Mukherjee is the first ever serving Cabinet minister to get a Padma award.
The biggest round of applause was reserved for Tendulkar as he went up to collect his award from the President.
Ignoring the clamour for Bharat Ratna, triggered by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Kishenchand Advani's letter to the Prime Minister, proposing Atal Bihari Vajpayee's name, the government decided against naming anyone for the award for the seventh consecutive year this time.
Image: President Pratibha Patil presents the Padma Bhushan to French writer Dominique Lapierre.
Also read: Padma Bhushan for author Dominique Lapierre
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