A. Surya Prakash
A journalist and author who spent five decades writing about how India's Parliament and democracy work, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
- Padma Bhushan 2025
- Karnataka
Heroes in Literature & Education
Showing 1–24 of 130 heroes
Akhone Asgar Ali Basharat
A Kargil poet and scholar who writes in Balti and has worked to keep the language alive in Ladakh, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Ladakh
Anand Kumar
The Patna mathematics teacher behind Super 30, which coaches poor students free of charge for IIT entrance, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Bihar
Anil Kumar Boro
A Bodo poet, folklorist and Gauhati University professor who has done more than most to document and grow Bodo literature, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Assam
Antaryami Mishra
An Odia writer and researcher whose work helped make the case for Odia's classical language status, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Odisha
Arjun Singh Shekhawat
A Rajasthani writer and teacher from Pali who wrote 30 books and recorded the folk culture of the Garasia tribe, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Rajasthan
Arunoday Saha
An economist and Bengali writer who became the founding vice-chancellor of Tripura University as a central university, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Tripura
Asok Kumar Haldar
A former railway mail guard from Malda who has written 13 books and about 3,000 newspaper articles on social justice, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- West Bengal
Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi
A writer from the Travancore royal family whose 13 books cover Kerala's temples, history and culture, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Kerala
Avadh Kishore Jadia
An Ayurvedic doctor and poet from Chhatarpur regarded as a leading voice of Bundeli poetry, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Madhya Pradesh
B Ramakrishna Reddy
A linguist who has documented endangered tribal languages such as Kuvi and Manda, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Mann Ki Baat #97
- Telangana
Badaplin War
A NEHU professor who has spent four decades studying the Khasi language, literature and culture, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Meghalaya
Balan Putheri
A blind writer from Malappuram who has written and published over 200 books, most after losing his sight entirely, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Kerala
Banwang Losu
A schoolteacher in Arunachal Pradesh who created the Wancho script so his community's spoken language could be read, written and taught.
- Mann Ki Baat #110
- Arunachal Pradesh
Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit
An Ujjain scholar and playwright who has written more than fifty plays and a hundred books in Sanskrit, Hindi and Malwi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Madhya Pradesh
Bibek Debroy
An economist and translator of the Mahabharata who chaired the PM's Economic Advisory Council, honoured posthumously with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2015
- Padma Bhushan 2025 (posthumous)
- Delhi
C I Issac
A Kottayam historian and writer who has served on the Indian Council of Historical Research since 2015, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Kerala
Chaman Lal Sapru
A Jammu and Kashmir educationist who became the region's first Hindi lecturer and wrote 18 books, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021 (posthumous)
- Jammu and Kashmir
Chandrakant Mehta
A Gujarati and Hindi author of 173 books who rose from primary teacher to acting vice-chancellor of Gujarat University, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Gujarat
Chandrakant Sheth
A Gujarati poet, essayist and critic with more than 150 books who helped create the Gujarati encyclopaedia, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025 (posthumous)
- Gujarat
Chandrashekhar Kambara
A Kannada playwright, poet, novelist and filmmaker who founded Kannada University in Hampi and won the Jnanpith Award, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2021.
- Padma Bhushan 2021
- Karnataka
Charan Hembram
A Santali teacher from Mayurbhanj who helped set up nearly 2,000 Ol Chiki schools across Odisha, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Odisha
Dadudan Gadhavi
A Gujarati poet and folk singer known as Kavi Daad, whose songs were sung by two generations of folk artists, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Gujarat
David R. Syiemlieh
A historian of north-east India and former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Meghalaya