High-Level Committee Shortlisted Nominees for Padma Awards

High-level committee met on 26 December 2012 to shortlist the nominees of prestigious Padma awards. Rajesh Khanna, singer Kailash Kher as well as director of much-acclaimed movie Sholay’, Ramesh Sippy might be honoured with the prestigious awards on 26 January 2013.

Rajesh Khanna, who died on 18 July 2012, was shortlisted for highest category of Padma awards- Padma Vibhushan. Ramesh Sippy and Kailesh Kher were shortlisted for the award of Padma Shri.

The high-level committee that shortlisted the nominees of the award included cabinet secretary Ajit Seth, home secretary R K Singh, scientist Anil Kakodkar, principal secretary to the PM Pulok Chatterjee as well as actor Ratna Pathak Shah.
 
Awardees’ names would be declared on 25 January 2013 after PM Manmohan Singh’s approval. Rajesh Khanna, Kailash Kher and Ramesh Sippy were shortlisted after recommendations from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Usually, the Padma awards are not conferred after the death of an individual, but Rajesh Khanna was considered by the Government as highly deserving candidate for Padma Vibhushan. This would make an exception to the Padma awards. Similar exceptions were made earlier when singer and music director Bhupen Hazarika was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2012.

It is quite ironical that Rajesh Khannna had never received Padma award during his lifetime, while a lot of his colleagues had achieved the honour in various years.