Tuesday, January 25 2005 20:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket Anil Kumble are among the five sportspersons who have been selected for the Padma Shri awards.

The other winners are former athlete Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, former All England badminton champion Pullela Gopichand and skydiver Rachel Thomas.

Famous playback singer Manna Dey and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji were awarded Padma Bhushan for their contribution in art and trade and industry respectively.

Other recipients of Padma Bhushan award included former BBC Correspondent Mark Tully, noted film producer Yash Chopra and historians Irfan Habib and Romila Thapar.

Noted economist Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri, sociologist Andre Beteille and educationist Balraj Puri were among other 30 people who were conferred with Padma Bhushan.

Magsaysay award winner Chandi Prasad Bhatt and famous cardiologist from AIIMS K Srinath Reddy were also conferred with the honour.

Wife of slain Australian social worker Graham Staines, Gladys Staines, highest wicket-taker for India Anil Kumble, lone medallist in Olympic 2004 Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, cine-star Shahrukh Khan and vice-chairperson of Hindustan Times Shobhana Bhartia and renowned Kashmiri singer Shameem Dev Azad were conferred with Padma Shri.

Sunita Narain, whose NGO created a stir by bringing to public knowledge the pesticide content in soft drinks, was also among the 57 people awarded Padma Shri.

Noted Civil Liberties lawyer Indira Jaisingh, Dancer Komala Vardhan, playback singer Kavita Krishnamurti, journalist Mammen Mathew, film producer Muzaffar Ali and former All England Badminton champion Pullela Gopichand were among 57 the people awarded the Padma Shri.

Dr Bal Krishan Goyal, Dr Tarlochan Singh Kler and Dr Anil Kohli are among the eleven medical practitioners who have been honoured with Padma Awards this year.

While Goyal (Maharashtra) and Dr Martanda Varma Sankaran Valiathan (Delhi) have been conferred the second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan, Kler, Kohli and Dr K Srinath Reddy and Dr Hari Mohan, all from Delhi, have been selected for Padma Bhushan Awards.

Dr G Bakthavathsalam (Tamil Nadu), Dr J M Hans (Delhi), Dr Lavu Narendranath (Andhra Pradesh), Dr P N Vasudeva Kurup (Gujarat), and Dr Veer Singh Mehta (Delhi) have been selected for Padma Shri Awards.