Basanti Devi
A Kumaon social worker, widowed at 12, who has organised women in 200 villages to protect the Kosi river and its forests, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Uttarakhand
Heroes from Uttarakhand
People from the state of Uttarakhand whose work we have profiled.
Showing 1–10 of 10 heroes
Bhagat Singh Koshyari
A former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Governor of Maharashtra who began as a teacher in the hills, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2026.
- Padma Bhushan 2026
- Uttarakhand
Bhupendra Kumar Singh Sanjay
A Dehradun orthopaedic surgeon in the Guinness record book who runs free camps in hill areas and campaigns on road safety, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Uttarakhand
General Bipin Rawat
India's first Chief of Defence Staff and a former Army chief, honoured posthumously with the Padma Vibhushan in 2022.
- Padma Vibhushan 2022 (posthumous)
- Uttarakhand
Hugh and Colleen Gantzer
A husband-and-wife team who pioneered travel writing in India with more than 3,000 articles and 30 books, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025 (posthumous)
- Uttarakhand
Madhuri Barthwal
A Garhwali folk musician who became All India Radio's first woman music composer in 1979 and teaches folk music free, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Uttarakhand
Prem Chand Sharma
A Dehradun district farmer who brought pomegranates and off-season vegetables to Uttarakhand, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Uttarakhand
Radha Bhatt
A Gandhian social worker from Kausani's Lakshmi Ashram who fought liquor, quarrying and dams with Uttarakhand's women, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Uttarakhand
Vandana Kataria
A forward from Haridwar who has played for India in two Olympics, including the fourth-placed team at Tokyo 2020, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Uttarakhand
Yashwant Singh Kathoch
A Garhwal historian who has written widely on the history, art and inscriptions of the central Himalaya, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Uttarakhand