Moment of immense pride and gratitude: Manoj Bajpayee on his mentor Barry Godfray John receiving Padma Shri

Theatre artist Barry Godfray John was honoured with the Padma Shri Award on Tuesday. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to him in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Taking to his Instagram handle, Bajpayee wrote, "My Guru, Barry John, my guiding light! He was the first one to see the potential in me, to trust me with responsibilities that shaped my journey. His unwavering faith in me has been the cornerstone of who I am today. It's a moment of immense pride and gratitude to see him being honored with the Padma Shri, a recognition truly deserved! @itsbarryjohn #BarryJohn"

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President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday presented Padma Awards to the recipients across a diverse range of disciplines and fields at the second Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, Union Ministers Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, Pralhad Joshi, Jitendra Singh, G Kishan Reddy and several other ministers and dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Padma Awards--one of the country's highest civilian Awards--are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.

The Awards are given in various disciplines/activities -- 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 Bhavan every year. For the year 2025, the President approved the conferment of 139 Padma Awards, including a duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women, and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, and 13 Posthumous awardees. (ANI)