Bharat Ratna

Facts for Prelims

Bharat Ratna

News: Recently, the Prime Minister of India announced M.S. Swaminathan, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Choudhary Charan Singh to get Bharat Ratna.

About:
• It is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
• It was instituted in 1954, and conferred ‘in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order’, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
• On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. The Award does not carry any monetary grant.

P.V. Narsimha Rao:
• He served as the 9th Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996.
• He was from a non-Hindi-speaking region (Telugu) and the first from South India.
• He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to India’s economy.
• He earned the title of the ‘Chanakya of Indian politics’ for his strategic manoeuvres and significant economic reforms during his tenure as Prime Minister.

Chaudhary Charan Singh:
• Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987) was an Indian politician and a freedom fighter.
• Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: He became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time in 1967 after being elected as the leader of Sanyukta Vidhayak Dal coalition. He became the Chief Minister for the second time in 1970.
• Prime Minister of India: He served as the 5th Prime Minister of India between 28 July 1979 and 14 January 19801. Though a Congress member for most of his life, he later founded his own political party Lokdal in 1980.
• Legacy: He is frequently referred to as the “Champion of India’s peasants” due to his dedication towards the farmers and commitment to democracy

M.S. Swaminathan
• He was a legendary agricultural scientist and a key architect of India’s ‘Green Revolution’ and instrumental in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice in India.
• His efforts, in collaboration with Norman Borlaug and other scientists, helped India achieve self-reliance in agriculture and ensured the nation’s food security.
• He served as The Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.
• He was the first recipient of the World Food Prize in 1987.