Bharat Ratna conferred to PV Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh & 3 others

Guwahati, March 30: President Droupadi Murmu honoured esteemed personalities with the prestigious Bharat Ratna award during a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on March 30.

The recipients of this highest civilian award include former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao, former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, and renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan.

The four recipients were posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, recognising their exemplary contributions to various fields.

PV Narasimha Rao's son, PV Prabhakar Rao, accepted the award on behalf of his late father, while Chaudhary Charan Singh's grandson, Jayant Singh, received the honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Similarly, MS Swaminathan's daughter, Nitya Rao, and Karpoori Thakur's son, Ram Nath Thakur, accepted the awards on behalf of their respective fathers.

Among the awardees, only L .K. Advani, aged 96, is alive. Four of the five awards conferred this year were posthumous, underscoring the recognition of exemplary service and achievements even after the demise of the recipients.

According to reports, President Murmu will confer the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, on Lal Krishna Advani on Sunday.

The Bharat Ratna, instituted in 1954, is bestowed in acknowledgment of outstanding contributions in any field of human endeavour. Recipients are presented with a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. Notably, the Bharat Ratna does not entail any monetary grant, as outlined by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).