Patna, January 26
The wife of former Deputy Chief Minister late Sushil Modi, Jessie George, expressed satisfaction on Sunday over her husband's posthumous Padma Bhushan award, stating that the recognition acts as medicine for the wounds caused by his demise and serves as a source of inspiration, especially for the youth who need leaders to set goals and provide direction.
"...He worked among so many people and did a lot of social work for the development of Bihar, including helping hospitals and poor people, especially those below the poverty line... This award acts as medicine on the wounds of people caused by his demise and becomes a source of inspiration, especially for the youth who need leaders to set goals and give direction... He was always focused on grooming the next generation of leaders and ensuring that they are ready to continue working for the development of society..." she said.
The Padma Awards, one of the country's highest civilian honours, are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards are given in various disciplines such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.
The 'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, the 'Padma Bhushan' for distinguished service of high order, and the 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced annually on the occasion of Republic Day.
These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually around March or April. For the year 2025, the President has approved the conferment of 139 Padma Awards, including one duo case (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). The list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards.
Among the awardees, 23 are women, 10 belong to the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, and 13 are posthumous awardees.
- ANI