Government officials displayed some quick thinking on Wednesday when they spotted Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy’s family sitting in the middle row during the Padma awards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. Among the family members, who had gathered to witness Sudha Murthy receiving a Padma award, was British prime minister Rishi Sunak’s wife and UK First Lady Akshata Murthy. Sensing protocol, she was moved to the front row and seated next to foreign minister S Jaishankar before the function began.
Seated on her other side was the family of vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar while ministers like Anurag Thakur were also in the same row. Akshata stood next to Jaishankar as the national anthem was played at the beginning and end of the ceremony.
There was no British security with Akshata at the event, who was accompanied by father Narayana Murthy, brother Rohan Murthy and Sudha Murthy’s sister. The other family members, however, continued to sit alongside other families in the middle row. The family has always chosen to be low-key.
Author and philanthropist Sudha Murthy was conferred with the Padma Bhushan for social work.
Another interesting anecdote was Padma Shri awardee Rasheed Ahmed Quadri telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the awards ceremony, that he had expected to receive a Padma award during the five years of the UPA-led government but never made it. He told the prime minister that he had not even expected one under the BJP-led government but was thankful that he had been proven wrong.
President Droupadi Murmu had approved conferment of 106 Padma awards, including three duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one), on the eve of this year’s Republic Day. A total of 52 awardees were given the honour — two Padma Vibhushan, five Padma Bhushan and 45 Padma Shri. One more Padma Vibhushan awardee, US-based scientist SR Srinivasa Varadhan, remained absent. The other distinguished personalities were given the awards on March 22.
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