- By Priyanka Koul
- Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:07 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Padma Awards 2026 Winner: Former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan will be posthumously honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced the honour on Sunday as part of the Padma Awards for 2026.
Who Was V S Achuthanandan?
Achuthanandan, who passed away on 21 July 2025 at the age of 101, served as Kerala’s Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was the longest-serving Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, holding the post for 15 years. A founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), he served as Secretary of the party’s Kerala State Committee from 1980 to 1992 and was convener of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) from 1996 to 2000. He held the office of Leader of the Opposition during three separate terms between 1992 and 2016.
Born into a working-class family in Punnapra, Alappuzha, Achuthanandan had limited formal education and began working at a young age after being orphaned. He worked in tailoring and coir factories, witnessing labour exploitation that inspired him to join the Communist movement in the 1940s under P. Krishna Pillai. He also became actively involved in the trade union movement and India’s freedom struggle, joining the Communist Party in 1940.
He took part in the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, enduring severe torture and near-death experiences. Achuthanandan spent more than five years in jail and over four years underground. He later led significant land reform movements in Kerala, including the 1970 Alappuzha declaration, and became widely respected as Opposition leader in the state Assembly.
Achuthanandan married K. Vasumathy at the age of 44, and the couple had two children: a daughter, V V Asha, and a son, V A Arun Kumar. He also had five grandchildren.
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On 20 October 2023, Achuthanandan celebrated his 100th birthday, becoming the first Chief Minister of Kerala to reach this milestone, despite facing multiple health issues, including diabetes and hypertension. He maintained a disciplined lifestyle and was an avid practitioner of yoga until he was paralysed by a massive stroke in October 2019.
He passed away at Pattom SUT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on 21 July 2025, following nearly a month of treatment after a major heart attack.
Throughout his career, which spanned more than eight decades, Achuthanandan held numerous key positions in the CPI(M) and played a pivotal role in Kerala politics. At the age of 82, he led the LDF to victory in 2006, becoming the oldest person to assume the office of Chief Minister. His tenure was marked by initiatives in land reform, environmental protection, including the controversial Munnar evictions, and the growth of Kerala’s IT sector.
This year, the Centre announced a total of 131 civilian honours across the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri categories. The list includes prominent personalities from public life, arts, cinema, literature, sports, and public affairs.