India’s Former Prime Ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, as well as agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan, have received the Bharat Ratna posthumously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday (February 9).
Narendra Modi’s post on X
“Delighted to share that our former Prime Minister, Shri PV Narasimha Rao Garu, will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. As a distinguished scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao Garu served India extensively in various capacities. He is equally remembered for the work he did as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister, and as a Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly for many years. His visionary leadership was instrumental in making India economically advanced, laying a solid foundation for the country’s prosperity and growth,” the Prime Minister posted on X.
“Narasimha Rao Garu’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant measures that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development. Furthermore, his contributions to India’s foreign policy, language and education sectors underscore his multifaceted legacy as a leader who not only steered India through critical transformations but also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage,” he added.
About Narsimha Rao
Narsimha Rao was born on June 28, 1921, in Karimnagar, Telangana. He was an agriculturist and attorney before entering politics and holding several prominent positions. He served as Andhra Pradesh’s Minister of Law and Information from 1962 to 1964, Law and Endowments from 1964 to 1967, Health and Medicine in 1967, and Education from 1968 to 1971. He served as Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister from 1971 to 1973 and the All India Congress Committee’s General Secretary from 1975 to 1976.
A guy with numerous interests, his main hobbies were Indian philosophy and culture, producing fiction and political commentary, acquiring languages, penning poems in Telugu and Hindi, and being current on literature in general. He also translated notable books from Marathi to Telugu and Telugu to Hindi, as well as writing several essays for various journals.
During his tenure as Minister of External Affairs, Rao effectively applied his scholastic background as well as extensive political and administrative expertise in international diplomacy. He presided over the UNIDO III Conference in New Delhi in January 1980, just a few days after taking office. He also presided over a meeting of the Group of 77 in New York in March 1980. Narsimha Rao also served as the leader of the Special Non-aligned Mission, which visited West Asian nations in November 1983 to settle the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. He actively participated in the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in New Delhi, as well as the Action Group established by the summit to address the Cyprus issue.
He is recognised with bringing about several economic changes in the country, most notably the demolition of the Licence Raj. During Rao’s administration, he selected Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister, ushering in a slew of economic reforms to help the country recover from a deteriorating economic crisis.
Congress party’s previous president Sonia Gandhi, who is thought to have strained relations with former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, remarked, “I welcome the decision.” According to several media sources, Narasimha Rao and the Gandhi family had strained ties while he was India’s Prime Minister in the early 1990s. Narasimha Rao was the second Congress prime minister who was not a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, and he remains the only one without a memorial in New Delhi.
About Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh, India’s former Prime Minister, has been posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna for his unflinching commitment to the welfare of farmers. Throughout his political career, including stints as Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister and India’s home minister, Singh championed the cause of farmers and played an important role in nation building. His opposition to the Emergency and dedication to democracy have served as sources of inspiration for the whole nation.
Dr. MS Swaminathan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his views on conferring Bharat Ratna on Dr. MS Swaminathan.
He said, “It is a matter of immense joy that the Government of India is conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji, in recognition of his monumental contributions to our nation in agriculture and farmers’ welfare. He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernizing Indian agriculture. We also recognise his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor and encouraging learning and research among several students. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity. He was someone I knew closely and l always valued his insights and inputs.”