The Padma Awards 2017 lists some of the unsung heroes of India. Of the 89 recipients, seven were awarded Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri. However, it has raised some eyebrows in Andhra Pradesh.
Only two people personalities Smt. V Koteswaramma in the field of Literature & Education and Shri Chintakindi Mallesham in the field of Science & Engineering were awarded Padma Shri from Andhra Pradesh. While Chintakindi Mallesham is from Telangana State who was conferred in Andhra Pradesh’s quota, T Hanuman Chowdary who hails from AP was conferred in TS quota.
The AP government recommended 22names for the Padma awards and got only two while the TS government had recommended 25 names and got 6 awards. Both the states got only Padma Shri awards this year and there are no recipients for Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan from Telugu Regions. The nominees given by the state governments for Padma awards was not approved by the central government for both telugu regions.A large number of recipients of the Padma awards are outside the list of nominations received by the government.
This raises doubts over the demand for conferring Bharat Ratna to Late NTR. Post Bifurcation, in 2015 AP got only one Padma Sri award for film actor Kota Srinivasa Rao. Last year, AP got one Padma Vibhushan and two Padma Bhushan awards and three Padma Shri recipients.
As such there is no need to be cynical especially looking at the reduced number awardees from Delhi. However, the question about prejudiced treatment to Andhra Pradesh remains unanswered.
The government received over 1800 nominations and perhaps each name passed through several stages of scrutiny on objective parameters. Government sources claim that the Modi government has altered the Padma Awards selection process with the objective of ‘no lobbying, only merit’.
Padma Awards are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of high order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service in any field)
