New Delhi, March 23: N O Neelamani Devi (handicrafts) and T Babu Singh (Manipuri dance) were conferred the Padma Shri award by President Abdul Kalam today at New Delhi.

President APJ Abdul Kalam gave away the awards to 58 eminent personalities from different walks of life at a glittering ceremony held at the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Noted jurist Fali Nariman, eminent litterateur Khushwant Singh and Centre's pointsman on Jammu and Kashmir NN Vohra were today honoured with the coveted Padma Vibhushan awards while steel tycoon Jamshed J Irani and classical music exponents Rajan and Sajan Misra were bestowed with this year's Padma Bhushan.

Former Cabinet Secretary and Indian envoy to the US Naresh Chandra and former BHEL Chairman V Krishnamurthy were the other two recipients of the Padma Vibhushan award.

Besides Irani and the Misra brothers, ten other personalities including Suzuki Motor Corporation chief Osamu Suzuki and South African parliamentarian and African National Congress leader Ela Gandhi were presented with Padma Bhushan.

Sijagurumayum Nimita Devi of Manipur was also among the 32 artistes to receive the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Paruskar awards which were conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi at New Delhi today.

The award is given to encourage young talents in the field of performing arts.

Nimita Devi was conferred the award for her contributions in the field of music.

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