Republic Day 2026: Ex-Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan awarded Padma Vibhushan, Shibu Soren gets Padma Bhushan
The government has announced 131 Padma awards for the year 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri, which includes two duo cases in which the award for two individuals is counted as one.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday announced Padma Vibhushan posthumously for former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan on the eve of 77th Republic Day. Achuthanandan, the oldest person to serve as Kerala's chief minister, was a Communist Party of India (Marxit) leader, who passed away in July last year at the age of 101.
Born on October 20, 1923, in Punnapra village in Alappuzha district, Achuthanandan had also served as the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly for 15 years and also as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener from 1996 to 2000. The veteran politician, who served as the chief minister from 2006 to 2011, was known for his integrity and sharp speeches.
His family has welcomed the government's move and said the honour is 'very valuable'. "People from across Kerala still visit the memorial. The love people have for him still exists as fresh. Some still come and mourn, which also makes us sad," his son VA Arun Kumar said.
"He was a man who took part in and led the freedom movement. Such honours should happen, and we always hope for them," he said, "He lived his life for the people and the country. Such recognition gives us happiness."
Padma Bhushan to Shibu Soren
Apart from Achuthanandan, the Union Home Ministry has also announced Padma Bhushan for former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren. Soren, the fonder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had passed away in August last year at the age of 81 due to prolonged illness. Shibu Soren, the father of incumbent Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, had also served in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in his political career that lasted for around four decades.
BJP's Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Vijay Kumar Malhotra get Padma Bhushan
The government on Sunday also conferred Padma Bhushan to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who had served as former Uttarakhand chief minister and ex-Maharashtra governor. In his political career, the 83-year-old Koshyari has also served in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, a veteran BJP leader who passed away in September last year at the age of 93, has also been conferred with Padma Bhushan.
The government has announced 131 Padma awards for the year 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri, which includes two duo cases in which the award for two individuals is counted as one.