Padma Awards: Gen Bipin Rawat, Google's Sundar Pichai, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Neeraj Chopra named

On the eve of the 73rd Republic Day, the Government of India announced the recipients of this year's Padma awards - the nation's prestigious civilian honours.

General Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff who died in a chopper crash last month, has been posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

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Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella have been conferred with the Padma Bhushan.

In a nod to the exceptional role of vaccine-makers in India's fight against Covid, Bharat Biotech chairman Krishna Ella, co-founder Suchitra Ella, and Serum Institute of India managing director Cyrus Poonawalla have been awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has been awarded the Padma Shri.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan.

Kalyan Singh, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

Soprtspersons Pramod Bhagat and Vandana Kataria, paralympians Avani Lekhara and Sumit Antil, and singer Sonu Nigam have been awarded the Padma Shri.

A total of 128 Padma awards have been conferred this year. The Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service, the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a higher order, and the Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished service.