His Highness the Aga Khan is Awarded the Padma Vibhushan

As part of the commemoration of its 66th Republic Day, India has awarded His Highness the Aga Khan the Padma Vibhushan, one of the country’s highest civilian decorations.

Instituted in 1954, the Padma Awards recognise individual achievements in a wide range of disciplines. Furthermore, a recipient’s demonstrated excellence must be complemented by a commitment to public service in their field of achievement.

The Padma Awards comprise three levels of recognition: Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service; Padma Bhushan is for distinguished service of a high order; and Padma Vibhushan recognises exceptional and distinguished service. The Government of India has named 104 recipients of Padma awards this year.

The Ismaili Imamat has a long and historic relationship with India, and continues to work in close partnership with the government and people of the country through the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network. The work of the AKDN in India goes back over a 100 years to 1905, when the first Aga Khan School was established in Mundra, Gujarat. Today, there are Aga Khan schools across the country, including the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad.