Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work Winners List (1954 - 2026)

Civilian Awards Active

Published Sep 9, 2026 Updated Sep 9, 2026 1 min read

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Name	Padma Vibhushan
Type	Civilian Awards
Award For	Exceptional and Distinguished Service
Award By	Goverment of India
First	1954
Last	26th January 2026
Status	Active
Country	India

About Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work

The Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards.

History of Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work

India's Padma Vibhushan has honored social reformers across decades. Baba Amte (1986) rehabilitated leprosy patients through Anandwan; Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (1987) revived Indian handicrafts and championed women's welfare; Sunderlal Bahuguna (2009) led the Chipko movement for forest conservation; Nanaji Deshmukh (1999) pioneered rural self-reliance and education; Veerendra Heggade (2015) advanced rural development via Dharmasthala; and Bindeshwar Pathak (2024, posthumous) founded Sulabh International, revolutionizing sanitation and eradicating manual scavenging across India.

Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work Winners List

This Winners List features 20 winners of the Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work, from 1956 to 2024.

Year	Recipient Name	Gender	State, Country	Fields

2024	Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak Also won: Padma Bhushan (1991)	male	Bihar, India	Social Work
2015	Dharmasthala Veerendra Heggade Also won: Padma Bhushan (2000)	male	Karnataka, India	Social Work
2015	His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan (Non-citizen)	male	Geneva, Switzerland	Social Work
2009	Sister Mary Nirmala Joshi	female	West Bengal, India	Social Work
2006	Dr.(Ms.) Nirmala Deshpande	female	Delhi, India	Social Work
2005	Dr. Mohan Dharia	male	Maharashtra, India	Social Work
1999	Pandurangshastri Athavale Also won: Ramon Magsaysay Award (1996) , Lokmanya Tilak National Award (1992)	male	Maharashtra, India	Social Work
1999	Nanaji Deshmukh Also won: Bharat Ratna (2019)	male	Delhi, India	Social Work
1998	Dr. Usha H. Mehta	female	Maharashtra, India	Social Work
1992	Aruna Asaf Ali Also won: Bharat Ratna (1997)	female	Delhi, India	Social Work
1987	Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya Also won: Padma Bhushan (1955) , Ramon Magsaysay Award (1966)	female	Karnataka, India	Social Work
1986	Murlidhar Devidas Alias Baba Amte Also won: Ramon Magsaysay Award (2008) , Lokmanya Tilak National Award (2012)	male	Maharashtra, India	Social Work
1982	Mira Behn	female	London, England	Social Work
1975	Mary Clubwala Jadhav Also won: Padma Bhushan (1968)	female	Tamil Nadu, India	Social Work
1975	Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh	female	Andhra Pradesh, India	Social Work
1973	Uehhrangrai Navalshankar Dhebar	male	Gujarat, India	Social Work
1973	Nellie Sen Gupta	female	West Bengal, India	Social Work
1966	Dr. Valerian Cardinal Gracias	male	Maharashtra, India	Social Work
1959	Gaganvihari Lallubhai Mehta	male	Maharashtra, India	Social Work
1956	Jankibai Bajaj	female	Madhya Pradesh, India	Social Work

Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work Award Chart by Gender

This chart groups 20 Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work winners by Gender, across 2 distinct entries — male leads with 10 wins.

Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work Award Chart by Fields

This chart tracks Padma Vibhushan Award Winners in Social Work winners by year from 1956 to 2024, spanning 16 years, with the most wins (2) recorded in 1973.