New Delhi [India]: Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Public Affairs.
On Monday evening, his wife, Jessie Sushil Modi, received the honour from President Droupadi Murmu during a prestigious ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Sushil Modi passed away on May 13, 2024, at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences after a seven-month battle with cancer. He was 72 years old.
Over a political career spanning more than three decades, Modi significantly influenced Bihar’s political landscape. He served as an MLA, MLC, and as a member of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Most notably, he held the position of Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar twice—from 2005 to 2013, and again from 2017 to 2020.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Hriday Narayan Dikshit, was conferred with the Padma Shri for his contributions to Literature and Education.
The list of Padma Bhushan awardees this year includes several notable names:
- PR Sreejesh (Sports) from Kerala
- Pankaj Patel (Trade and Industry) from Gujarat
- Pankaj Udhas (Posthumous) (Art) from Maharashtra
- Ram Bahadur Rai (Literature and Education – Journalism) from Uttar Pradesh
- Sadhvi Ritambhara (Social Work) from Uttar Pradesh
- S Ajith Kumar (Art) from Tamil Nadu
- Shekhar Kapur (Art) from Maharashtra
- Shobana Chandrakumar (Art) from Tamil Nadu
- Sushil Kumar Modi (Posthumous) (Public Affairs) from Bihar
- Vinod Dham (Science and Engineering) from the United States
The Padma awards—comprising the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri—are among India’s highest civilian honours. They recognize outstanding contributions across disciplines such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, and literature.
These awards are announced annually on the occasion of Republic Day, and the President of India formally bestows them at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, typically during March or April.