LUCKNOW/VARANASI/MEERUT, Jan. 26 -- Uttar Pradesh has made a mark in this year's Padma Awards, with personalities linked to the state receiving one Padma Vibhushan and 10 Padma Shri honours. The awards were announced by the ministry of home affairs on the eve of Republic Day on Sunday. The 10 Padma Shri awardees from UP, spanning a wide range of disciplines, include Anil Kumar Rastogi (art), Ashok Kumar Singh (science and engineering), Chiranji Lal Yadav (art), Buddha Rashmi Mani (archaeology), Mangla Kapoor (literature and education), Praveen Kumar (sports), Raghupath Singh (agriculture, posthumous), KK Thakral (medicine), Rajendra Prasad (medicine) and Shyam Sunder (medicine). Senior archaeologist Buddha Rashmi Mani, a key figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi excavation and former director-general of the National Museum, has been honoured for his contribution to archaeology. A prominent officer of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Mani served the organisation for 34 years, holding positions including deputy superintendent archaeologist and heading several excavation branches. Best known for leading the court-mandated excavations at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya in 2003, Mani described the assignment as the most challenging of his career. "The entire work was conducted under court supervision and reports had to be submitted within 15 days. We excavated 90 trenches from scratch," he told HT. Beyond Ayodhya, his work includes excavations at Kapilvastu and sites in Kashmir, Daulatabad and Sarnath. Prof Rajendra Prasad, former head of the department of pulmonary medicine at King George's Medical University (KGMU), has earlier served as director of the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, Delhi, and as vice-chancellor of the UP University of Medical Sciences, Saifai. Reacting to the honour, Prof Prasad said it would keep him motivated. "It is an honour for me that will keep me motivated for life. I became a doctor due to the inspiration of my father, who was a successful businessman," he said. Ashok Kumar Singh, a resident of Barhat village in Ghazipur district and former director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, has been awarded for his research on various varieties of basmati rice. A plant geneticist, Singh is known for developing high-yielding basmati rice varieties. His research focused on integrating molecular breeding with conventional methods to improve grain quality and disease resistance. Para athlete Praveen Kumar, 22, described his nomination for the award as a "dream come true". "It's like a dream come true for me. I had never imagined such an honour in my life," Kumar said. He added that the recognition would motivate him to perform even better in the future. The high jumper, who hails from Govindgarh in Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), won the gold medal in the T64 category at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, after securing a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Kumar had earlier clinched a gold medal in the T64 category at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. Prof Shyam Sundar of the department of medicine, IMS-BHU, for his significant contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of kala-azar. Prof Sundar completed his MD (Medicine) from IMS-BHU in 1981 and has been teaching medical sciences at the institute for over three decades. He is widely recognised as a renowned and highly respected teacher. He developed a method for treating kala-azar with a single dose of liposomal amphotericin B, which is currently being used under India's kala-azar control programme. He also successfully tested multi-drug therapy, including a combination of paromomycin and miltefosine, now in use at primary health centres under the national control programme. Prof Sundar developed miltefosine, the first effective drug for kala-azar, which is being used in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and globally. Master artisan Chiranji Lal Yadav, 74, has been selected for the award in the field of arts for his contribution to preserving and promoting traditional brass engraving. Born and raised in Moradabad, Yadav grew up immersed in the city's centuries-old brassware tradition. He formally began working in brass engraving in 1970 and has devoted more than 55 years to mastering the craft. Reacting to the award, Yadav said the recognition was a moment of great happiness and reaffirmed his commitment to taking the craft forward. Late Raghupat Singh, a pioneering farmer from Moradabad district will be posthumously awarded for his outstanding contributions to agriculture. Singh, who passed away in July last year at the age of 85, will be conferred the award by the President of India in recognition of his lifelong work in seed preservation, purification, and crop development. A seasoned farmer with more than six decades of hands-on experience, Raghupat Singh exemplified grassroots innovation rooted in traditional agricultural knowledge and practical experimentation. Hailing from village Samathal in Moradabad, Singh dedicated his life to improving crop varieties suited to local environments. Over the years, he developed more than 100 plant varieties, focusing mainly on vegetables and other crops aimed at improving yield, resilience, and nutritional value. Prof Mangala Kapoor, who taught music at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for 30 years, has been conferred the Padma Shri for her contribution to literature and education. Expressing gratitude, Kapoor thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the honour. Recalling her life journey, she said she survived an acid attack at the age of 12, a traumatic experience that nearly broke her spirit. Despite facing ridicule, she credited her parents' support for helping her pursue education. Kapoor completed her graduation, post-graduation and PhD in music from BHU and began teaching there in 1989, superannuating in 2019. A practitioner of the Gwalior Gharana, she is also known for offering free music lessons and using music as a means of social change....