The Economic Times

Anke Gowda, a former bus conductor gets Padma Shri for setting up the world's largest free-access library

West Bengal and Tamil Nadu emerged among the top recipients of unsung hero Padma Awards announced ahead of Republic Day 2026, with six and five awardees respectively. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra received four awards each, while Jammu and Kashmir was conferred two. In total, 45 unsung Padma awardees were recognised across states and Union Territories.