New Delhi: Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was posthumously conferred with the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Public Affairs on April 28.
Sushil Kumar Modi’s wife, Jessie Sushil Modi, received the award from President Droupadi Murmu. Modi passed away at Delhi’s All-India Institute of Medical Sciences on May 13, 2024, after battling cancer for seven months. He was 72.
Over his three-decade political career, Modi played a pivotal role in shaping Bihar’s political environment. Sushil Modi held various positions, including MLA, MLC, and member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020.
Meanwhile, Former Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Hriday Narayan Dikshit received the Padma Shri award from President Droupadi Murmu for his contribution to Literature and Education.
The list of Padma Bhushan awardees also includes PR Sreejesh (Sports) from Kerala, Pankaj Patel (Trade and Industry) from Gujarat, Pankaj Udhas (Posthumous) (Art) from Maharashtra, Ram Bahadur Rai (Literature and Education-Journalism) from Uttar Pradesh, Sadhvi Ritambhara (Social Work) from Uttar Pradesh, S Ajith Kumar (Art) from Tamil Nadu, Shekhar Kapur (Art) from Maharashtra, Shobana Chandrakumar (Art) from Tamil Nadu, Sushil Kumar Modi (Posthumous) (Public Affairs) from Bihar, and Vinod Dham (Science and Engineering) from the United States.
The Padma awards, among the country’s highest civilian honours, are conferred in three categories – Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
The awards are given in various disciplines, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, and literature.
The Padma Shri award is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India after the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and the Padma Bhushan.
The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day each year. The President of India confers them at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually around March or April. (ANI)
