Padma Awards – 2026 nomination deadline extended

The Central Government has extended the deadline for sending nominations (or recommendations) for the prestigious Padma Awards – 2026 till August 15, 2025. Earlier, this deadline was to end on July 31, 2025, but as per the latest announcement by the Union Home Ministry, it has been extended by two weeks. Officials hope that due to the extension of the deadline, more distinguished individuals can be nominated.

The nomination process for the 2026 Padma Awards has already started on March 15, 2025. These nominations have to be submitted completely online. Applications should be sent through the Rashtriya Puraskar portal (https://awards.gov.in) specially created by the government for this. Anyone can nominate themselves individually or be recommended by others.

Only talented individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the country should be nominated for these awards. The government presents these awards to recognize those who have rendered sustained service, especially in the fields of social service, health service, literature, arts, science, agriculture, sports, industry, civic service, and women's empowerment. In this context, the government is trying to bring forward the names of those who go out and work among the people and serve them without any stain. The government's goal is to recognize them as "People's Padma".

While submitting a nomination or recommendation, the details of the services rendered by the person, their impact, and uniqueness should be presented clearly and in not more than 800 words. How the person's services have affected the society should be explained. The rules state that government employees (except doctors and scientists) are generally not eligible for Padma awards.

The Union Home Ministry stated that the deadline has been extended with the aim of making the selection process of candidates comprehensive and giving more time to provide details of exceptional talents from rural and backward communities. Moreover, this will also help prevent situations where those who are eligible for Padma awards are not able to get nominated every time.