From a man who built one of the world’s largest free-access libraries because he once did not have books, to a woman whose efforts in feeding three orphaned children transformed into a statewide movement, the Padma Shri awardees from Karnataka announced on the occasion of Republic Day, 2026, serve as a powerful reminder that social impact often begins with quiet determination in the face of struggle.
Here is the list of award winners from the state who turned personal challenges into lifelong missions, earning them one of India’s highest civilian honours:
With no access to books during his college days, Anke Gowda made it his purpose in life to build a huge library where one could find every book. Five decades down the line, his establishment now houses more than 20 lakh books.
Born into a farming family in Mandya district, Gowda worked as a bus conductor and was pursuing a Master’s degree in Kannada literature when he struggled to access books that were necessary for his academics. Deciding that nobody should ever have to face such a situation, Gowda built a personal library, popularly known as the Pustaka Mane (book house), in Haralahalli village near Srirangapatna.
A sugar factory worker, he spent most of his earnings to buy books. He also runs the Anke Gowda Jnana Pratishthana Foundation which acquires books with public support. The foundation is also involved in digitisation to preserve the physical copies. The library now has over 5 lakh foreign titles and dictionaries of several languages.
The best part? Gowda has ensured free access to everyone without even insisting on any kind of membership. He says the library attracts students, civil service aspirants, academicians, advocates and even judges of various courts.
Over the decades, Pustaka Mane has turned into a sought-after destination. Gowda now lives in the building that houses the library along with his wife Vijayalakshmi, who has always supported his cause.
S G Susheelamma: Karnataka’s Mother Teresa
What began in 1975 as a feeding shelter set up by S G Susheelamma for three orphaned children, solidified into a revolution over time, gaining her the affectionate title: ‘Mother Teresa of Karnataka’.
Susheelamma is the founder of Sumangali Seva Ashrama, home to over 100 children and over 50 destitute women. Having dedicated over four decades to serve the voiceless, her organisation has taken up critical issues, including food security, education, health, sanitation, women empowerment and more, serving as a ray of hope for many. Today, her organisation operates shelter homes for women in dire situations, runs Anganwadi centres, and organises rehabilitation for ragpickers, besides overseeing old age homes, health centres and mobile clinics.
Dr Suresh Hanagavadi: from personal loss to public hope
Tragedy struck young Suresh Hanagavadi’s life after his maternal uncle Neelakantappa succumbed to haemophilia in 1980. It turned out to be a pivotal moment that prompted him to establish a massive organisation to treat the rare bleeding disorder.
Haemophilia is a congenital bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of certain clotting proteins in the blood. Dr Hanagavadi, himself a haemophilia patient, completed his MD in Pathology before founding the Karnataka Haemophilia Society (KHS).
The organisation that began on a small scale is now a major platform that helps to identify, diagnose and rehabilitate patients with haemophilia. Many people who came to Dr Hanagavadi as haemophilia patients work in his organisation today.
Shashi Vempati: tech pioneer and youngest Prasar Bharati CEO
A graduate of IIT Bombay, Shashi Shekhar Vempathi worked at Infosys for over 16 years and was crucial in championing modern technology, besides pioneering digital innovations.
Vempati, whose focus has been to bring technology into daily lives, was in 2017 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati – the youngest to hold the post and the non-civil servant. He also served as the CEO of Rajya Sabha between 2017 and 2019.
Vempati has also been the chairperson of the External Experts Group under the University Grants Commission (UGC); the chairperson of the Science and Technology Communication Apex Advisory Committee; and co-founded the DeepTech for Bharat foundation in 2022. He is currently on the Business Advisory Council of the Centre’s Advanced Television Systems Committee.
T T Jagannathan (posthumous): from family business to global success
A IIT Madras graduate who did his postgraduation from Cornell University, T T Jagannathan took up the family business, TTK Prestige, in his twenties when it was not doing well.
From near bankruptcy, Jagannathan took TTK Prestige – which manufactures pressure cookers and other equipment – to the global level after launching Manttra in the USA and acquiring UK-based Horwood homewares. Under his leadership, Prestige not only evolved but also diversified into various kitchen solutions, turning into a symbol of safety.
Jagannathan passed away in Bengaluru in October 2025 at the age of 77.
Dr Prabhakar Kore: transforming lives through education
Born at the dawn of India’s independence in a small town in Belagavi, Dr Prabhakar Basavaprabhu Kore has made rich contributions in the fields of education and healthcare.
After taking over as chairman of the Karnataka Lingayat Education (KLE) Society in 1984, when it was overseeing 38 institutions, he transformed it over the next four decades, expanding it into a massive empire that now comprises 316 institutions serving over 4 lakh students. Dr Kore’s contributions were instrumental in bringing top English-medium schools to remote areas like Ankoli and Chikodi in Karnataka and bridging the gap for rural communities.
He also established the KLES Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, one of Asia’s largest healthcare facilities with over 2,400 beds, and a charity wing with over 1,200 beds serving the poor and underprivileged in need of care. Now, at 78, he has stepped down from his position to make way for new leadership.
Shubha Iyengar: paving a new path
In an era where women were not encouraged to pursue higher education, Shubha Iyengar beat the odds and pursued a PhD with the support of her father before working as a researcher for the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) in 1974. This was only the beginning of an illustrious career spanning across 40 years before she retired in 2020.
Noticing a lack of affordable Indian-made alternatives to expensive foreign technology, Iyengar went on to play a leading role in developing the DRISHTI transmissometer – a visibility-measuring system used in airports – manufacturing within the country at one-third the cost of imported instruments. Under her guidance, the DRISHTI system came to be recognised as the national standard and is currently installed in over 100 locations across the country.
Iyengar has not only made immense scientific contributions in the field but also led with a nation-first philosophy, coming up with indigenous solutions to problems and facilitating self-reliance.
Sathvi G Bhat is an intern with The Indian Express.
The Padma Shri awardees from Karnataka announced on the occasion of Republic Day 2026 include technologists advancing India’s self-reliance to social workers and doctors who have been changing lives. (Source: PIB) 
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