New Delhi, April 11 : The process for nomination and recommendation for the Padma Awards-2026, to be announced on Republic Day 2026, will remain open only till July 31, an official said on Friday.

The online nomination process was launched on March 15 on the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (https://awards.gov.in ), said the official.

The Padma Awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, are amongst the highest civilian awards of the country. Instituted in 1954, these awards are announced on Republic Day every year.

In 2025, 113 people were awarded Padma Shri, 19 (Padma Bhushan), and seven (Padma Vibhushan).

Since 2014, the Narendra Modi government has introduced two key changes in the Padma Awards nomination process for transparency and to honour people working on the ground.

The introduction of an online nomination system has made the process transparent, allowing anyone to nominate individuals for the awards. This eliminated reliance on recommendations from politicians or officials ' a practice that allegedly promoted corruption.

The Government's focus on work over identity during the selection process has ensured that unsung heroes from humble backgrounds also get recognised. Under this strategy, greater emphasis was placed on the nominee's contributions and achievements rather than their name or prominence.

This shift led to recognition of unsung heroes from rural areas and non-mainstream fields getting the award that seeks to recognise "work of distinction" and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields/disciplines, such as Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry.

All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these Awards. Government servants, including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for Padma Awards, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Government is committed to transforming Padma Awards into "People's Padma". All citizens are, therefore, requested to make nominations/recommendations, including self-nomination.

Concerted efforts may be made to identify talented persons whose excellence and achievements deserve to be recognised from amongst women, weaker sections of the society, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, divyang persons and who are doing selfless service to the society, said the statement.

/IANS