Over 21,000 nominations for Padma awards so far

New Delhi : The central government has received over 21,228 nominations and recommendations for the prestigious Padma awards since May 1, official sources said on Tuesday.

A Home Ministry statement said that the last date for filing online nominations and recommendations is September 15 for the awards which are announced ahead of the Republic Day on January 26.

"More than 21,855 registrations have been made on the website, out of which 21,228 nominations/recommendations have been completed since nominations opened on May 1," the statement added.

The Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri are the next top three civilian awards in the country after the highest Bharat Ratna.