Twenty persons have been selected for the prestigious Padma Shri including Paralympic gold medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu and Olympian gymnast Dipa Karmakar. <br/><br/>Recipients of the award include Kalaripayattu exponent Meenakshi Amma, volunteer fire fighter Bipin Ganatra, AIDS crusader Suniti Solomon, social activist Anuradha Koirala, and sanitation pioneer Dr Mapuskar. <br/><br/>Other awardees include captain of Indian Blind Cricket team Shekhar Naik, 91 year old gynaecologist who treat people for free Dr Bhakti Yadav, and Odishi folk singer Jitendra Haripal.<br/><br/>The awards are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.