Ramakrishnan, Zakaria, Chatwal amongst NRI Padma awardees

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Thirteen foreigners, non resident Indians (NRIs) and people of Indian origin (PIOs), including Nobel laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Indian American journalist Fareed Zakaria and New York-based hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, have been given the Padma awards this year for services to India.

While Britain-based Ramakrishnan, who got the Nobel Prize for Chemistry last year, has got the Padma Vibhushan - the second highest award - for science and engineering, five have got the Padma Bhushan - the third higest award - and the rest the Padma Shri.	 	
Those that have got the Padma Bhushan are Newsweek International editor Zakaria for journalism, US-based Prof Tan Chung for literature and education, Chatwal, hotelier and lobbyist, for public affairs and Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj, who is also US-based, for science and engineering. Also in the list is Britain Manvinder Singh Bangal alias Vindi Banga for trade and industry.	 	
From the US are  Sheldon Pollock for literature and education, Ponisseril Somasundaram for science and engineering and Sudhir M. Parikh, doctor and newspaper publisher, for social work. From Spain is Dr. Rafael Iruzubieta Fernandez for public affairs. 	 	
The United Arab Emirates' J.R. Gangaramani has got the Padma Shri for social work and Bahrain's B. Raveendran Pillai for trade and industry. 	 	
In the Padma Shri list are Prof Hermann Kulke from Germany for literature and education.