Prez Murmu Confers Bharat Ratna on Ex-PMs Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh & 2 Others Posthumously

In a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday conferred Bharat Ratna– the country’s highest civilian honour–on former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan and two-time former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, posthumously.

Along with them, Lal Krishna Advani is also honoured with Bharat Ratna. However, President Murmu will visit Advani’s house and honour him with Bharat Ratna there on Sunday.

The award to Rao was received by his son PV Prabhakar Rao, while Charan Singh’s award was received by his grandson Jayant Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, Karpoori Thakur’s son, Ramnath Thakur, received the honour during the event and Swaminathan’s award was received by his daughter Nitya Rao.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the contributions of those conferred the Bharat Ratna.

Karpoori Thakur was an Indian politician who served two terms as the Chief Minister of Bihar, first from December 1970 to June 1971, and then from June 1977 to April 1979. He was popularly known as Jan Nayak (People’s Hero).

The country’s highest civilian award for Karpoori Thakur is a fitting tribute to a stalwart who dedicated his life to social justice and equality, the prime minister said.

Known as a champion of the downtrodden, Thakur’s contributions to the uplift of the marginalized and his relentless fight for the rights of the backward classes have left an indelible mark on the fabric of Indian society, he said.

“The Bharat Ratna to him highlights the values of inclusivity and compassion that are essential to the nation’s ethos,” he said.

Narasimha Rao was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the ninth Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to India’s economy.

“Every Indian cherishes what PV Narasimha Rao Garu has done for our nation and feels proud that he has been conferred the Bharat Ratna. He worked extensively to further our country’s progress and modernization. He is also known as a respected scholar and thinker. His contributions will forever be cherished,” Modi said on X.

Chaudhary Charan Singh,  considered the ‘messiah of farmers’, was also a freedom fighter who served as the fifth Prime Minister of India and fifth Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

PM said the Bharat Ratna for Singh is a recognition of his contributions to India’s development, particularly in agriculture and rural development.

“I am sure this honour will inspire future generations to uphold the values of hard work, dedication and public service that he epitomized,” he said.

Swaminathan was an Indian agronomist, agricultural scientist, geneticist, administrator and humanitarian. He was a global leader of the Green Revolution.

Referring to agronomist M S Swaminathan, Modi described him as a revered figure in the world of agriculture who is is widely admired for his pioneering work and research in the field of genetics and agricultural science.

He said, “His efforts propelled India from struggle to self-sufficiency in food production. May the Bharat Ratna conferred on him inspire more people to take up research in agriculture and food security.”

On the occasion, many Union Ministers and other dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J. P. Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge were present.

The government announced five Bharat Ratna awards this year, including one to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart and former deputy prime minister L K Advani.