President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour of India, on former PMs P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, and two-time former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur, posthumously, at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.
Awards for Rao, Singh, Thakur, and Swaminathan were accepted by their family members. P V Prabhakar Rao, Rao’s son, received the award on behalf of his father. Jayant Chaudhary, Charan Singh's grandson and RLD chief, accepted the honour, while Swaminathan’s daughter, Nitya Rao, and Thakur’s son, Ram Nath Thakur, received the award.
Narasimha Rao, who served as PM from 1991 to 1996 and was often referred to as the Chanakya of Indian politics, is renowned for initiating far-reaching economic reforms. Charan Singh, a West UP Jat leader, served as Prime Minister from July 28, 1979, to Jan 14, 1980. He passed away in 1987.
Swaminathan, who passed away on Sept 28, 2023, at the age of 98, is widely celebrated for transforming India from a drought-stricken nation dependent on the United States for foodgrain imports in the 1960s to achieving self-sufficiency in food production by 1971.
Thakur, popularly known as 'jannayak' (people's leader), served as Bihar CM from Dec 1970 to June 1971 and again from Dec 1977 to April 1979.
Advani honoured
President Murmu conferred tBharat Ratna on BJP stalwart and former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani at his residence on Sunday. The ceremony was attended by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, and Advani's family members, as per a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan described Advani as a doyen of Indian politics, acknowledging his unwavering dedication and distinction over seven decades. His emphasis on dialogue enriched Parliamentary traditions, it added.
