NEW DELHI: Former Chief of Naval Staff R Hari Kumar, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Ashok Lahiri, ex-hockey player P R Sreejesh, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty, actor Chandra Prakash Dwivedi who played the lead role in ‘Chanakya’ TV series and politicians Vinay Sahastrabuddhe and Bhartruhari Mahtab were part of the 30-member Padma Awards selection committee for the year 2026, reports Bharti Jain.The composition of the committee is made public by home ministry only after conclusion of the civil investiture ceremony, where the President confers the awards on the recipients to honour their contribution to various fields and disciplines. A govt official said the delayed disclosure is meant to shield the members of the committee from any pulls and pressures from those submitting recommendations for the awards.
