Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards for 2026 at the second Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Among the recipients were four personalities from Assam who were presented Padma Shri, including late BJP stalwart Kabindra Purkayastha, who was honoured posthumously.Nuruddin Ahmed (Art)A pioneering art director, sculptor and stage designer from Nalbari, Nuruddin transformed the visual language of Assamese mobile theatre, cinema and television over a career spanning nearly five decades. He designed stagecraft for more than 450 mobile theatre productions and served as art director for 75 films, including the National Award-winning ‘Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai’.Ahmed is credited with introducing modern sculptural and stagecraft techniques to Assam. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2017), he also created several landmark public artworks and cultural installations across the state, including projects at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and Bardowa.Dr Jogesh Deuri (Agriculture)A noted sericulture scientist, Deuri is widely regarded as a pioneer in the modernisation of Eri silk production. A former director of sericulture in the Bodoland Territorial Council, he spent over three decades promoting scientific silk cultivation and improving livelihoods in rural Assam.Deuri played a key role in establishing the Bodoland Silk Park at Kokrajhar and was instrumental in setting up the world’s first wild Muga sanctuary in 2013. His work in promoting sustainable “Ahimsa” Eri silk has helped place Assam’s silk industry on the global map. He received the Assam Gaurav award in 2023.Pokhila Lekthepi (Art)Known as one of the most celebrated voices of Karbi music, Lekthepi has dedicated more than five decades to preserving and popularising Karbi folk traditions. Hailing from Dokmoka in Karbi Anglong, she began performing at the first Karbi Youth Festival in 1974 and soon emerged as a leading cultural icon of the community.Through hundreds of folk and modern Karbi songs, performances on All India Radio and Doordarshan, and decades of cultural advocacy, Lekthepi helped bring Karbi music to wider audiences. She was conferred the Assam Gaurav award in 2024.Kabindra Purkayastha (Public Affairs-Posthumous)Veteran BJP leader and former Union communications minister Kabindra Purkayastha was awarded the Padma Shri posthumously for his contributions to public affairs. A three-time Lok Sabha MP from Silchar, he played a key role in expanding the BJP’s organisational base across Assam and the northeast.Purkayastha served as Union minister for communications in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt and was instrumental in strengthening telecom infrastructure in the region. A former teacher and educationist, he remained active in public life until his death in Jan 2026.
