In celebration of India’s 77th Republic Day, the Union Government has announced the recipients of the Padma Shri, the nation’s fourth-highest civilian award. This year’s honours list of 45 individuals is defined by a celebration of “Unsung Heroes”—grassroots pioneers who have dedicated their lives to humanitarian service, often far from the glare of public recognition. The cohort includes a former bus conductor who built a literary empire, a life-saving paediatrician, and a nonagenarian guardian of tribal art.
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The Architect of a Two-Million-Book Sanctuary
Among the most compelling figures is Anke Gowda, a 75-year-old from the Mysuru district of Karnataka. Once a bus conductor, Gowda spent his modest earnings and decades of effort to establish ‘Pustaka Mane’ (House of Books), now regarded as the world’s largest free-access private library. His collection is a marvel of cultural preservation, housing over two million books and rare manuscripts in 20 different languages. His recognition serves as a testament to his lifelong mission of making knowledge accessible to the poorest members of society.
Spotlight on the 2026 ‘Unsung Heroes’
| Awardee | Original Vocation | Landmark Contribution |
| Anke Gowda | Bus Conductor | Built a free library with 2,000,000+ volumes. |
| Dr Armida Fernandez | Paediatrician | Founded Asia’s first human milk bank for neonates. |
| Viklia Ladkya Dhinda | Tribal Artist | Preservation of the ‘Tarpa’ (gourd-and-bamboo instrument). |
| Cohort Focus | Grassroots Workers | 45 individuals selected for social and cultural impact. |
Saving Lives and Ancient Melodies
The 2026 honours also acknowledge Dr Armida Fernandez, a paediatrician from Mumbai who transformed neonatal healthcare in India. By establishing Asia’s first human milk bank, she provided a critical lifeline for premature infants, significantly reducing infant mortality rates across the region. Her work addressed a vital gap in healthcare, ensuring that life-saving nutrition reached those most in need.
In the hills of Maharashtra, 90-year-old Viklia Ladkya Dhinda has been honoured for his tireless devotion to the Tarpa, a traditional tribal wind instrument. Crafted from dried gourd and bamboo, the Tarpa is the heartbeat of local folk culture but faced the threat of extinction. Dhinda’s seven decades of performance and teaching have ensured that the ancestral sounds of his community survive in a rapidly modernising world.
A Legacy of Service
The Padma Shri is more than a title; it is a recognition of “distinguished service” in any field. While the Bharat Ratna remains the highest civilian honour, followed by the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan, the Padma Shri often highlights the diverse, quiet, and profound ways in which individuals contribute to the nation’s fabric. By elevating a bus conductor and a tribal artist to the same platform as elite scientists and artists, India reaffirms its commitment to the spirit of grassroots service.