Dehradun: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremonial function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 25^th May- 2026. The honour recognized his decades-long contribution to public life, education and social service.

Born on June 17, 1942, in Palanadhura village of Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand, Koshyari pursued higher education despite coming from a rural background. He completed his post-graduation in English Literature from Almora College, affiliated with Agra University, in 1964.

He began his career as a teacher at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, where he worked to promote modern education rooted in Indian values. In 1966, he established a Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Pithoragarh, strengthening educational opportunities in Uttarakhand’s remote border region.

Koshyari later entered public life and played a significant role in Uttarakhand politics. After the formation of Uttarakhand in 2000, he became a Cabinet Minister in the state’s first government and later served as Chief Minister. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and to the Lok Sabha from the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar constituency in 2014. In 2019, he was appointed Governor of Maharashtra and was also given additional charge of Goa in 2020.

The Padma Bhushan honour was widely seen as recognition of his lifelong dedication to education, public service and nation-building.

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