Chaudhary Charan Singh, Narasimha Rao and Swaminathan to get Bharat Ratna

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that two former PMs Chaudhary Charan Singh and Narasimha Rao will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna award, posthumously.

While making the announcement, he said that MS Swaminathan, often known as the father of the Green Revolution, would also be feted with the highest civilian award.

The government had earlier announced the country's highest civilian honour for L K Advani and Karpoori Thakur. "Narasimha Rao steered India through critical transformations and also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage," Modi said on X.

Rao's visionary leadership, Modi said, was instrumental in making India economically advanced and laid a solid foundation for its prosperity, growth.

"Bharat Ratna to Charan Singh dedicated to his incomparable contribution to country," the prime minister said.

"Swaminathan made monumental contributions to country in agriculture and farmers’ welfare," Modi said.

He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture and made outstanding efforts in modernising it, the prime minister said. 

Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was widely referred to as the Champion of India's peasants, served as the fifth PM of India.

Whereas Rao, who was instrumental in liberalising India's economy, served as the ninth prime minister of India. 

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