President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has conferred the National Award for Public Service on 66 recipients in recognition of their long and dedicated service to the state.

The awards were presented during the official Independence Day ceremony held at the Social Centre to mark the Maldives' 61st Independence Day.

According to the President's Office, each recipient has completed more than 41 years of public service and had not previously received the national honour.

The awards were conferred following an initiative by President Muizzu to identify eligible recipients.

The President's Office verified the nominees' service records before submitting them to the National Awards Committee, which reviewed the nominations and confirmed they met the eligibility criteria.

More than 500 people have received national public service awards over the past five years.

During the same ceremony, President Muizzu also conferred the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin (ODRI), the Maldives' highest state honor, on four individuals.

The recipients were former education minister Dr Mohamed Latheef for his contributions to the education sector; Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa for his work in Islamic education, religious awareness and authorship of religious publications; and tourism pioneers Hussain Afeef and his brother, Mohamed Moosa "Champa" (Uchchu), for their contributions to the development of the tourism industry.