IndianGaurav

Heroes from Uttar Pradesh

People from the state of Uttar Pradesh whose work we have profiled.

Showing 25–48 of 64 heroes

KA

Khalil Ahamad

A Mirzapur master weaver known as the "carpet man" who has trained thousands of young artisans, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

  • Padma Shri 2024
  • Uttar Pradesh
MK

Mangala Kapoor

A Varanasi classical singer who taught at BHU for 30 years and runs a free music school, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

  • Padma Shri 2026
  • Uttar Pradesh
MS

Manoranjan Sahu

A professor of Ayurvedic surgery at BHU who was founding director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

  • Padma Shri 2023
  • Uttar Pradesh
MS

Mulayam Singh Yadav

Three-time Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Union defence minister and founder of the Samajwadi Party, honoured posthumously with the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

  • Padma Vibhushan 2023 (posthumous)
  • Uttar Pradesh
NR

N. Rajam

The violinist known as the "singing violin" for playing Hindustani music in the vocal style, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2026.

  • Padma Vibhushan 2026
  • Uttar Pradesh
N(

Narayan (Bhulai Bhai)

A teacher and grassroots leader from Kushinagar who served as an MLA and worked for the Dhobi community, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2025.

  • Padma Shri 2025 (posthumous)
  • Uttar Pradesh
Portrait of Naseem Bano

Naseem Bano

A Lucknow master of Anokhi Chikankari, an embroidery that leaves no trace on the back of the cloth, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

  • Padma Shri 2024
  • Uttar Pradesh
Portrait of Navjivan Rastogi

Navjivan Rastogi

A Lucknow scholar of Kashmir Shaivism and the philosopher Abhinavagupta, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

  • Padma Shri 2024
  • Uttar Pradesh
NM

Nripendra Misra

A 1967-batch IAS officer who was Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and chaired TRAI, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2021.

  • Padma Bhushan 2021
  • Uttar Pradesh
PK

Praveen Kumar

The para high jumper who won silver at Tokyo 2020 and gold at Paris 2024 in the T44 class, setting Asian records, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

  • Padma Shri 2026
  • Uttar Pradesh
Portrait of Radha Charan Gupta

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
RK

Radha Krishan Dhiman

A liver specialist whose hepatitis C model in Punjab led to a national programme, now director of SGPGIMS, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

  • Padma Shri 2024
  • Uttar Pradesh
RS

Radhe Shyam Pareek

An Agra homeopathic physician who runs free dispensaries and a mission hospital serving 40 villages, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

  • Padma Shri 2024
  • Uttar Pradesh
RK

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
RS

Raghupat Singh

A Moradabad farmer who spent his life saving traditional seeds of grains, pulses and vegetables, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2026.

  • Padma Shri 2026 (posthumous)
  • Uttar Pradesh
Portrait of Rajaram Jain

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
RP

Rajendra Prasad

A Lucknow chest physician who set up the first DOTS TB centre in an Indian medical college, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

  • Padma Shri 2026
  • Uttar Pradesh
Portrait of Ram Bahadur Rai

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
RC

Ram Chet Chaudhary

An agricultural scientist who bred rice varieties worldwide and helped save Kalanamak, a heritage rice, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

  • Padma Shri 2024
  • Uttar Pradesh
RY

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
RK

Rashid Khan

A Hindustani vocalist of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2022. He died in 2024.

  • Padma Bhushan 2022
  • Uttar Pradesh
President Droupadi Murmu presenting the Padma Shri to Ritwik Sanyal at Rashtrapati Bhavan, 2023

Ritwik Sanyal

A Dhrupad singer of the Dagar tradition and former dean of performing arts at BHU who has trained thousands of students, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

  • Padma Shri 2023
  • Uttar Pradesh
President Droupadi Murmu presenting the Padma Bhushan to Sadhvi Ritambhara at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Sadhvi Ritambhara

A spiritual leader who founded Vatsalya Gram, where orphaned children, women and elders live as families, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.

  • Padma Bhushan 2025
  • Uttar Pradesh
SS

Satyapal Singh

The chief coach who built India's para-athletics team over 15 years, producing Paralympic medallists, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

  • Padma Shri 2025
  • Uttar Pradesh