Our Bureau
New Delhi
After the announcement of conferring Bharat Ratna on veteran Karpoori Thakur and LK Advani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that former prime ministers, PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan, and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan will be conferred Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.
Usually, 3 Bharat Ratna awards are given in a year. However, this year, the government has named 5 people for Bharat Ratna. On February 3, the Prime Minister had announced that BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred Bharat Ratna, praising his distinguished service in public life and commitment to transparency and integrity.
Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, who is 96 years old now, had been the BJP national president from 1986-90, 1993-98, and 2004-05. He served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He is one of the co-founders of Bharatiya Janata Party and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was largely responsible for popularizing and strengthening the BJP, which, from its formation in 1980, emerged as one of the strongest political forces in India.
PV Narasimha Rao served as the prime minister of India from June 21, 1991 to May 16, 1996. Born in 1921 in Andhra Pradesh’s Karimnagar, he studied at Osmania University in Hyderabad, Bombay University, and Nagpur University. He also served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut in 1902, Chaudhary Charan Singh served as the Prime Minister from July 28, 1979 to January 14, 1980. MS Swaminathan is popularly known as the father of the Green Revolution in India. Karpoori Thakur was born in Bihar’s Samastipur District in 1924. He served as the chief minister of the state twice, first from December 1970 to June 1971 and then from December 1977 to April 1979.
The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award established in 1954, honors individuals for exceptional service without monetary reward. The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, stands as a testament to the nation’s appreciation of exceptional service and performance across any field of human endeavor. Instituted in 1954, this prestigious accolade recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the progress of India.
