Meet Dr R Sreedher And Prof. Gambir Singh Yonzone - India’s Unsung Heroes to Be Honoured With Padma Shri Today

President Droupadi Murmu will today confer 66 Padma Awards, marking first civil investiture ceremony of 2026. The event is set to take place in the Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and will also be attended by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among other dignitaries. In total, the President will award a total of two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 58 Padma Shri awards.Continuing with the principle of celebrating ordinary Indians making extraordinary contributions, this year's Padma awards include a wide spectrum of 45 unsung heroes from across the length and breadth of India, the sources said.Each has overcome tremendous personal hardships and tragedies to not just

excel in their chosen fields, but go further on to serve society at large, they said.This year’s inspiring awardees include Dr R. Sreedher, a pioneer of community radio in India, and Prof. Gambir Singh Yonzone, noted for his contributions to education and environmental conservation, among others.

Meet Dr Ramamurthy Sreedher

Dr. Ramamurthy Sreedher, 78, who hails from Tamil Nadu, is recognized for his work in the community radio, will be honoured with Padma Shri by President of India, for his transformative contributions to radio broadcasting and grassroots communication.In India, he is also known as the 'Father of Community Radio', as he spent over five decades expanding public access to interactive, people-centric media.Sreedher had launched India’s first community radio station in 2004, later the community radio network grew to over 550 locations, across the country.Among one of the earlier science reporters in the All India Radio, he worked towards making complex science accessible to the public.Sreedher also created Manav Ka Vikas - The Story of Man - which later became as one of the longest running educational radio series for children, reaching over 140,000 young listeners across 200 radio stations.He also worked for enabling interactive, satellite-based connectivity to highly remote regions.

Meet Prof. Gambir Singh Yonzone

Professor Gambir Singh Yonzone, is a renowned Indian botanist, educationist, and environmentalist, who will be honoured by President Droupadi Murmu, today, with Padma Shri for his work in the field of literature, education, and ecological conservation.The 86-year-old hails from Darjeeling hills and often referred to as 'Living Treasure of Darjeeling' or ‘Mountain Man’. He dedicated over six decades to uplifting the academic infrastructure and safeguarding the fragile Eastern Himalayan ecosystem.He is the first Indian Nepali to have completed M.Sc. and a Ph.D in Botany. Yonzone is known as the first person from Darjeeling hills to receive Fullbright Fellowship from the United States Education Foundation in India.He served as a lecturer at the Darjeeling Government College in 1966 and worked in establishing M.Sc and Ph.D programs in biological sciences. He also served as principal of Kalimpong Collage for 12 years.Yonzone founded Himalaya Science Association and chaired Darjeeling Society for education, research, and development.He authored influential books and numerous research papers on a wide range of topics including Himalayan ecology, orchids and medical ethnobotany.

What Are Padma Awards?

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. Under this ceremony, the awards are distributed in three categories:

• Padma Vibhushan - For exceptional and distinguished service
• Padma Bhushan - For distinguished service of higher order
• Padma Shri - For distinguished service

The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.For the year 2026, the President has approved conferment of 131 Padma awards including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. The remaining Padma awardees will be conferred in the second round of the ceremony to be held later, sources said.The coveted civilian honours are given in various fields -- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.With inputs from PTI