New Delhi: Vidushi K.S. Jayalakshmi, Editor of the world’s only Sanskrit daily newspaper published in Mysuru, Hockey player Dr. M.P. Ganesh of Kodagu and Harekala Hajabba, an orange vendor from Mangaluru who built a primary school with his earnings, were among 119 persons who received Padma Awards from President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.

Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually. The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).

A total of 119 Padma Awards comprising 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri Awards were presented. 29 of the awardees are women, 16 posthumous awardees and 1 transgender awardee.

Padma Vibhushan

Late playback singer S.P. Balasubramaniam (Posthumous) in the field of Art and Dr. Belle Monappa Hegde for Medicine, Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (Posthumous) are among seven persons, who were presented with the Awards.

Padma Bhushan

Chandrashekhar Kambara for Literature and Education, Tarun Gogoi (Posthumous) for Public Affairs, Ram Vilas Paswan (Posthumous) for Public Affairs and Keshubhai Patel (Posthumous) for Public Affairs among 10 others.

Padma Shri

Vidushi K.S. Jayalakshmi for Literature and Education (Journalism), Hockey Olympian Dr. M.B. Ganesh for Sports, Matha B. Manjamma Jogati for Arts,  Harekala Hajabba for Education, Vijay Sankeshwar for Trade and Industry, Rangaswamy Lakshminarayana Kashyap for Literature and Education and actress Kangana Ranaut are among 119 persons who were conferred with the Award.

Awardees’ Profile

Vidushi K.S. Jayalakshmi, wife of late K.V. Sampath Kumar, took over as the Editor of ‘Sudharma,’ the world’s only Sanskrit daily newspaper published in Mysuru. The paper was started in 1070 by Varadaraja Iyengar and following his demise in 1990, the newspaper was taken over by his son K.V. Sampath Kumar and his (Sampath Kumar) wife Jayalakshmi. Jayalakshmi took over the reins after the demise of Sampath Kumar in June this year.

Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh, aged 73, a resident of Suntikoppa in Kodagu, was the captain of the Indian hockey team and won the Arjuna award in 1973.

Ganesh began his sports career with football and later switched over to hockey after he joined the Army. He represented the Services (defence services) in the National Hockey Championship from 1965 to 1973. He found a place in the Indian team in 1970. Ganesh played for India at 1972 Munich Olympics, finishing third. He was one of the coaches of the Indian team that won a gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

He twice represented India in Asian Games (Bangkok-1970 and Tehran-1974). Both the times India returned home with a Silver medal. He was in the Indian team that won Bronze at the first World Cup at Barcelona in 1971 and captained the team that won Silver at the next World Cup in Amsterdam. He also played for World XI in 1972 and Asian XI from 1970 to 1974. Ganesh last played for India in 1974 after his career was cut short by a knee injury. At present, he is serving as the CEO of SAI National Hockey Academy in New Delhi.

Harekala Hajabba, 66-year-old orange vendor, received this award for bringing a revolution in rural education by constructing a school in Harekala-Newpadpu village in Mangaluru. The school currently has 175 underprivileged students from the village. Hajabba, who sells oranges at Mangaluru bus depot since 1977, has never been to school.