Petals of Padma: Acknowledging Excellence
“Be the servant while leading. Be unselfish. Have infinite patience, and success is yours.”
P
adma, the Sanskrit name for lotus, carries great significance in Indian culture and heritage. The Padma, or lotus, emerges from muddy water and blooms into an exquisite flower. The emergence of brilliance and beauty out of the darkness signifies enlightenment and the act of overcoming all hindrances and miseries. Born in muddy waters, the lotus achieves the bliss of fulfilment, making it ideal as the national flower of India. In the spirit of brilliance overcoming darkness, the Government of India confers the Padma Awards every year to remarkable achievers in different categories and is the second-highest civilian award after the Bharat Ratna. The awards are made up of three categories, with the highest being the Padma Vibhushan followed by Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Every year, the President of India announces the names of the awardees on the eve of Republic Day. The awardees are recommended by a special Padma Awards Committee formed by the Prime Minister of India. This tradition began in 1954, and years later, in 2021, 119 persons were given this esteemed award. The tradition of acknowledging excellence and achievement has now crossed the boundaries of India. In 2003, the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, initiated the custom of recognizing non-resident Indians for their outstanding contribution in different categories. Known as the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
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- Swami Vivekananda (Awards in Honor of non-resident Indians), this award is given by the President of India as a part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 9 every year. This year, 30 such achievers were honored with the award. This year’s Padma awardees and Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees from the United States are highlighted in this issue. Desh Videsh Media Group congratulates these incredible individuals who have crossed borders, but remained true to their roots. Living thousands of miles away from India, they work sincerely and persistently in elevating the Indian culture and heritage as a global citizen.
Dr.
Arvind
Phukan:
Recognized for his contribution in Environment Technology, Dr. Phukan is the epitome of one determined to help the distressed. A civil engineer by profession, Dr. Phukan began his academic journey in his homeland Assam, the land of the mighty Brahmaputra. He was a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alaska. In his own words, his “journey from Assam to Alaska” gave him academic excellence, a rich teaching experience, and prestige. Still, deep in his heart, he had the desire to uplift the life of those less fortunate.
FEBRUARY 2021 - WWW.DESHVIDESH.COM
