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Nani Palkhivala, Lakshmi Sehgal conferred Padma Vibushan

Noted jurist Nani Palkhivala and Lakshmi Sehgal, a close associate of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, have been awarded the Padma Vibushan, the country's second highest civilian honour.

South African anti-apartheid leader Walter Sisulu and Gandhian Dr Usha Mehta are the two other recipients of the Vibushan.

The President also gave 18 Padma Bhushan and 32 Padma Shri awards to eminent personalities in the fields of literature, art, medicine, science, engineering, film and sports.

The awards were given after a five-year gap. Earlier, the President had conferred the country's highest civilian award -- the Bharat Ratna -- on renowned scientist Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and singer M S Subbulakshmi for their contribution to missile technology and music respectively.

Novelist Bhisham (Tamas) Sahni, Times of India editorial adviser H K Dua and Malayala Manorama editor-in-chief K M Mathew, cardiologist Dr P Venugopal, jurist and former high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr L M Singhvi, CPI leader Satya Pal Dang and human rights activist Justice V M Tarkunde are among those given the Padma Bhushan.

The other recipients are Kuchipudi exponent Vempathi China Satyam, the Indian National Army's Gurbux Singh Dhillon, space scientist Madhavan Nair, cardiac surgeons Dr Gurukumar Bhalchandra Parulkar and Dr M R Girinath, neurologist Dr Hem Lata Gupta, scientists Dr Rajendra Singh Paroda and Dr Sivaramakrishna Chandrasekhar, Kannada novelist (Samskara) U R Anantha Murthy and computer scientist Vaidyaeswaran Rajaraman.

Those who were awarded the Padma Shri are Kerala film actor P I Mohammed Kutty (aka known as Mammooty), tennis player Ramesh Krishnan, athlete Shiny Wilson, theatre personality Zohra Sehgal and developmental biologist Priyambada Mohanty-Hejmadi, botanist Professor Aditya Narayan Purohit, Dr Anil Kakadar (nuclear scientist), Cardinal Mar Anthony Padiyara (social work), art historian Professor Brijender Nath Goswamy, Chewang Phunsog (civil services), Dipali Borthakur (Assamese folk singer), Professor Gurdial Singh (Punjabi literature), Kanta Tyagi (social work), Kongbrailatpam Ibomcha Sharma (vocal music), Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable (theatre), Kunju Behari Meher (art-ikat weaver), Lalsangzuali Sailo (literature-Mizo), Sister Leonardo Casaragi (social work), Captain (hon) Lila Ram (wrestling), Dr Manmohan Attavar (horticulture), Narayan Surve (Marathi literature), Naushad Ismail Padamsee (industry), Ottaplakkil Nambiadikkal Velu Kurup (pottery), Pargat Singh (hockey), Pradhan Sambhu Saran (electronics), Ralte Venlawma (social work, journalism), Professor Ranjit Roy Chaudhury (medicine), Sambhu Nath Khajuria (social work), Shanta Sinha (social work), Suryadevara Ramachandra Rao (civil service) U Srinivas (music-mandolin) and Vijay Kumar Saraswat (defence scientist).

UNI

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