Dr Sant Ram Deswal has been awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honors, for his outstanding contributions in the field of literature and education.
The 2025 Padma Awards were presented at the Investiture Ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Ganatantra Mandap. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the award on Dr Deswal, with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in attendance, among other dignitaries. Their presence added significance to the ceremony, which honored a range of distinguished citizens.
Dr Deswal, a noted figure in Hindi and Haryanvi literature, has spent over five decades preserving and promoting folk culture, language, and education. He is also recognised for his contributions to journalism and social service. Following his retirement, he has remained active as a full-time writer, journalist and community worker in Sonipat, Haryana.
He has authored more than 24 books across genres, including poetry, essays, memoirs, travelogues, biographies, and short stories. In his acceptance remarks, Dr Deswal dedicated the award to the people of Haryana.
Over the years, he has received numerous honors for his work. Among them are the Mahakavi Surdas Lifetime Literary Achievement Award (2018), Jankavi Mehr Singh Samman (2014), and Best Book Awards for Lok Alok (2005) and Ankahe Dard (2009), presented by the Haryana Sahitya Akademi.
In addition, Dr Deswal has been recognised with the Haryana Best Journalism Award, Babu Balmukund Gupta Literary Award, Lok Shiromani Award, Kavya Kalash Samman, Rashtra Kinkar Samman, Hadi-e-Haryana Samman, Sonipat Ratna Samman, and Best Teacher Award, among others.
Throughout his career, Dr Deswal has been deeply involved in literary and cultural activities, earning the admiration of peers and readers alike.He expressed his gratitude to the Government of India and acknowledged Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, Minister of Power and Urban Development Manohar Lal, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for their support and encouragement.
