Padma Shri Award is one of the most honorable and prestigious civilian awards in India. The award was instituted in the year 1954. The name of the Padma Shri Award came from a Sanskrit word `Padma`, which means a beautiful flower, Lotus. The award is presented by the Government of India and is ranked fourth among all the national awards given in India. Padma Shri Award is given to eminent personalities from different parts of the Indian society. It recognizes their outstanding contributions to their respective fields. The award covers fields like Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and Public Life.
Design of Padma Shri Awards
The term Padma Shri is written in Devanagari on the obverse of the medal, above and below the Lotus flower. The geometrical pattern designed on both sides of the medal is in polished bronze and the embossing is done in white gold.
Padma Shri Awardees
In the first year of its inception, 18 prominent personalities received the Padma Shri Awards. These Padma Shri Awardees are as follows: 
•Dr. Bir Bhan Bhatia (Medicine),
•Shri Ramji Vasant Khanolkar (Medicine),
•Dr. Mathura Das (Medicine),
•Dr. K. R. Chakravarty (Science and Engineering),
•Shri Akhil Chandra Mitra (Science and Engineering),
•Shri Relangi Venkata Ramaiah (Arts),
•Kumari Amalprava Das (Public Affairs),
•Smt. Mirnamayee Ray (Public Affairs),
•Shri Machani Somappa (Public Affairs),
•Smt. Achamma Mathai (Public Affairs),
•Smt. Captain Perin (Public Affairs),
•Smt. Asha Devi Aryanayakam (Public Affairs),
•Lt. General S. P. Patil Thorat (Civil Service),
•Shri Tarlok Singh (Civil Service),
•Smt. Bhag Mehta (Civil Service),
•Shri Surinder Kumar Dey (Civil Service),
•Shri Apa Saheb Bala Saheb Pant (Civil Service) and
•Shri Shankar Pillai (Literature and Education).
The number of Padma Shri Awardees increase year after year. In the year 2009, the award was presented to 93 famous and successful personalities. Some of the most popular among these awardees were;
•Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Sports),
•Smt. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Art),
•Shri Akshay Kumar (Art),
•Dr. Ameena Ahmed Ahuja (Art),
•Shri S. B. Ghosh Dastidar (Civil Service),
•Shri Ameen Sayani (Commentary and Broadcasting) and
•Shri Abhay Chhajlani (Journalism).
Some of the Padma Shri Awardees for the year 2017 are as follows:
•Kailash Kher (Arts),
•Virat Kohli (Sports),
•Bhakti Yadav (Medicine),
•Bhawana Somaaya (Literature and Education) and
•Balbir Singh Seechewal (Social Work).