A FORMER bus conductor who set up the world’s largest free-access library, a paediatrician who formed Asia’s first human milk bank, and a 90-year-old tribal musician were among 45 individuals chosen for the Padma Shri award in the ‘unsung heroes’ category on the occasion of Republic Day, sources said on Sunday. On Republic Day eve, the Government announced 131 Padma awards for 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri which include two cases in which the award for two individuals is counted as one. Anke Gowda, once a bus conductor, set up the world’s largest free-access library, ‘Pustak Mane’, comprising more than two million books in 20 languages, along with rare manuscripts.

 

The 75-year-old bibliophile from Haralahalli village near Mysuru in Karnataka has been chosen for the Padma Shri for his unique effort to empower learners across India. Joining Gowda are medical practitioners Armida Fernandes, a Mumbai-based paediatrician who set up Asia’s first human milk bank; Shyam Sundar, who developed an inexpensive test for the detection of ‘Kala Azar’ or black fever; and veteran haematologist Suresh Hangavadi, known for his works in the field of Haemophilia, an inherited blood disorder. Also on the list are Ladakh-based Padma Gurmet, who promotes ancient Tibetan medicine; veterinary scientist Punniamurthy Natesan from Tamil Nadu, who used traditional medicine with modern science to treat animals; Hyderabad-based geneticist Kumarasamy Thangharaj; and founder of Donate Life, Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala from Gujarat, who facilitates organ donation.

 

The awardees include Bundeli war art trainer Bhagwandas Raikwar from Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry’s K Pajanivel, who nurtured Silambam, an ancient Tamil weapon-based martial art form. Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda, a 90-year-old tribal Tarpa player, a musical instrument made of bottle gourd and bamboo, from Maharashtra; 100-year-old Yumnam Jatra Singh, a Nata Sankirtana performer from Manipur; Vishwa Bandhu, a folk dancer from Bihar; and Rajasthani folk artiste Gafruddin Mewati Jogi, who plays ‘Bhapang’, a traditional musical instrument, have also been awarded. The list also includes Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya, an exponent of ‘Maanbhatt’, a traditional Gujarati performing art form; and musician Taga Ram Bheel, who works to protect the fading traditional instrument, Algoza. Well-known Sakhi Nata folk theatre actor from Odisha, Simanchal Patro; Naga folk theatre guru Sangyusang S Pongener; and scenographer Nuruddin Ahmed from Assam have also been awarded the fourth-highest civilian award for 2026. Among the other ‘unsung heroes’ are Bhajan singer Othuvar Thiruthani Swaminathan from Tamil Nadu, R Krishnan from Tamil Nadu, who dedicated his life to reviving the centuries-old Kurumba tribal art tradition of the Nilgiris; Assam’s Pokila Lekthepi for her contribution to Kabri folk and modern music; and Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai, who transformed the ‘dholak’ into a lead solo instrument. Well-known social worker from J&K, Brij Lal Bhat; Budri Thati, who set up schools in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh; Ramchandra and Sunita Godbole, who took affordable healthcare to the tribals through the Bastar rural healthcare project; former IPS officert Inderjit Singh Sandhu, a sanitation advocate and practitioner; and Techi Gubin from Arunachal Pradesh, who is working to preserve the culture of the Nishi people, have also been awarded Padma Shri.

 

The list also includes Charan Hembram, a Santhali author-composer from Odisha; senior journalist Kailash Chandra Pant, who has been working for over 60 years to propagate Hindi across India; Kashmiri literateur Shafi Shauq; and Naresh Chandra Debbarma from Tripura, who works to promote the state’s Kokborok language. Among the other recipients are Chiranji Lal Yadav from Moradabad, an expert in intricate brass engraving work; bronze art sculptor Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar from Tamil Nadu; Tripti Mukherjee from West Bengal, who teaches Kantha embroidery art to local women; and Khem Raj Sundriyal from Haryana, who teaches Jamdani weaving technique to thousands of artisans.

 

Ninety-two-year-old environmentalist Kollakkayil Devaki Amma G from Kerala; Hally War, who nurtured traditional afforestation techniques of the Khasi people in Meghalaya; and Mohan Nagar from Madhya Pradesh, who built over 75,000 water structures, have also been named for the prestigious award. Also making it to the list are agriculture innovator from Maharashtra, Shrirang Devba Lad, who developed the ‘Dada Lad’ cotton farming technique; Odisha’s Mahendra Kumar Mishra for recording and protecting tribal voices; social worker Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala from Gujarat, the founder of Donate Life; and Raghupat Singh from Uttar Pradesh for innovations to make farming more profitable. Maharashtra’s ‘Tamasha’ artiste Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar has been awarded for creating awareness about drug addiction, Telangana’s Rama Reddy Mamidi for pioneering cooperative-led growth in the animal husbandry and dairy sector, while Karnataka’s S G Susheelamma has been chosen for her life-long work to empower women and children through the Sumangali Seva Ashrama. Below is the list of Padma Awardees (As per sources):

n Bhagwandas Raikar (Madhya Pradesh)
n Bhiklya Ladkya Dhinda (Maharashtra)
n Brij Lal Bhatt (Jammu and Kashmir)
n Charan Hembram (Odisha)
n Chiranjee Lal Yadav (Uttar Pradesh)
n Dr Padma Gurmet (Jammu and Kashmir)
n Kollakkaiyil Devaki Amma Ji (Kerala)
n Mahendra Kumar Mishra (Odisha)
n Naresh Chandra Dev Verma (Tripura)
n Othuvar Thiruthani (Tamil Nadu)
n Raghupat Singh (Uttar Pradesh)
n Raghuveer Khedkar (Maharashtra)
n Rajastapathi Kalaiyappa Gounder (Tamil Nadu)
n Sangyusang S. Pongener (Nagaland)
n Shrirang Devba Lad (Maharashtra)
n Thiruvarur Bakthavatsalam (Tamil Nadu)
n Anke Gowda (Karnataka)
n Armida Fernandes (Maharashtra)
n Dr Shyam Sundar (Uttar Pradesh)
n Gaffaruddin Mewati (Rajasthan)
n Khem Raj Sundriyal (Haryana)
n Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai (Gujarat)
n Mohan Nagar (Madhya Pradesh)
n Nilesh Mandlewala (Gujarat)
n R & S Godbole (Chhattisgarh)
n Ram Reddy Mamidi (Telangana)
n Simanchal Patro (Odisha)
n Suresh Hanagwadi (Karnataka)
n Techi Gubin (Arunachal Pradesh)
n Yumnam Jatra Singh (Manipur)
n Budhri Tathi (Chhattisgarh)
n Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj (Telangana)
n Dr Punniyamurthy Natarajan (Tamil Nadu)
n Haily War (Meghalaya)
n Inderjit Singh Sidhu (Chandigarh)
n K. Pazhanivel (Puducherry)
n Kailash Chandra Pant (Madhya Pradesh)
n Nuruddin Ahmed (Assam)
n Pokila Lektepi (Assam)
n R. Krishnan (Tamil Nadu)
n S.G. Sushilemma (Karnataka)
n Taga Ram Bhil (Rajasthan)
n Vishva Bandhu (Bihar)
n Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya (Gujarat)
n Shafi Shauq (Jammu and Kashmir)