Narasimha Rao Garikapati
A Telugu scholar, orator and avadhani known for the epic poem Sagaraghosha and thousands of lectures, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Andhra Pradesh
Heroes in Literature & Education
Showing 73–96 of 130 heroes
Narasingha Prasad Guru
A retired headmaster who compiled a 17,000-word Koshali-Odia dictionary and has championed the Koshali language; Padma Shri, 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Odisha
Naresh Chandra Dev Varma
A Tripura writer who has spent decades studying and writing in Kokborok and leads the Kokborok Sahitya Parishad, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Tripura
Navjivan Rastogi
A Lucknow scholar of Kashmir Shaivism and the philosopher Abhinavagupta, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Uttar Pradesh
P Narayana Kurup
A Malayalam poet and critic whose works include Nishagandhi and Kaviyum Kavithayum, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022. He died in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Kerala
P. Narayanan
A Kerala journalist and RSS worker who helped build the Malayalam daily Janmabhumi from 1975, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2026.
- Padma Vibhushan 2026
- Kerala
Pakaravur Chithran Namboodiripad
A Kerala educationist who founded a school, shaped the state school arts festival and led Kalamandalam, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024 (posthumous)
- Kerala
Prabhakar Bhanudas Mande
A Marathi folklorist who collected thousands of folk songs and helped make folk literature a university subject; Padma Shri, 2023. He died that year.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Maharashtra
Prabhakar Kore
The chairman of the KLE Society since 1984, who grew it from 38 to 317 institutions and a 5,500-bed hospital network, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Karnataka
Prakasarao Asavadi
A Telugu poet and ashtavadhani from Penukonda who wrote 60 books and gave avadhanams across India, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Andhra Pradesh
Prakash Chandra Sood
A nuclear physicist who set up BHU's first accelerator lab and computer centre and helped build two national centres, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Andhra Pradesh
Pratibha Ray
An Odia novelist and Jnanpith laureate, author of Yajnaseni, whose fiction ranges from city life to tribal communities, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2022.
- Padma Bhushan 2022
- Odisha
Prativa Satpathy
An Odia poet, critic and translator whose 20 collections explore women's lives, a Sahitya Akademi award winner, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Odisha
Rabilal Tudu
A Santali playwright from Bardhaman whose play Parsi Khatir won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- West Bengal
Radha Charan Gupta
A historian of Indian mathematics who founded the journal Ganita Bharati, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023. He died in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Uttar Pradesh
Radheyshyam Khemka
The long-time editor of Kalyan, the Gita Press's Hindi spiritual monthly, honoured posthumously with the Padma Vibhushan in 2022.
- Padma Vibhushan 2022 (posthumous)
- Uttar Pradesh
Raghuveer Chaudhari
A Gujarati novelist, poet and critic with more than 125 books and a Jnanpith Award, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Gujarat
Raghuvendra Tanwar
A Kurukshetra historian of the partition of Punjab and chairman of the ICHR, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Haryana
Rajaram Jain
A scholar of Prakrit and Apabhramsha who has spent six decades finding and translating rare manuscripts, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Uttar Pradesh
Rajat Kumar Kar
An Odia scholar who commentated on the Puri Rath Yatra on radio and TV from 1958 and revived the Pala art, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Odisha
Ram Bahadur Rai
A Hindi journalist and author who heads the Hindusthan Samachar news agency and chairs IGNCA's trust, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2015
- Padma Bhushan 2025
- Uttar Pradesh
Ram Yatna Shukla
A Varanasi Sanskrit grammarian called 'Abhinav Panini' who taught free for 70 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Uttar Pradesh
Ramdarash Mishra
A Hindi poet, novelist and critic with more than 80 books over seven decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Delhi
Ramesh Patange
A Marathi writer and former chief editor of the weekly Vivek who has written on Ambedkar and the Constitution, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Maharashtra