President Mukherjee confers Padma awards

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday conferred the Padma awards at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

In a civil investiture ceremony, former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma (Posthumous), BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and former ISRO chairman Professor U.R. Rao were awarded the country’s second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan.

The ceremony was attended by the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan along with other dignitaries.

The President also conferred Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, to yoga guru Swami Niranjana Nanda Saraswati, Thai princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Tehemton Erach Udwadia, a doctor who is considered the father of laproscopic surgery in India.

Swami Niranjana Nanda did not attend the ceremony.

Cricketer Virat Kohli, Bollywood singer Anuradha Paudwal and many others were conferred the Padma Sri at the ceremony.