Which of the following personalities of Jammu and Kashmir was recently awarded Padma Shri (2026) for his/her social work?

Question

Which of the following personalities of Jammu and Kashmir was recently awarded Padma Shri (2026) for his/her social work?

1. A. Omar Abdullah
2. B. Ghulam Nabi Azad
3. C. Rehman Rahi
4. D. Brij Lal Bhat (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Brij Lal Bhat

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Brij Lal Bhat.

Key Points

• Brij Lal Bhat of Jammu and Kashmir was conferred the Padma Shri in 2026 in the field of social work.
• The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, conferred for distinguished service in any field.

Additional Information

• Why the other names do not fit:
  • Omar Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are political figures; Ghulam Nabi Azad was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2022, a different and higher award, and in a different year.
  • Rehman Rahi, the celebrated Kashmiri poet, received the Padma Shri (2000) and the Jnanpith Award (2007) — the first Kashmiri writer to win the Jnanpith — but he passed away in January 2023.
• The Padma awards, instituted in 1954:
  • Padma Vibhushan — for exceptional and distinguished service; the second-highest civilian award after the Bharat Ratna.
  • Padma Bhushan — for distinguished service of a high order.
  • Padma Shri — for distinguished service.
• They are announced on the eve of Republic Day each year and conferred by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan around March or April. They carry no monetary grant and cannot be used as a title or appended to the holder's name.
• The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour, awarded for exceptional service in any field of human endeavour, with a maximum of three awards in a year.