Top 9 Padma Bhushan Award Winners

N Gopalaswami- Civil Service- Tamil Nadu

Mr N Gopalaswami, retired as Chief Election Commissioner of India on 20th April 2009. A 1966 batch IAS Officer of Gujarat cadre, hails from a small village in Tamilnadu and through his hard work and dedication, he reached the level of Chief Election Commissioner of India. He has also held very high positions in the Government of India, including the Secretary of Home Ministry during critical days. 

Bill Gates (Foreigner)- Social Work- USA

Gates, 59, should have plenty of time to pursue that passion. He's the world's richest man -- worth nearly $80 billion -- and retired from his day-to-day role at Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) in 2008. Last year, he shed his role as chairman of the company.

Sudha Ragunathan- Art- Tamil Nadu

Vocalist Sudha Ragunathan, a student of the late M.L. Vasanthakumari (MLV), who has evolved a mellifluous singing style of her own, has been chosen for theSangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy for 2013.

Among the first in her generation to get the prestigious award, Ms. Ragunathan was the unanimous choice of the executive committee of the Music Academy. “The award to her represents the transition from musicians from yesteryear to the next generation,” said N. Murali, president of the Music Academy.

Jahnu Barua- Art- Assam

Barua started his career in 1982 with 'Aparoopa' (Expectataion) followed by multiple national and international award-winning projects 'Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai' (The Catastrophe), 'Bonani' (The forest), 'Konikar Ramdhenu' (Ride on the Rainbow) among others.

He made his debut in Bollywood with critically acclaimed 'Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Mara'. His second outing in Hindi Film Industry Shiney Ahuja starrer 'Har Pal' is yet to see the light of the day.

 

 Dr Subhash C Kashyap- Public Affairs- Delhi

Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap (born 10 May 1929) is a former Secretary-General of 7th Lok Sabha, 8th Lok Sabha and 9th Lok Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariat (Lower House of Parliament of India) from 1984 to 1990. He is well known Political Scientist, expert in Indian Constitution, Constitutional Law, Parliamentary Experts and distinguished scholar. He also headed an International Centre for Parliamentary Documentation,IPU at Geneva till 1983. 

  

Maharaj- Art- Madhya Pradesh

Dr Pandit Gokulotsavji Maharaj is the most accomplished Indian classical vocalist of Khayal and Dhrupad gayan of this generation. 

Shri Harish Salve- Public Affairs- Delhi

THE SPECIAL Investigation Team that was formed by the Supreme Court to reinvestigate the Godhra riot cases has long since failed its mandate. It has been unsuccessful in nailing the senior functionaries of the Gujarat government while being content with the cosmetic arraigning of a few inspectors and VHP members with the sole exception of the arrest of BJP MLA Mayaben Kodnani.

David Frawley (Vamadeva) (Foreigner)- Others- USA

Vedic literary evidence — the largest, best preserved and most complete from the early ancient world — reflects a compilation over a long period of time by several kingdoms and dynasties, he said. 

Melinda Gates (Foreigner)- Social 

Work- USA

Philanthropist Melinda Gates , co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one of the most influential women in the world, maintains that India is closer than ever to the goal of eradicating poverty and improving access to health for all. In their annual letter, published in January, Melinda and Bill Gates stated that by 2035, there will be no poor countries left in the world. In an email interview, Melinda Gates discussed the foundation’s work in India.