Hyderabad, January 26: Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) chief Manda Krishna Madiga has been honoured with the Padma Shri award in Public Affairs category.
The Padma awards, among the country's highest civilian honours, are conferred in three categories - Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
Speaking to ANI after receiving the Padma Shri Award Madiga said, "Those who work for the people, those who work with dedication, those who work with a fighting spirit, and those who fight for just causes are given recognition and respect. Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a proof to that we believe this Padma Shri award has been given to us. We have been fighting for the people for 30 years and have achieved results, and this has been recognized by Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is a man of the poor and has come from a poor family. This award is proof of the value and respect he gives to those who work for the poor. We thank him for this.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also congratulated Madiga on X, and said, "Congratulations to Mandakrishna Madiga, a leader who has been working tirelessly for Dalits, on being selected for the Padma Shri award."
Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi, a community organisation of Madigas, is one of the biggest constituents of scheduled castes in Telugu states.
The MRPS was established in July 1994 in Edumudi village, Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, under the leadership of Manda Krishna Madiga and others, to implement internal reservations.
These Awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year. For the year 2025, the President has approved the conferment of 139 Padma Awards, 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards.
The Padma Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
