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Real ‘PadMan’ Arunachalam Muruganantham listed as 2026 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, says: 'I'm really proud'

There are 287 candidates nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026. Social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham claimed that he has been listed this year.

Updated on: May 03, 2026 11:05 PM IST
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Social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham, who is famously known as the 'PadMan,' claimed that he has been listed as a nominee for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

What Arunachalam said

Arunachalam Muruganantham created and patented a machine which could manufacture low cost sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads. Photo-credit-Facebook
Arunachalam Muruganantham created and patented a machine which could manufacture low cost sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads. Photo-credit-Facebook

"I couldn't believe it at first... For the Nobel Prize, you cannot submit your name, nor can your friends or family. It has to be a third party... A Dean from Aravind Eye Hospital of Pondicherry and American teams working there submitted my name for the Nobel... It was accepted within 24 hours... I'm really proud...", Muruganantham told news agency ANI on Sunday.

Arunachalam Muruganantham is a social activist from Tamil Nadu who introduced low-cost sanitary pads to villages in India. He was also the inspiration behind Akshay Kumar-starrer PadMan. Directed by R Balki, the film also featured Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor. It was released on 2018, and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.

More details

The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 was awarded to Maria Corina Machado "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy".

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das

Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupecha

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Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
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