Senior BJP leader L. K. Advani, veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal are among those who will be awarded the prestigious Padma Vibhushan awards this year.

The other awardees include Dr. DV Heggade, JR Swami Rambhadracharya, Prof. MR Srinivasan, Kottayan K. Venugopal and Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan.

The Padma Bhushan awards this year will be awarded to Jahnu Barua, Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Swapan Dasgupta, Swami Satyamitranand Giri, N. Gopalaswami, Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap, and Ambrish Mithal. Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Saichiro Misumi have also been awarded the Padma Bhushan in the foreigner category. S. Arunan, Ms. Kanyakumari Avasarala, Dr. Bettina Sharada Baumer, Naresh Bedi, Ashok Bhagat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Dr.Lakshmi N Bora will receive the Padma Shri.

This year, the President of India has approved conferment of Padma Awards to 104 persons, including nine Padma Vibhushan, 20 Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri Awardees. Seventeen of the awardees are women and the list also includes 17 persons from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and four posthumous awardees. Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The Awards are given in various fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. 'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; 'Padma Bhushan' for distinguished service of high order and 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service in any field.

The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.