Padma Vibhushan Award

Padma Vibhushan Award

The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. It is awarded to recognize exceptional and distinguished service to the nation in any field, including government service.The first recipitants of this award were Satyendra Nath Bose, Nand Lal Bose, Zakir Hussain, Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, V. K. Krishna Menon in the year 1954.

The award was established by Presidential decree on 2 January 1954. The Padma Vibhushan was originally established as the Pahela Varg (First Class) of a three-class "Padma Vibhushan" awards. However the structure was changed in 1955 and there is no record of the award being presented to recipients in the original structure. The award was suspended between 1977 and 1980 and between 1992 and 1998. As of the end of 2012, only 288 people have thus far been awarded this honour.

Medallion details -

First medallion (1954–1955)

The initial medal was a circular gold medal, 1-3/8 inches in diameter, with an embossed lotus flower in the center and the legend "Padma Vibhushan" above and a floral wreath below. The obverse side had the Indian state emblem with the legend Desh Seva (National Service) above and a lotus wreath below. No record exists to show whether this design was used to present a medal to the awardees.

Second medallion (1955–1957)

In 1955, the badge design was altered to be a "mainly circular" 1-3/16-inch toned bronze badge with geometrical patterns. The center had a lotus flower with four major petals embossed in white gold. Above and below this flower, the name of the decoration Padma Vibhushan was embossed in silver-gilt.

Current medallion (1957–current)

In 1957, the badge design was retained but the material changed from toned bronze to burnished bronze.

पद्म विभूषण सम्मान

पद्म विभूषण सम्मान भारत सरकार द्वारा दिया जाने वाला दूसरा उच्च नागरिक सम्मान है, जो देश के लिये असैनिक क्षेत्रों में बहुमूल्य योगदान के लिये दिया जाता है। यह सम्मान भारत के राष्ट्रपति द्वारा दिया जाता है। इस सम्मान की स्थापना 2 जनवरी 1954 में की गयी थी। भारत रत्‍न के बाद यह दूसरा प्रतिष्ठित सम्मान है। पद्म विभूषण के बाद तीसरा नागरिक सम्मान पद्म भूषण है। यह सम्मान किसी भी क्षेत्र में विशिष्ट और उल्लेखनीय सेवा के लिए प्रदान किया जाता है। इसमें सरकारी कर्मचारियों द्वारा की गई सेवाएं भी शामिल हैं।

List of Padma Vibhushan awardees in 2013 -

Full List of Padma Vibhushan awardees