President Droupadi Murmu will present the Bharat Ratna Awards at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday to the four eminent personalities nominated last month for receiving the highest civilian honour. Former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and P.V. Narasimha Rao, eminent agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur will receive Bharat Ratna posthumously. However, the President will visit the house of former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP Leader Lal Krishna Advani on March 31 to confer the Bharat Ratna upon him.
The ceremony will be organised at 11 am today at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan. The ceremony will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda.
Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary commented on the conferment of Bharat Ratna upon socialist leader and former Bihar CM today stating: "Karpoori Thakur will be felicitated with the Bharat Ratna tomorrow at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, as announced by PM Modi. I want to express my respect to the leader of the poor and the downtrodden. I thank PM Modi for it."
Here Are The 5 People Nominated For Receiving Bharat Ratna This Year:
Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Krishna Advani, 96, is one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a veteran politician and longest-serving president of the saffron party. Not only was he the chief organiser of the Ram Rath Yatra in 1990 in Ayodhya, but he also advocated for the abrogation of Article 370 and implementation of UCC and NRC. He also contributed to the field of writing and wrote several books including his autobiography My Country My Life.
Karpoori Thakur
Karpoori Thakur, the first backward-class leader to become Bihar's Chief Minister, has served two terms as the state's CM. He was the first person to introduce anti-liquor law in Bihar. Thakur played a major role in the Bihar Movement, aimed at bringing social and economic justice to the exploited sections of society. He also opposed the Emergency and fought for democracy. Some of his published books include Apna Samay, which is a collection of his writings and speeches.
PV Narasimha Rao
PV Narasimha Rao, the former Prime Minister of India, is a scholar, statesman, and known as the father of economic reforms in India. He was also the first Prime Minister from South India. Also, he was the first leader of Congress to govern without getting a majority in Lok Sabha. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, he was the one who led the grand old party to victory in the 1991 general elections. He also strengthened India's relations with China and Southeast Asia and was a pioneer of the Look East Policy.
MS Swaminathan
Famously known as the 'Father of Indian Agriculture,' MS Swaminathan is a renowned agricultural scientist and the chief architect of India's Green Revolution. He is well known for his role in introducing high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat and improving the use of fertilisers and irrigation. The United Nations Environment Program also hailed him as the 'Father of Economic Ecology.' He has also been honoured with several other awards including Padma Shri, the Padma Vibhushan, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, and the World Food Prize, among others.
Chaudhary Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, was the only prime minister to have resigned without facing a parliamentary vote of confidence. He was also an opponent of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 after which he was also jailed along with other opposition leaders. Chaudhary Charan Singh was also the founder of the Bharatiya Lok Dal, which was later merged with other parties to form Rashtriya Lok Dal. Some of the acts introduced by him include the Land Holding Act, the Abolition of Zamindari, and Land Reforms Act.
About Bharat Ratna Award
Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award which was established in 1954. It is presented to individuals to recognise their outstanding service or performance in their respective fields. Those honoured with the Bharat Ratna hold an esteemed position in India's order of precedence. The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister of India. People across various fields including arts, literature, social work, science, sports, and public service, are eligible criteria for the award.