In Padma winners’ list, inspiring stories of excellence, hardship and tragedies

A total of 45 individuals from across the country, overcame tremendous personal hardships and tragedies, not just to excel in their chosen fields, but also to serve society at large, were chosen for the Padma Shri award 2026 in the ‘unsung heroes’ category on the occasion of Republic Day.

- HT Correspondents

The list includes Anke Gowda, a former bus conductor from Karnataka who set up the world’s largest free-access library, comprising over two million books in 20 languages, along with rare manuscripts; Armida Fernandes, a Mumbai-based paediatrician who set up Asia’s first human milk bank; Shyam Sundar, who developed an inexpensive test for the detection of black fever; and Suresh Hangavadi, veteran haematologist known for his works in the field of Haemophilia.

Ladakh-based Padma Gurmet, who promotes ancient Tibetan medicine; Punniamurthy Natesan, veterinary scientist from Tamil Nadu who used traditional medicine with modern science to treat animals; Kumarasamy Thangharaj, Hyderabad-based geneticist; and Nilesh Vinodchandra Mandlewala, the founder of Donate Life from Gujarat, who facilitates organ donation, were also included among the awardees.