Government Breaks Tradition, Honors Five with Bharat Ratna This Year
Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed today that Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, will be bestowed upon former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, along with agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan. This year’s Bharat Ratna recipients include veteran BJP leader LK Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, marking a departure from the usual practice of awarding three individuals.
PV Narasimha Rao :
PV Narasimha Rao, who served as Prime Minister from June 21, 1991, to May 16, 1996, hailed from Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh. He pursued his education at Osmania University in Hyderabad, Bombay University, and Nagpur University.
As an agriculturist and lawyer, he additionally held the position of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
He also served as the Minister for External Affairs from January 14, 1980, to July 18, 1984, held the portfolio of Minister of Home Affairs from July 1984 to December 1984, and assumed the role of Minister of Defence from December 1984 to September 1985.
Charan Singh :
Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, in 1902, Charan Singh held the position of Prime Minister from July 28, 1979, to January 14, 1980. He began his political journey by winning a seat in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Chhaprauli in 1937 and continued to represent the constituency in subsequent elections in 1946, 1952, 1962, and 1967.
He also held the office of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on two occasions, initially in 1967 and subsequently in 1970.
MS Swaminathan :
Born in 1925, MS Swaminathan is widely recognized as the architect of the Green Revolution in India.
He earned a BSc in Zoology from Maharajas College in Thiruvananthapuram, and also obtained a degree in Agricultural Sciences from Coimbatore Agricultural College.
He furthered his academic pursuits by attaining an MSc in Agricultural Sciences, with a specialization in genetics and plant breeding, from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), and completed his PhD at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
LK Advani
After a parliamentary tenure spanning almost three decades, LK Advani served as the BJP national president during the periods of 1986-90, 1993-98, and 2004-05.
Transitioning from his role as Home Minister, LK Advani assumed the position of Deputy Prime Minister in former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet from 1999 to 2004.
Karpoori Thakur
Born in Bihar’s Samastipur District in 1924, Karpoori Thakur held the position of Chief Minister of the state on two occasions, initially from December 1970 to June 1971 and later from December 1977 to April 1979.
He played a pivotal role as a mentor to several present-day leaders of the state, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Established in 1954, the Bharat Ratna is open to individuals from all walks of life, irrespective of race, occupation, position, or gender.