Two from the State chosen for Padma Bhushan, 11 to receive Padma Shri

The President of India has approved the conferment of Padma Awards for 2026 connected 13 persons from Tamil Nadu. The database of 131 awards this twelvemonth comprises 2 Padma Bhushan and 11 Padma Shri awards from Tamil Nadu.

While S.K.M. Maeilanandhan volition person Padma Bhushan for societal work, K.R. Palaniswamy volition person the grant for distinguished work of a precocious bid successful the tract of medicine.

Mr. Maeilanandhan, enforcement president of the Erode-based SKM Group of Companies, was calved into a mediocre cultivation household successful Erode territory successful 1945.

An eminent entrepreneur and societal and user activist, helium received the Padma Shri for societal enactment successful 2013. He has been the president of the Erode Consumer Protection Centre for the past 33 years. In 1999, helium adopted 2 Dalit villages successful Saminathapuram. He has besides been the president of the World Community Service Centre for 37 years, spreading value-based taste education.

Renowned Gastroenterologist Dr. Palaniswamy said helium was highly blessed to person the award. He is known for his nationalist consciousness programmes connected digestive disorders and colon cancer; behaviour of escaped aesculapian camps; and his 30-year-long relation with the Ramakrishna Math.

Dr. Palaniswamy said helium dedicated the grant to his parents, teachers and patients. “It is simply a large honour for me, particularly since I received the Padma Shri successful 2007.”

K. Vijay Kumar, erstwhile main of the Special Task Force that hunted down dreaded wood brigand Veerappan successful 2004, has been chosen for Padma Shri award. “I americium blessed to person worked with respective teams that has yet led to this,” helium said connected being chosen for the award.

He held assorted positions successful the State police, including Commissioner of Police, Chennai, earlier going connected Central deputation, serving successful the Border Security Force and Central Para Military Force.

Considered an adept successful anti-naxal operations, Mr. Vijay Kumar is the recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.

Posthumously chosen

Padma Shri awardee R. Krishnan, who went by the nom de plume ‘Kitna’, passed distant successful March 2025.

He has been credited with ensuring the preservation of the creation and civilization of the Alu Kurumba assemblage successful the Nilgiris. He had drawn inspiration from the stone creation tract astatine Vellaricombai successful the Nilgiris, which was utilized by the Alu Kurumba assemblage arsenic inspiration for coating murals connected the walls of their homes. He would besides usage lone integrated paints made from earthy dyes and fibres.

Padma Shri awardee H.V. Hande, who was the Health Minister successful AIADMK laminitis M.G. Ramachandran’s Cabinet, said: “I americium blessed astir the award. I began my aesculapian signifier successful 1950 and this is my 76th year successful practice. It is simply a designation of my work to the poor.” He had received the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award for reducing the Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate and for initiatives to eradicate polio and measles. “I americium 99 years old, and adjacent today, I proceed to spot patients,” helium said.

Carnatic vocalists and sisters Ranjani-Gayathri, connected being chosen for the Padma Shri award, said it was precise heartening and that “it lone pushes america to bash our champion and proceed connected this journey”.

On their enactment with ragas and music, they said: “We person galore on-going projects that are being taken up with a imaginativeness to bring much radical to the classical arts.”

Punniamurthy Natesan, retired prof astatine Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, has been selected for the Padma Shri successful the tract of medicine. He said that successful the past 25 years, accepted Siddha medicine has proved that this cognition strategy offers solution for conserving antibiotics for aboriginal use. “It gives america earthy products, and arsenic a pharmacologist, I could formulate treatments from this. For instance, I had utilized aloe vera, turmeric and calcium oxide to dainty mastitis successful cows, helium said.”

Sculptor Rajastapathi Kaliappa Goundar has been chosen for the Padma Shri. He has been successful the tract for the past 51 years. “This grant volition promote sculptors and juniors to look up to maine arsenic a relation model; I volition thatch them astir the intricacies successful this field,” helium said.

V. Kamakoti, IIT-Madras Director, has been chosen for the Padma Shri successful the tract of Science and Engineering. “The Padma Shri Award means lone 1 happening to maine — That I volition enactment successful my champion efforts towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047. Whatever I person achieved is each due to the fact that of a corporate effort. I dedicate this grant to everyone who has been a portion of this journey,” helium said.

The different Padma Shri awardees are K. Ramasamy for subject and technology, Othuvaar Thiruthani Swaminathan for art, Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam for creation and Sivasankari for lit and education.

Stalin congratulates awardees

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin congratulated personalities from assorted fields from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, who person been named for the Padma awards connected Sunday.

Mr. Stalin, successful a societal media post, expressed anticipation that the grant would assistance them proceed their achievements successful their respective fields and service society.

In a societal media post, AIADMK wide caput Edappadi K. Palaniswami congratulated the awardees from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He appreciated the Central authorities for recognising the personalities.