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New Delhi: The esteemed Padma Vibhushan award has been posthumously conferred upon former Kerala Chief Minister and prominent communist figure VS Achuthanandan, alongside renowned actor Dharmendra, as part of the 2026 honors, according to an official announcement made on Sunday.

On the eve of Republic Day, the government revealed a total of 131 Padma awards for the year, which includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards, with two awards being counted for a pair of recipients.

Among the Padma Vibhushan recipients are former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas for his contributions to public affairs, Hindustani classical musician and violinist N Rajam for her artistic achievements, and distinguished Malayalam journalist P Narayanan for his work in literature and education.

Notable figures such as playback singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, actor Mammootty, and banker Uday Kotak have received the Padma Bhushan, as stated by the Home Ministry.

The Padma Bhushan has also been awarded to advertising guru Piyush Pandey, JMM founder Shibu Soren, and BJP leader VK Malhotra, while actor and comedian Satish Shah has been honored with the Padma Shri posthumously.

The award list features 90 women among the recipients, including six individuals from foreign backgrounds, NRIs, PIOs, and OCIs, as well as 16 posthumous awards.

Tennis icon Vijay Amritraj has been recognized with the Padma Bhushan, while cricketer Rohit Sharma, women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and hockey player Savita Punia have been awarded the Padma Shri, according to the official statement.

Other notable Padma Shri awardees include former JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, ex-Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, and actors R Madhavan and Prosenjit Chatterjee.