Padma Shri Stephen Knapp: Illuminating the World with the Light of Vedic Wisdom: Shri Stephen Knapp, an American author, researcher, and speaker, was honored with the Padma Shri on 28 April 2025 for his outstanding contributions to literature, specifically for his lifelong dedication to the preservation, propagation, and global understanding of Vedic culture and Bharatiya spiritual traditions. 