Padma awardees torchbearers of social change: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Padma awardees are torchbearers of social change who, with their exceptional accomplishments, game-changing innovations, and tireless commitment, have driven national progress in different fields.
In a message on X, Shah congratulated the recipients of the Padma Awards, noting that the awards bear the signature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to turn "People's Padma" into a medium to strengthen the nation's spirit.
"They are the torchbearers of social change who, with their exceptional accomplishments, game-changing innovations, and tireless commitment, have driven national progress in different fields," he said in a post on X.
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The government has announced 131 Padma awards for the year 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri, which includes two duo cases in which the award for two individuals is counted as one.
Ninety awardees are women, and the list also includes six individuals from the category of foreigners, NRI, PIO, OCI, and 16 posthumous awardees, besides 45 unsung heroes.
"These awards bear the signature of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision to turn People's Padma into a medium to strengthen the spirit of nation building by inspiring millions to follow the path of making social change for the better," the home minister said.
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Class 12 final exams of Odisha board begin amid tight security
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The class 12 final examinations of the Odisha board began on Wednesday amid heavy security, officials said.
A total of 4.01 lakh students are appearing for the exams being conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha, across 1,364 centres, they said.
The exams began with Science papers, while those for the Arts and Commerce streams will start on Friday. The exam will continue till March 28, they added.
A total of 2.56 lakh students are enrolled in the Arts stream, 1.14 lakh in Science, and 24,621 in Commerce, CHSE's Controller of Examinations Prasanta Kumar Parida said.
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There are also 5,932 students of vocational studies, he said.
The exam began at 10 am and will end at 1 pm, he added
Parida said live streaming of all examination centres has been made available, while 211 question paper hubs are being monitored with "AI technology".
Special squads have been deployed to conduct surprise inspections to check any malpractices, he added.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended greetings to all the students appearing for the examination.
"The examination is a beautiful reflection of your knowledge and hard work. There is no need to put any fear or stress in your mind for it. Remember, your performance will be of high quality only if you appear for the examination not under pressure, but with patience," he posted on X.
The practical examinations were conducted between January 2 and 15.
