awarded to Telugu journalist
Turlapaty Kutumba Rao Padma Awards were instituted in 1954 to be awarded to citizens of India in recognition of their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including the arts, education,
industry, literature, science, acting, medicine,
social service and
public affairs. It has also been awarded to some distinguished individuals who were not citizens of India but did contribute in various ways to India. The selection criteria have been criticised in some quarters with the claim that many highly deserving artists have been left out in order to favour certain individuals. India has now created an online nomination platform for the common citizens to recommend the nomination for the annually given civilian "Padma" awards. On its obverse, the words "
Padma", meaning lotus in
Sanskrit, and "
Shri", a Sanskrit-derived honorific equivalent to 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' (i.e., "Noble One in Blossom"), appear in
Devanagari above and below a
lotus flower. The geometrical pattern on either side is in burnished
bronze. All embossing is in
white gold. , 3448 people have received the award. In 2025, 113 people received the Padma Shri. ==Refusals==