President Patil confers civilian awards to eminent personalities in Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 4 (ANI): President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presented civilian awards to eminent personalities at a ceremony here on Wednesday.

International artists, film personalities and musicians were part of the diverse group that was felicitated with the second set of Padma awards.

Noted cartoonist Mario de Miranda was conferred with the second highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan, posthumously. The award was received by his son Rahul Miranda.

Other personalities, who were felicitated, included film personalities Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra, industrialists B Muthuraman, civil servant Mata Prasad and N Vittal, neurologist N H Wadia, renowned mathematician M S Raghunathan, historian Jose Pereira and noted jurist P Chandrashekara Rao.

Meanwhile, Padma Shri awards were bestowed upon 38 people, comprising industrialist Swati Piramil, former Indian Hockey Team captain Zafar Iqbal, eminent archer Limba Ram Ahari and social worker Rita Dev.

The first set of the civilian awards were last month handed over to renowned Assamese singer-composer Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika posthumously along with former Uttar Pradesh Governor T.V. Rajeswar and orthopedic surgeon K. H. Sancheti.

Several leaders including Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Congress President Sonia Gandhi graced the occasion. (ANI)