Bharat Ratna: President Murmu confers awards on former PMs Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh and two others
Kin receive awards conferred on PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur
- New Delhi - UPDATED: March 30, 2024, 04:05 PM - 2 min read
President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on March 30, conferring the Bharat Ratna on India's eminent citizens, being received by their family members, including (from right) PV Prabhakar Rao, son of former PM Narasimha Rao; Nitya Rao, daughter of agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan; Jayant Chaudhary, grandson of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh; and Ram Nath Thakur, son of two-time Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur (PTI).
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday conferred Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, on distinguished Indians, including two former prime ministers, at a glittering ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Saturday.
Former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh; agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan and two-time former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur were awarded posthumously, their kin accepting the awards on their behalf.
PV Prabhakar Rao received the award on behalf of his father Narasimha Rao, who was prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and is known for initiating far-reaching economic reforms in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, BJP National President J.P. Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during a ceremony for presentation of Bharat Ratna, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi, Saturday
Jayant Chaudhary, president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), accepted the honour from Murmu on behalf of his grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was prime minister between July 28, 1979 and January 14, 1980. Considered the chief architect of land reforms in Uttar Pradesh, Singh had the reputation of being a hard taskmaster and was a staunch believer in social justice.
Agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan, who died on September 28, 2023, at the age of 98, was the man who transformed India from a drought-stricken country dependent on the United States for foodgrain imports in the 1960s to a nation totally self-sufficient in food production in 1971. His daughter Nitya Rao received the award on his behalf.
'Jannayak' (people's leader) Karpoori Thakur, who was Bihar chief minister twice (1970-1971 and 1977-1979) and a fountainhead of OBC politics in Bihar, fought passionately against social discrimination and inequality, remaining committed to the marginalised sections of the society through his life.
Thakur's son Ram Nath Thakur received the award from the president.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.
The government had announced five Bharat Ratna awards earlier this year, including one to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart and former deputy prime minister LK Advani.
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