The list also includes 16 such names who will be given this honor posthumously.

Foreign citizens will get Padma Award

Russian citizen Lyudmila Viktorovna Khokhlova will be honored with Padma Shri for her contribution in the field of literature and education. He has played an important role in the international promotion of Indian languages ​​like Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati and Marwari.

Germany’s Professor Dr. Lars-Christian Koch will be given Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of art. He has done extensive research on Indian classical music and traditional instruments and has given them recognition at the global level.

Vijay Amritraj of the United States will be awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution in the field of sports. He has played an important role in establishing Indian tennis on the international stage. Dr. Nori Dattatreyulu of America will be awarded Padma Bhushan for his special contribution in the field of medicine, while Dr. Prateek Sharma will be awarded Padma Shri for his expertise in gastroenterology.

Georgia’s Vladimir Mestvirashvili will be posthumously awarded Padma Shri. He had made a remarkable contribution in giving a new direction to Indian wrestling.

When and where will the Padma Award ceremony take place?

According to PIB, the Padma Award ceremony will be organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. This ceremony usually takes place in the month of March or April, where the President of India himself presents these awards.

Also read: Republic Day 2026 Live: A glimpse of self-reliant India will be seen on the path of duty, President Draupadi Murmu will take the salute of the parade

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra Singh Deol has been posthumously awarded the country’s second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan. The government has announced the Padma Award today itself. In view of his incomparable contribution to cinema, the Government of India has decided to confer this honour.

Wife Hema Malini has expressed happiness over the late actor receiving this honor posthumously. He shared Dharam ji’s photo on Twitter and wrote, ‘I am extremely proud that the government has honored Dharam ji with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award, recognizing his immense contribution to the film industry.’

So so proud that the govt has recognized Dharam ji’s immense contribution to the film industry by bestowing on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award pic.twitter.com/5zJnA53MT0

— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) January 25, 2026

Let us tell you that Dharmendra died on 24 November 2025. He gave many memorable films to Hindi cinema and made a special place in the hearts of millions of viewers with his strong acting, action and romantic roles. He was also known as ‘He-Man’ in the film industry.

There are many more names from cinema in this list, including famous singers Alka Yagnik and Mammootty.

about dharmendra

Dharmendra’s full name is Dharmendra Kewal Krishna Deol. He was born on 8 December 1935 in Nasrani village of Punjab.

Dharmendra’s career

Dharmendra started his acting career in 1960. He was seen in ‘Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere’. After this he appeared in a supporting role in the 1961 film “Boy Friend”. Dharmendra remained active in acting for 65 years. He gave many hits, superhits and blockbuster films. He has done films like Sholay (1975), Chupke-Chupke (1975), Sita Aur Geeta (1972), Dharamveer (1977), Phool Aur Patthar (1966), Jugnu (1973) and Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973).

Dharmendra’s last film
Dharmendra was working continuously even at the age of 89. After his death, his last film ‘Ikkis’ was released in theaters on January 1 this year. In this film, he was seen in the role of Agastya Nanda’s father.

Dharmendra’s personal life
Talking about Dharmendra’s personal life, he married twice. His first marriage was with Prakash Kaur. From this marriage he has four children – Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeta Deol and Ajita Deol.

The second marriage was with actress Hema Malini. Prakash did not divorce Dharmendra, so Dharmendra changed his religion and married again. He has two daughters with Hema Malini – Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.

The government has announced the Padma Awards today. Today the Home Ministry released the list of Padma Awards for 2026. This year actors Dharmendra and N. Rajam has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan. At the same time, a total of four names including singer Alka Yagnik and actor Mammootty are included in the list of Padma Bhushan. A total of 38 names are included in the list of Padma Shri.

Padma Awards 2026: Complete list

Padma Vibhushan (Art)

1. Dharmendra Singh Deol (posthumous) – Maharashtra
2. N. Rajam – Uttar Pradesh

Padma Bhushan (Art)

1. Alka Yagnik – Maharashtra
2. Mammootty – Kerala
3. Piyush Pandey (posthumously) – Maharashtra
4. Shatawardhani R. Ganesha – Karnataka

Padma Shri (Arts)

1. Anil Kumar Rastogi – Uttar Pradesh
2. Arvind Vaidya – Gujarat
3. Bharat Singh Bharti – Bihar
4. Bhiklya Ladkya Dhinda – Maharashtra
5. Vishwa Bandhu (posthumous) – Bihar
6. Chiranji Lal Yadav – Uttar Pradesh
7. Deepika Reddy – Telangana
8. Dharmiklal Chunnilal Pandya – Gujarat
9. Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad – Andhra Pradesh
10. Ghafaruddin Mewati Jogi – Rajasthan
11. Garimela Balakrishna Prasad (posthumous) – Andhra Pradesh
12. Gayatri Balasubramaniam and Ranjani Balasubramaniam (doubles) – Tamil Nadu
13. Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (posthumous) – West Bengal
14. Haricharan Saikia – Assam
15. Jyotish Debnath – West Bengal
16. Kalamandalam Vimala Menon – Kerala
17. Khem Raj Sundariyal – Haryana
18. Kumar Bose – West Bengal
19. Lars-Christian Koch – Germany
20. Madhavan Ranganathan – Maharashtra
21. Maganti Murali Mohan – Andhra Pradesh
22. Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai – Gujarat
23. Nuruddin Ahmed – Assam
24. Othuvar Thiruthani Swaminathan – Tamil Nadu
25. Pokhila Lekthepi – Assam
26. Prosenjit Chatterjee – West Bengal
27. R. Krishnan (posthumous) – Tamil Nadu
28. Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar – Maharashtra
29. Rajasthapati Kaliyappa Gounder – Tamil Nadu
30. Sangyusang S. Pongner – Nagaland
31. Sarat Kumar Patra – Odisha
32. Satish Shah (posthumous) – Maharashtra
33. Simanchal Patra – Odisha
34. Taga Ram Bhil – Rajasthan
35. Tarun Bhattacharya – West Bengal
36. Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam – Tamil Nadu
37. Trupti Mukherjee – West Bengal
38. Yumnam Jatra Singh (posthumous) – Manipur