Padma Shri 2020: Here's all you need to know about foreigners awarded this year

On Saturday, the Government of India announced the Padma Shri Awards 2020, which included the names of 6 foreign personalities. Padma Awards is one of the highest civilians honours of the country, conferred in three categories namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.

READ: Govt announces Padma Shri Awards 2020: Here is all you need to know about the 21 awardees

Here is the full list of the foreigners who won the prestigious awards-

1. Ms. Gloria Arieira from - Literature and Education - Brazil

 Among the two Brazilian who won this prestigious awards is Ms Gloria Arieira. A resident of Rio De Janerio in Brazil, Arieira is a Sanskrit scholar and Vedanta teacher. Arieira was awarded for her contribution to literature and education.

2. Ms. Lia Diskin -  Social Work- Brazil

Ms. Lia Diskin, an Argentine was the second Brazilian to receive this honour for her contribution to social work. Diskin, a Gandhian, has been disseminating Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy in Brazil and Latin America for almost 30 years. 

3. Shri Barry Grinder- Public Affairs- United Kingdom

Barry Gardiner is the Labour MP for Brent North (UK Parliament Constituency) and has been an MP continuously since 1 May 1997. He currently undertakes the roles of Shadow Minister (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Energy and Climate Change), and Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade.

READ: Padma Awards: Kangana Ranaut, Adnan Sami and others receive top honors, full list here

4.  Shri Enamul Haque - Others, Archaeology- Bangladesh

Haque, who specializes in museology, served the Dhaka Museum for decades and rose to be the founder-director general of the Bangladesh National Museum.

5. Dr. Tetsu Nakamura- Social Work- Afghanistan 

Japanese medical doctor and aid worker Tetsu Nakamura has been posthumously honoured for his humanitarian work in Afghanistan. Nakamura died on December 4 after being ambushed by gunmen in the city of Jalalabad. He had worked in the country for decades, providing humanitarian aid and helping with reconstruction efforts.

6. Shri Robert Thurman- Literature and Education- USA 

An American Buddhist author & academic who has written, edited, & translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism & is the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo- Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, has been awarded Padma Shri. He is also the father of Uma Thurman.

7. Shri Bob Blackman -- Public Affairs -- United Kingdom 

UK’s Member of Parliament (MP), Bob Blackman, was awarded with Padma Shri for the current year. Shri Blackman was the first British MP to take his oath on Bhagavad Gita for his tenure.

READ: PM Modi to Bal Puraskar awardees: 'Amazed to see what you achieved at such tender age'

READ: Padma Awards: Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, George Fernandes honoured posthumously

(Image Credits: Social Media, AP)