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.

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.

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