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28 March 2024

Indian national honour for UAE-based doctor

Moopen receiving the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award from Indian President Pratibha Patil earlier this year (FILE)

Published
By Miranda Smith

The Indian government has conferred one of the country’s highest civilian honours on UAE resident Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman of Dubai-based DM Healthcare and Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) in Kerala, making him the only GCC-based non-resident Indian (NRI) to be so awarded this year.

The awards are announced annually on the eve of the country’s Republic Day and are given away around March.

Moopen has been named a “Padma Shri”, along with seven other expatriate Indians, the PTI news agency said on Tuesday.

Five of them -- Mani Lal Bhaumik and Dr Subra Suresh honoured for their efforts in the field of Science and Engineering, Prof Karl Harrington Potter and Granville Austin for Literature and Education, and Prof Martha Chen, Social Work -- are residing in the US.

Bhaumik, a known physicist has contributed for the development of a particular type of laser ray used for Lasik corrective eye surgery, which results in removing the need for glasses or contact lenses.

Another awardee, Dr Suresh, is the Director of National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency in the US created to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare among others.

Suresh, who was nominated by US President Barack Obama to be the Director, NSF, has pioneered in the use of ''nanobiomechanics'' technology. Whereas, Potter is professor of Philosophy and South Asian Studies at the University of Washington and done number of works and authored several books.

Austin worked as a journalist or photographer and later served with the US Information Service. Austin is the author of two ground breaking political histories of the constitution of India. He has held fellowships or grants from from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Institute of Current World Affairs among others.

Prof Chen is a development specialist and deliver lectures and writes widely on gender and poverty alleviations with a focus on issue of employment and livelihood.

Satpal Khattar (for Trade and Industry), Singapore and Prof Upendra Baxi (Public Affairs -Legal Affairs) United Kingdom were also chosen for the honour. Padma Shri awardee Khattar is a prominent Singapore-based lawyer, Indian community leader and businessman. He is the founder of Khattar Wong & Partners, one of the largest law firms in Singapore, and the Chairman of Khattar Holdings, a private investment firm. Khattar is known for his contributions for the labour movement.

Professor Baxi, former Vice Chancellors of Delhi University and South Gujrat University, has been associated with legal and human rights-related works.

Dr Moopen, a doctor-turned-entrepreneur, received the honour for his “distinguished service in the field of social work”, according to the Press Information Bureau of India. The award follows another Indian government honour earlier this year, the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award, which is given to overseas Indians.

The full list of the Padma Awards:


Padma Vibhushan


Dr (Smt) Kapila Vatsyayan (Art - Art Administration and Promotion).

Mrs Homai Vyarawalla (Art - Photography)

Shri A Nageshwara Rao (Art- Cinema)

Shri Parasaran Kesava Iyengar (Public Affairs)

Dr Akhlaq-ur-Rehman Kidwai (Public Affairs)

Shri Vijay Kelkar (Public Affairs)

Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia (Public Affairs)

Shri Palle Rama Rao (Science and Engineering)

Shri Azim Premji (Trade and Industry)

Shri Brajesh Mishra (Civil Services)

Prof (Dr) Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (Literature and Education)

Dr Sitakant Mahapatra (Literature and Education)

Late Shri LC Jain (Public Affairs)


Padma Bhushan


Shri Satyadev Dubey (Art - Theatre)

Shri Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi alias Khayyam (Art - Cinema - Music)

Shri Shashi Kapoor (Art - Cinema)

Shri Krishen Khanna (Art - Painting)

Shri Madavur Vasudevan Nair (Art - Dance - Kathakali)

Ms Waheeda Rehman (Art - Cinema)

Shri Rudrapatna Krishna Shastry Srikantan (Art - Music-Vocal)

Ms Arpita Singh (Art - Painting)

Dr Sripathi Panditharadhyula Balasubrahmanyam (Art - Playback Singing, Music Direction & acting)

Shri CV Chandrasekhar (Art - Classical Dance-Bharatanatyam)

Shri Dwijen Mukherjee (Art)

Smt Rajashree Birla (Social work)

Mrs Shobhana Ranade (Social work)

Dr Suryanarayanan Ramachandran (Science and Engineering)

Shri S (Kris) Gopalakrishnan (Trade and Industry)

Shri Yogesh Chander Deveshwar (Trade and Industry)

Ms Chanda Kochhar (Trade and Industry)

Dr K Anji Reddy (Trade and Industry- Pharmacy)

Shri Analjit Singh (Trade and Industry)

Shri Rajendra Singh Pawar (Trade and Industry)

Dr Gunapati Venkata Krishna Reddy (Trade and Industry)

Shri Ajai Chowdhary (Trade and Industry)

Shri Surendra Singh (Civil Services)

Shri MN Buch (Civil Services)

Shri Shyam Saran(Civil Services)

Shri Thayil Jacob Sony George (Literature and Education)

Dr Ramdas Madhava Pai (Literature and Education)

Shri Sankha Ghosh (Literature and Education)

Late Shri K Raghavan Thirumulpad (Medicine - Ayurveda)

Late Dr Keki Byramjee Grant (Medicine - Cardiology)

Late Shri Dashrath Patel (Art)


Padma Shri


Ms. Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry (Art - Theatre)

Shri Makar Dhwaja Darogha (Art- Chhau Dance)

Shri Shaji Neelakantan Karun (Art - Film Direction)

Shri Girish Kasaravalli (Art - Film making)

Ms. Tabassum Hashmi Khan alias Tabu (Art - Cinema)

Shri Jivya Soma Mase (Art - Warli Painting)

Guru (Ms.) M.K. Saroja (Art - Dance- Bharatnatyam)

Shri Jayaram Subramaniam (Art - Cinema)

Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty (Art - Music-Indian Classical Vocal)

Smt. Mahasundari Devi (Art - Mithilia/ Madhubani Painting)

Shri Gajam Govardhana (Art - Handloom Weaving)

Ms. Sunayana Hazarilal (Art - Dance - Kathak)

Shri S.R. Janakiraman (Art - Carnatic Vocal Music)

Shri Peruvanam Kuttan Marar (Art - Chenda Melam- Drum concert)

Smt. Kalamandalam Kshemavathy Pavithran (Art - Dance - Mohiniattam)

Shri Dadi Dorab Pudumjee (Art - Puppetry)

Shri Khangembam Mangi Singh (Art - Traditional Music of Manipur) (Pena)

Shri Prahlad Singh Tipaniya (Art - Folk Music)

Smt. Usha Uthup (Art - Music)

Smt. Kajol (Art- Cinema)

Shri Irfan Khan (Art- Cinema)

Shri Mamraj Agrawal (Social work)

Shri Jockin Arputham (Social work)

Ms. Nomita Chandy (Social work)

Ms. Sheela Patel (Social work)

Ms. Anita Reddy (Social work)

Shri Kanubhai Hasmukhbhai Tailor (Social work)

Shri Anant Darshan Shankar (Public Affairs)

Prof. M. Annamalai (Science and Engineering)

Dr. Mahesh Haribhai Mehta (Science and Engineering - Agricultural Science)

Shri Coimbatore Narayana Rao Raghavendran (Science and Engineering)

Dr. (Mrs.) Suman Sahai (Science and Engineering)

Prof.(Dr.) E.A. Siddiq (Science and Engineering - Agricultural Science)

Shri Gopalan Nair Shankar (Science and Engineering - Architecture)

Shri Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed (Trade and Industry)

Shri Kailasam Raghavendra Rao (Trade and Industry)

Shri Narayan Singh Bhati (Civil Services)

Shri P K Sen (Civil Services)

Ms. Shital Mahajan (Sports - Adventure Sports- Para Jumping)

Ms. Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi (Sports - Weightlifting)

Shri Sushil Kumar (Sports - Wrestling)

Shri Vangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman (Sports - Cricket)

Shri Gagan Narang (Sports - Shooting)

Smt. Krishna Poonia (Sports - Discus Throw)

Shri Harbhajan Singh (Sports - Mountaineering)

Dr. Pukhraj Bafna (Medicine - Padeatrics)

Prof. Mansoor Hasan (Medicine- Cardiology)

Dr. Shyama Prasad Mandal (Medicine - Orthopaedic)

Prof. (Dr.) Sivapatham Vittal (Medicine - Endocrinology)

Prof. (Dr.) Madanur Ahmed Ali (Medicine - Gastroenterology)

Dr. Indira Hinduja (Medicine - Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Dr. Jose Chacko Periappuram (Medicine - Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)

Prof. (Dr.) A. Marthanda Pillai (Medicine - Neurosurgery)

Shri Mahim Bora (Literature and Education)

Prof. (Dr.) Pullella Srirama Chandrudu (Literature and Education- Sanskrit)

Dr. Pravin Darji (Literature and Education)

Dr. Chandra Prakash Deval (Literature and Education)

Shri Balraj Komal (Literature and Education)

Mrs. Rajni Kumar (Literature and Education)

Dr. Devanooru Mahadeva (Literature and Education)

Shri Barun Mazumder (Literature and Education)

Dr. Avvai Natarajan (Literature and Education)

Shri Bhalchandra Nemade (Literature and Education)

Prof. Riyaz Punjabi (Literature and Education)

Prof. Koneru Ramakrishna Rao (Literature and Education)

Ms. Buangi Sailo (Literature and Education)

Prof. Devi Dutt Sharma (Literature and Education)

Shri Nilamber Dev Sharma (Literature and Education)

Ms. Urvashi Butalia # (Literature and Education, Ms. Ritu Menon(Literature and Education)

Prof. Krishna Kumar (Literature and Education)

Shri Deviprasad Dwivedi (Literature and Education)

Ms. Mamang Dai (Literature and Education)

Dr. Om Prakash Agrawal (Others - Heritage Conservation)

Prof. Madhukar Keshav Dhavalikar (Others - Archeology)

Ms. Shanti Teresa Lakra (Others-Nursing)

Smt. Gulshan Nanda (Others - Handicrafts promotion)

Dr. Azad Moopen (Social work)

Prof. Upendra Baxi (Public Affairs -Legal Affairs)

Dr. Mani Lal Bhaumik (Science and Engineering)

Dr. Subra Suresh (Science and Engineering)

Prof. Karl Harrington Potter (Literature and Education)

Prof. Martha Chen(Social work)

Shri Satpal Khattar (Trade and Industry)

Shri Granville Austin (Literature and Education)