Padma Shri 2026 awardees expressed immense joy and gratitude. Akash missile director Chandramouli Gaddamanugu dedicated the award to his team, while scientist Dr. Kumaraswamy Thangaraj hoped the honour would inspire younger generations to pursue science.
Padma Shri 2026 awardees expressed immense joy, pride and gratitude after being conferred with one of India's highest civilian awards, announced on the eve of Republic Day.
From Aerospace to Genetics: Voices from Science
Chandramouli Gaddamanugu, a scientist and visionary aerospace engineer who directed the Akash missile system during Operation Sindoor, dedicated the award to his team and thanked the government for the recognition. "I am excited to hear this news. The Government of India has recognised my team, Akash's services.... During Operation Sindoor, the team performed quite well. It is definitely a very exciting moment for all the Akash teams across the country," he said.
"My family is very excited, happy and proud. They all immediately started calling. They are celebrating....This award is dedicated to the Akash teams," he added.
His wife, Seetha, described the award as the result of his and his team's relentless hard work. "Really very very happy. His hard work has paid off. The entire Akash team's hard work has paid off. It comes with the responsibility to do better. The kids are also very happy," she said.
Dr Kumaraswamy Thangaraj, a scientist specialising in Cellular and Microbiology, stated that the award will inspire the younger generation to "pursue science," expressing his enthusiasm for the field of genetics. "...I am very thankful to the Government for recognising my work and giving me this very highest honour... I also feel that this will actually stimulate the younger generation to pursue science, particularly in the field of genetics, so they can identify genetic problems in the community and address them," he said, adding that, "In fact, it gives me much more enthusiasm to take on more work in a similar field, which will be useful to society and the community in the future..." he said.
Awards for Literature, Industry, and Social Work
Additionally, Satyanarayan Nuwal, Chairman of Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited, was also conferred the Padma Shri this year.
Kashmiri Poet Professor Shafi Shauq, upon being conferred with the Padma Shri 2026 in the field of literature and education, said that the award feels different from any previous honours and expressed gratitude. "I'm very happy that my name has been included among those who have truly accomplished something remarkable in various fields of life... I have received many awards and honours before, but this honour, the Padma Shri, is something very few people receive, and it's given only to those who have shown outstanding performance in various fields of life... When someone from the Central Government called me early this morning, they even knew the names of my books, which is a good thing...," he said.
Social worker Budri Thati from Chhattisgarh, recipient of the award in the unsung heroes category, recognised for her work empowering tribal women, reflected on her journey as she expressed her gratitude for the award. "Considering the work that has been done since 1984 and the cooperation and blessings of all the people of the region, I understand that receiving such a big award is no small feat," she said.
She added that she has been actively working for the society since the age of 15 and that her dedication has paved her path. "I used to see the condition of our region from a very young age...The thought of how to work for such a community. In 1984, at the age of 15... I set out to work for society, for the suffering people of such areas and villages... There must have been challenges in the region before, but when we went to work among them, everything started becoming clear...," she stated.
Another awardee, recognised for his social work, Mohan Nagar, thanked the Central Government. "I am very happy, and I thank the Central government for this honour. I got this good news on the auspicious occasion of Narmada Jayanti...," he said.
Mahendra Kumar Mishra, an award recipient from Chhatisgarh called the award a result of his decades old hardwork. "The Goverment of India recognised me with this award, which is a matter of happiness, but it is also the result of 40 years of hard work; those hardships are now happiness....There are 12% tribals in our country, and crores of these children who study in schools are not taught in their language but rather in the other scheduled languages....How can the students learn properly if they don't learn in an unfamiliar language?" he questioned.
When I was in a boarding high school, I recognised this injustice....I decided to work on this when I started working as an official in Odisha...The Chief Minister, Biju Patnaik, supported me in this endeavour. An effort, backed by the politics but not efficiently executed or supported by the administration, can never be fruitful, which thankfully wasn't the case in either Odisha or Chhattisgarh," he added.
A Recognition for Educational Transformation
Subsequently, Former United Grants Commision Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said that the award recognises "shared national effort" towards the evolution of the education system. He reflected on the benefits of the National Education Policy (NEP) and expressed gratitude towards his family, mentors and students.
"...I consider this award as a recognition of shared national effort in making our education system more flexible, more inclusive and more focused on learning outcomes. The national education policy provides us with a clear direction for this transformation. Young people are India's assets. So we should continue to strengthen our universities and colleges, provide support to the teachers, promote innovation, and expand the opportunities for students, particularly those coming from rural backgrounds and socially and economically weaker sections," he said.
"I'm grateful to my family, particularly to my wife and all my mentors. I'm also grateful to my students, because of whom the transformation of higher education is close to my heart," he added.
The Centre on Sunday announced a total of 131 civilian honours across the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri categories. The list includes several prominent figures from public life, arts, cinema, literature, sports and public affairs. (ANI)
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