Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on February 9 that former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh along with agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.
Earlier it was announced that politician and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and politician and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani were awarded India’s highest civilian honour.
This year’s five awardees surpassed the four awarded in 1999, marking the highest number of Bharat Ratnas awarded in a single year.
List of this year’s Bharat Ratna awardees:
Karpoori Thakur: Former Chief Minister of Bihar and noted socialist leader to be honored with Bharat Ratna posthumously. Popularly known as ‘Jan Nayak’, Thakur will become the 49th recipient of this prestigious award.
Lal Krishna Advani: A Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart and former Deputy Prime Minister, he has been associated with the party since its inception in 1980. Additionally, Advani served as Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004.
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao: The ex-prime minister, who died in 2004, will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, PM Modi announced on February 9. PV Narasimha Rao, a respected Telugu leader, served a full five-year term as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996 and is widely praised for his key role in introducing economic reforms.
Chaudhary Charan Singh: Another former prime minister and prominent Jat leader hailing from western Uttar Pradesh will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.
Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan: The eminent agronomist will be the fifth person to be conferred with the Bharat Ratna. Swaminathan is known for his significant contributions to agriculture and farmers’ welfare. It revolutionized Indian agriculture and ensured both food security and prosperity for the nation.
