Padma Awards 2026: A Night of Cinematic Glory at Rashtrapati Bhavan
The second Civil Investiture Ceremony for this year's Padma Awards was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 23, where President Droupadi Murmu conferred the country's prestigious civilian honours on 65 distinguished personalities. With a total of 131 Padma Awards approved this year—including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri—the ceremony completed the conferment of the nation's highest civilian honours.
The entertainment industry took centre stage at the ceremony. Mammootty, the legendary Malayalam superstar whose career spans five decades and over 400 films across multiple languages, was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Widely regarded as one of India's finest actors, Mammootty is also known for his philanthropic initiatives and support for social causes.
R. Madhavan, the actor-filmmaker popularly known as Maddy, was conferred with the Padma Shri. With a career spanning more than 1,200 television episodes and around 75 films in Hindi, Tamil and other languages, Madhavan has also ventured into agriculture, including organic hydroponic farming in Mumbai and maintaining a coconut farm in Tamil Nadu.
Veteran actor Satish Shah, celebrated for his work across theatre, television and films over four decades, was awarded the Padma Shri posthumously. Telugu cinema veteran Rajendra Prasad, who has acted in over 286 films across six languages over a career spanning more than 40 years, also received the Padma Shri.
The ceremony was a reminder of the enduring power of Indian cinema and its ability to shape the nation's cultural consciousness.
Ladakh Shutdown: A Himalayan Protest Against the Centre
While the Rashtrapati Bhavan celebrated the nation's best, a different story was unfolding in the Himalayas. The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) called a shutdown in Ladakh on June 23, accusing the Centre of backtracking on agreements reached during talks on May 22.
The two main political groups in the Union territory claimed that draft minutes of the meeting with a Union home ministry sub-committee had not included agreement on a proposed legislative setup with powers over the bureaucracy and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh under a new provision akin to Article 371. Sonam Wangchuk, the environmentalist and LAB member who was part of the talks, had described the discussions as "historic".
LAB and KDA warned that if the "two essentials" are not reflected in the final minutes, they would return to their original demand of "full statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh" —raising fears of another phase of agitation during Ladakh's peak tourist season.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook expressed grave concern: "It is a grave concern for us. These are crucial issues for Ladakh and we expect govt to rectify the omissions and faithfully incorporate the decisions in official records". KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbali issued a "final appeal," warning the Centre "not to test the patience of Ladakh's people further".
The shutdown comes against a backdrop of simmering tensions. Several rounds of talks have been held with the Centre on Ladakh since 2023, but the process stopped after four people were killed and over 80 injured on September 24, 2025, in alleged police firing on protesters in Leh demanding statehood. LAB's Wangchuk was arrested, charged under the National Security Act and kept in Jodhpur jail, with the Centre revoking his NSA detention only in March this year.
Welcome To The Jungle: Akshay Kumar's Advance Booking Blitz
In the world of Bollywood, the comedy juggernaut Welcome To The Jungle—the third instalment in the successful Welcome franchise—officially opened its full-fledged advance bookings on June 23, three days ahead of its theatrical release on June 26.
The film, starring Akshay Kumar alongside a massive ensemble cast including Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Johnny Lever, and Rajpal Yadav, has already generated strong social media buzz. As per trade projections, Welcome 3 is expected to take a very good start at the domestic box office.
The makers are also planning a paid preview strategy on June 25, one day before the official release, aiming to replicate the success of Akshay Kumar's last release, Bhooth Bangla, which grossed over ₹4 crore from previews. As one trade analyst noted, "Positive audience reactions from the early screenings could significantly improve the film's opening weekend performance".
Gram Chikitsalay Season 2: A Healthcare Drama That Resonates with Real Doctors
Also premiering on June 23 was the second season of the acclaimed Prime Video series 'Gram Chikitsalay' , which follows Dr. Prabhat—played by Amol Parashar—as he tries to revive a struggling Primary Health Centre in the village of Bhatkandi.
Ahead of the premiere, Parashar revealed that real doctors had responded strongly to the show because it reflected the daily struggles of rural healthcare workers. He called the response "eye-opening" and said many doctors related to the character's frustration, responsibility, and drive to keep working despite a strained system.
"The messages from medical professionals stayed with me because many had faced similar conditions in real life," Parashar said, adding that doctors told him they had worked with "limited resources" and still showed up every day because patients depended on them. He described the show's connection with people who had lived through such realities as "one of the most rewarding aspects" of the project.
Directed by Lalitam Tiwari and created by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Arunabh Kumar, Season 2 streams in Hindi on Prime Video across India and more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Zepto's IPO Pitch: Robots, Software and a 23-Year-Old's Ambition
In the startup world, quick-commerce unicorn Zepto is making headlines as it gears up for a planned IPO. In a warehouse the size of five football fields outside Bengaluru, Kaivalya Vohra, the 23-year-old co-founder and president for technology and product at Zepto, is betting that robots and software can narrow the cost of quick commerce delivery.
At the facility—part warehouse, part laboratory—robots and humans work in tandem: automated machines sort onions and potatoes by weight and size, devices test the crunchiness of apples and the sugar content of oranges, and "Put to Light" stations flash directions to pickers moving crates of tomatoes, bread and detergent towards waiting delivery trucks. The operation represents the cutting edge of India's quick-commerce boom, where technology and scale are being engineered to make 10-minute delivery profitable.
Tringbox Raises ₹5 Crore: AI Music Startups Find Their Rhythm
Mumbai-based AI music technology startup Tringbox raised ₹5 crore in seed funding on June 23, led by Nikhil Gandhi through GIPL, with participation from the MGB Family Office, Paytm Chief Business Officer Narendra Singh Yadav, and other angel investors.
The company plans to use the capital for product and AI development, technology infrastructure, music licensing, expanding its catalogue, and scaling deployments across premium venues in India. A portion of the funds will also be used for hiring in product, engineering and operations roles.
The Final Verdict
It was a day of remarkable contrasts—a day when the nation honoured its cinematic legends even as a Himalayan region protested against the Centre. From the grandeur of Rashtrapati Bhavan to the shutdown in Ladakh, from Akshay Kumar's box office ambitions to Zepto's robot-powered warehouses, from AI music startups to healthcare dramas that resonate with real doctors, the day's events painted a picture of a nation in motion—ambitious, assertive, and unafraid to dream, even as it grapples with its deepest grievances.
"It is a grave concern for us. These are crucial issues for Ladakh and we expect govt to rectify the omissions and faithfully incorporate the decisions in official records." – Chering Dorjay Lakrook, LAB Co-chairman
