29-04-2025
Four from UP among Padma Shri awardees
Four of the 113 people who were conferred Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, are from Uttar Pradesh. The awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
The winners are Shyam Bihari Agrawal (Art), Hriday Narayan Dixit (Literature and Education), Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid (Literature and Eduation) and Satyapal Singh (Sports).
Shyam Bihari Agrawal
Shyam Bihari Agrawal is a distinguished artist, academician, and art historian whose contributions to Indian painting and visual arts span over six decades. Born in 1942, in Sirsa in Prayagraj, Agrawal pursued his formal training at Allahabad University's Department of Painting and later refined his skills at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata. He honed his expertise in Fresco, Mural painting, and Indian miniature styles. Agrawal has made significant contributions in various domains of art, including Fresco, Mural painting, photography, and sculpture. His painting 'Veni Gunthan' executed in the Mewar style, won the prestigious Indu Rakshita Award for the best Indian painting in 1965. Throughout his career, he has been an influential figure in academia, having served as a Lecturer and later as a Professor at Allahabad University's Department of Visual Arts. He has served as the Head of the Department of Painting at Allahabad University.
Hriday Narayan Dixit
A former UP Assembly Speaker, Hriday Narayan Dikshit is a renowned thinker, philosopher, politician, and social worker, known for his contributions to politics, education, society, literature and philosophy, said a government statement after the awards were conferred.
Born in 1946 in Lauwa in Unnao district, Dikshit began his political journey in his native place and became a member of the District Panchayatraj Council, Unnao in 1972.
Dixit has had a distinguished political career. He served as the Speaker of the 17th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and as minister for Panchayati Raj and Parliamentary Affairs in Uttar Pradesh. Elected five times as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 17th), he also served as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and Leader of the BJP Legislative Party (2010-2016). Dikshit has had a long journey in journalism and literature, too. He was the founder and editor of Kalchintan magazine (1978-2004) and has been a regular columnist for a Hindi daily for over 35 years and his articles frequently appear in various newspapers and magazines. He also wrote many books.
Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid
Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid is a Vedic Scholar and a astrologer.
Born on December 8, 1958, Shastri does not have a degree from any recognised college or University. He received all his education from the traditional Gurukul, which was conducted by his father Pandit Rajeshwar Shastri Dravid, an eminent scholar of jurisprudence at Ramnagar in the city of Banaras. Besides his knowledge in Astrology, he also has a vast knowledge of all four Vedas, Vedanta, Nyaya-Shastra (Jurisprudence), Dharma-Shastra (Theology), Darshan-Shastra and Pran Pratishtha of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir corridor in Varanasi.
Satyapal Singh
Satyapal Singh, a trailblazing athletics coach and mentor, has redefined the landscape of Indian para-sports through his unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, said the government . Born in 1978 in a remote village of Machhri in Ghaziabad, Singh pursued his passion for athletics, earning a Doctorate in the field alongside multiple prestigious qualifications in sports coaching and yoga. A former national-level athlete, he transitioned to coaching in 2004. His trainees began winning medals at national and international levels from 2005 onward. In 2007, he took on the challenge of coaching para-athletes, propelling India onto the global stage. As the chief coach of the Indian Para-Athletics Team for 15 years, Singh has been instrumental in shaping India's para-athletics legacy. Under his guidance, Indian para-athletes have won 4 Paralympic medals, 6 World Championship medals, and 18 Asian Para Games medals. Singh was honoured with the Dronacharya Award in 2012 becoming the youngest recipient in Indian sports history.
