Lucknow: The Directorate of Sports, Uttar Pradesh, has issued a directive to all Regional Sports Officers—excluding the Basti division—to expedite the submission of proposals for Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri awards in the sports category for the upcoming Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2026.
Referencing its earlier circular dated April 28, 2025 (Letter No. 311/Padma Awards/Government Reference/2025-26), the Directorate had requested nominations along with detailed citations (in triplicate) by May 30, 2025, promoting the initiative widely through local newspapers. However, till June 2, only the Basti division had submitted its reports, leaving a gap in nominations from all other divisions.
In response, Joint Director of Sports R.N. Singh has instructed all remaining divisions to submit completed nomination forms, including comprehensive details about the personality’s achievements and contributions to sports, no later than June 6, 2025. The directive emphasizes that if no eligible nomination is available from a district, a ‘Nil Report’ must still be submitted to avoid delays in compiling and forwarding information to the state government.
The communication strictly warns against any negligence in the matter and mandates that all nominations be routed only through the respective regional sports offices, not directly to the Directorate.
The circular has also been forwarded to district-level sports officers in Rae Bareli, Hardoi, Unnao, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur for immediate compliance.
This timely call reaffirms the Directorate’s commitment to recognizing exceptional sporting talent in Uttar Pradesh and ensuring their contributions receive national acknowledgment.
