New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India M N R Venkatachaliah, noted film maker Gulzar, cricket captain Saurav Ganguly and 'the wall' Rahul Dravid today (Jun 30, 2004) received Padma awards from President A P J Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

A distinguished jurist and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, 75-year-old Venkatachaliah was presented the prestigious Padma Vibhushan by Kalam at a function at the high-domed Durbar Hall.

Renowned poet, novelist and short story writer Amrita Pritam and eminent astronomer and astrophysicist Prof Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, the two other Padma Vibhushan awardees, were not present.

Gulzar, Bharatnatyam dancer Alarmel Valli, noted economist and policy maker C Hanumantha Rao, scientist G Padmanaban, journalist M V Kamath, Veena exponent Madurai T N Seshagopalan and social worker Poornima Arvind Pakvasa were among 19 Padma Bhushan winners.

Yoshiro Mori, former Japanese Prime Minister, who has been instrumental in normalisation of relations with India and rescinding of economic sanction in the wake of the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, was not present to receive the Padma Bhushan award.

In his characteristic style, Kalam stepped down from the podium on 15 occasions to pin the medals on those who were old and found it difficult to walk.

The nation's highest civilian honour 'Bharat Ratna' was not announced this year.