New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously to four respected individuals at a brief ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. The recipients are former Prime Ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, and agronomist M.S. Swaminathan.
This year, the Narendra Modi government nominated five candidates for India’s highest civilian award, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriarch L.K. Advani. President Murmu plans to personally honour Advani at his residence due to health concerns.
The ceremony saw the attendance of prominent figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J.P. Nadda, Congress President and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Representatives accepted the awards on behalf of the recipients. P.V. Prabhakar Rao accepted for his father, P.V. Narasimha Rao; Jayant Chaudhary accepted for his grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh; Nitya Rao for her father M.S. Swaminathan; and Ram Nath Thakur for his father Karpoori Thakur.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan recognised each recipient’s important contributions. P.V. Narasimha Rao was commended for his leadership in economic reforms and his involvement in the freedom struggle against the Nizam rule in Hyderabad.
Chaudhary Charan Singh’s contribution to the abolition of zamindari, his expertise in land reforms and his close ties with farmers were remembered. M.S. Swaminathan was praised as the “Father of India’s Green Revolution” for his role in making India self-reliant in food production.
Karpoori Thakur’s commitment to helping marginalised communities was recognised, along with his role as a freedom fighter and an advocate for equality and inclusive development.
