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Cine Star Shahrukh Khan, former National Security Advisor J N Dixit, cartoonist R K Laxman, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, vice-chairperson of Hindustan Times Shobhana Bhartia and social worker Gladys Staines are among the 96 people who have been conferred this year's Padma awards.
J N Dixit was a brilliant career diplomat who passed away on January 3 this year.
The President approved names of nine persons for this year's Padma Vibushan awards. The list includes Laxman, Dixit,
Attorney General Milon Kumar Benerji, former Sadar-e-Riyasat of Jammu & Kashmir Karan Singh and noted social worker Mohan Dharia.
The other recipients of the Padma Vibushan include Dr Bal Krishan Goyal for medicine, Bhai Mohan Singh for trade and industry, Dr M V S Valiathan for medicine and Ram Narayan for his contribution to the field of arts in Maharashtra.
As many as 30 people, including renowned dental surgeon Anil Kohli, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chander Saxena, former J&K chief minister Syed Mir Qassim and cardiologist Tarlochan Singh Kler were awarded the Padma Bhushan.
Shooter and Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, ace shuttler P Gopichand and former athelete G S Randhawa were among other sports personalities honoured with Padma Shri.
The Padma Shri was also been given to cricketer Anil Kumble, who recently became India's highest Test wicket-taker.
Shahrukh Khan, who has come to be known as 'Bollywood badshah' for starring in a number of superhit films, director Muzzafar Ali, playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy and Shameem Dev Azad, renowned Kashmiri singer and wife of Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, were among the 57 Padma Shri awardees.
Gladys Staines, wife of Australian missionary Graham Staines who was burnt to death along with his sons in Orissa some years ago, Sunita Narain, who waged a campaign against pesticide content in packaged water and soft drinks, and noted civil liberty activists Indira Jaisingh and danseuse Komala Vardhan also got the Padma Shri.