On the eve of Republic Day, the President of India approved the conferment of the Padma Vibhushan on former Chief Justice of India, Jagdish Singh Khehar.
Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan has been honoured with the Padma Shri for his exemplary contributions.
Justice Khehar completed his law degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 1977, and followed it up with an LL.M. qualification from the same institution in 1979.
He enrolled as an advocate in 1979 and primarily practised in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Himachal Pradesh High Court, and the Supreme Court. In February 1995, he was designated as a Senior Advocate.
On February 8, 1999, he was appointed a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was later elevated to the position of Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court on November 29, 2009, and in August 2010, he was transferred to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
He assumed office as a judge of the Supreme Court on September 13, 2011, and became the Chief Justice of India on January 4, 2017. He retired on August 27, 2017.
This year, the President of India approved a total of 139 Padma awards, including 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri honours.
The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and are presented in three categories: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan. These awards recognize outstanding contributions in various fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, and literature.
The Padma awards are typically conferred by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhawan, with the ceremony taking place around March and April each year.
