Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s eminent scholar and litterateur Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra was honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri award by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday at a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The award, regarded as India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, was presented in recognition of Mishra’s contribution to literature and education.
The ceremony was attended by top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, according to an official statement.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated Mishra for receiving the prestigious award and for bringing immense pride and honour to the entire state.
In a post on X, he said: “Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Odisha’s eminent researcher and litterateur, Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra, who received the Padma Shri award for the year 2026 from the Hon’ble President of India at a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.”
Majhi added: “This prestigious recognition for his contribution to the fields of literature and education is a matter of immense pride and honour for the entire state. I pray to Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath for his good health, well-being, and continued success in the years ahead.”
According to a President’s Office statement, Mishra is a linguist, folklorist, and educationist who has dedicated more than four decades to preserving endangered tribal voices while embedding them in modern pedagogy, earning global acclaim for voicing the Indian knowledge system embedded in the tribal and rural population of India.
He has promoted many tribal organisations and youths for the promotion of tribal language, culture, and education for tribal development.
