Padma award 2026: 8 from Karnataka among awardees across art, science and social work

BENGALURU: Eight people from Karnataka figure in the Padma award list announced Sunday - a list that spans classical scholarship, grassroots social work, laboratory science, medicine, education, and industry. The one Padma Bhushan and seven Padma Shri awards recognise careers built quietly over decades, rooted in institutions, neighbourhoods and traditions.

Shatavadhani R Ganesh (Padma Bhushan, art)

A Sanskrit scholar, polyglot and among the country's foremost exponents of Avadhana - an ancient Indian literary and cognitive performance art - R Ganesh, 63, has spent decades sustaining a discipline that tests memory, concentration and poetic imagination at once. In Avadhana, multiple scholars pose questions simultaneously, to which the Avadhani responds by composing poetry extempore, while strictly adhering to rules of metre, language and theme.




Born in 1962 in Kolar, Ganesh's academic journey spans diverse disciplines. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, a master's degree in metallurgy from the Indian Institute of Science, a master's degree in Sanskrit, and a doctor of literature in Kannada from Hampi University, where his research focused on avadhana theory and practice.

Fluent in Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil and Prakrit, Ganesh has performed over 1,300 Avadhanas, including the demanding Shatavadhana with a hundred participants. A prolific author and speaker, he continues to interpret classical literary traditions for contemporary audiences.

Shubha Iyengar

(Padma Shri, science and engineering)

At 71, Shubha V Iyengar's Padma Shri honours a career that mirrors India's post-independence scientific journey. A former scientist at CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, she joined NAL in 1974 after securing first rank in both her BSc (honours) in physics and MSc degrees from Central College.

"My interest in science came from my father. He believed women should pursue higher studies and wanted me to complete my PhD. I lost him while I was an MSc student, but I carried his wish forward," she told TOI. The youngest of nine siblings - several of whom have passed away - Shubha says her family remains her backbone.

Her career includes several landmark contributions, most notably Drishti, a system now deployed at Indian airports, and by the Indian Air Force, significantly strengthening aviation safety and operations. Calling the award recognition "for everything put together - science, engineering and service to the nation", Iyengar continues to stay professionally active after retirement.

SG Susheelamma

(Padma Shri, social work)

Fondly known as 'Amma', SG Susheelamma, 86, founded Sumangali Seva Ashrama in 1975 to support destitute women, orphaned children and economically weaker communities. Located in Cholanayakanahalli near Hebbal, the ashrama today houses about 110 residents, including 70 children and 40 elderly people.

Over five decades, Susheelamma estimates her work has touched more than 30 lakh lives through initiatives in housing for slum dwellers, education, healthcare and employment. The ashrama runs adult literacy programmes, vocational training for women and regular health camps. She also founded the Basavananda Higher Primary School, which provides free education to around 250 students.

Currently working on the holistic development of tribal communities in Magadi and Bandipur, she has launched initiatives to provide autorickshaws and training to tribal women to help them earn a livelihood. The Padma Shri, she says, has only strengthened her resolve to continue.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati

(Padma Shri, literature & education)

Vempati is a technocrat and strategic advisor with two decades of experience across technology, media and public policy. He advises organisations and govt institutions, and is involved in shaping India's AI ecosystem.

A co-founder of the DeepTech for Bharat Foundation, he leads the AI4India initiative and serves on the board of IIT Bombay-incubated BharatGen Technology Foundation, focused on India's sovereign AI capabilities. He also chairs the Apex Advisory Committee for Science and Technology Communication at the Department of Science and Technology and heads UGC committee on educational media.

Vempati has held governance and advisory roles across broadcasting and academia, including the Broadcast Audience Research Council. As CEO of Prasar Bharati (2017-2022), he led reforms to modernise Doordarshan and All India Radio, and headed Rajya Sabha TV. Earlier, he spent 15 years at Infosys. An IIT Bombay alumnus, he is the author of Collective Spirit, Concrete Action.
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