SPB, 10 others from Tamil Nadu to get Padma awards

SPB, 10 others from Tamil Nadu to get Padma awards

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:26.01.2021

Eleven people from Tamil Nadu have been conferred with the Padma awards 2021, an official list put out by the Centre on Monday evening said.

Among them, singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, who died of Covid-19-related complications last year, was the sole Padma Vibhushan awardee, while 10 individuals from diverse fields such as arts, sports, medicine and trade are Padma Shri recipients.

Padma Shri recipients from Tamil Nadu include classical singer Subbu Arumugam, Pattimandram specialist Soloman Pappaiah, 105-year-old organic farmer from Coimbatore Pappammal, singer Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, chandamama artist K C Sivasankar (who passed away in September last year), Marachi Subburaman, a social worker who has been building low cost houses, toilets and helping rural families for the past three decades through his NGO Scope.

P Subramanian, former chairman and managing director of Shanti Gears, who passed away in December last year, has also been posthumously awarded the Padma Shri. While he was referred as ‘gear man’ of Coimbatore, he was highly regarded for his philanthropic endeavours. Through his charitable trust Shanti Social Services, he ran a canteen which served food for as low as ₹10. In trade and industry sector, Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO of Zoho corporation, is another recipient.

Dr Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan, the ₹5 doctor from Royapuram in Chennai who served many patients for several years, was another posthumous recipient of the Padma Shri. He died in August last year.

Former Indian women’s basketball team captain Anitha Pauldurai was conferred with the Padma Shri. The 35-year-old hoopster from Chennai is among the six sportspersons from acrossthecountry tobebestowed with the honour.

Anitha, who made her debut in 2000, went on to become the youngest Indian captain at the age of 19 and led the side for eight years. Under her captaincy, India won numerous medals in international competitions. A silver at the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam back in 2009 was followed by a gold medal at the South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka two years later. She led India to gold at the Asian Beach Games in China in 2012.