President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today gave away Padma Awards to 50 personalities at an investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

The country's second highest civilian honour after the Bharat Ratna–the Padma Vibhushan was given to eminent cartoonist Mario de Miranda posthumously. His son Rahul Miranda recieved the award.

Other eminent personalities who recieved the Padma Bhusan awards include Film personalities Shabana Azami and Dharmendra Deol, Industrialists B Muthuraman, Civil servant Mata Prasad and N Vittal, Eminent Neurologist Professor N H Wadia, renowned mathmatician Dr M S Raghunathan, Historian Dr Jose Pereira, eminent Jurist Dr P Chandrashekara Rao, leading cultural and literary theorist and author Prof Homi K Bhabha.

Padma Shree awards were presented to 38 persons including Industrialist Dr Swati Piramil, Former Captain of Indian Hockey Team Zafar Iqbal, famous archer Limba Ram Ahari and Social worker Rita Devi.

Earlier a ceromony held in last month, Padma Vibhushan awards were given away to renowned Assamese singer-composer Dr Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika posthumously along with former Uttar Pradesh governor and Intelligence Bureau chief T V Rajeswar and internationally acclaimed orthopedic surgeon Dr K H Sancheti.

109 Padma Awards were anounced on the eve of Republic Day this year. These include – 5 Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri Awards.

Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, and several Union Ministers and Members of Parliament were present on the occasion.