From pioneering botanical research to protecting Himalayan biodiversity and transforming education, Dr. Gambir Singh Yonzone’s lifelong service has inspired generations and earned him the Padma Shri 2026.
After losing his son in 1992, Mohammed Sharif dedicated nearly three decades to ensuring thousands of unclaimed people received respectful last rites regardless of religion.
Confined to her home, self-taught folk artist Sona Bai Rajwar reshaped ordinary mud into world-famous art, immortalised in Chhattisgarh’s largest gallery.
A masterclass in tactical composure, the 2 PARA SF commando’s rapid response and exceptional close-combat execution under direct fire saved his tracking team and earned him India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
A first-generation learner from rural Madhya Pradesh transformed his own journey into a mission of connecting thousands of young Indians with education, careers and opportunities in the social development sector.
A lifetime of personal sacrifice helped Anke Gowda create one of India’s largest free-access libraries, earning him the Padma Shri 2026.
His community school ensures vulnerable children access education despite poverty, distance and everyday barriers to learning.
Her decades-long grassroots campaign transformed girls’ education across remote Bastar villages despite conflict and hardships.
His lifelong mission preserved indigenous crops, empowered farmers and strengthened India’s agricultural biodiversity for generations.
After facing years of exclusion, 20 transgender women in Vizianagaram built a temple that now serves meals, supports education and creates opportunities for vulnerable communities.
