Former Prime Minister To Be Conferred With Bharat Ratna:
The government has announced India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna to Former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and Father of Green Revolution, Dr. M S Swaminathan.
- The announcement comes days after 96-year-old LK Advani and two-time Bihar chief minister and socialist icon Karpoori Thakur (posthumously) were conferred with the award
Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao:
- He served as the 10th Prime Minister of India from June 21, 1991, to May 16, 1996, for a total of 1,791 days.
- He previously served as a minister in the Andhra Pradesh government and held several portfolios including law, education, and health until 1971, when he took over as CM. He remained the CM till 1973.
Chaudhary Charan Singh:
- He served as the sixth Prime Minister of India, albeit for a brief period. He was sworn in on July 28, 1979, and was compelled to step down just 170 due to no majority.
- He also went on to form the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD), which later merged with the Samyukta (United) Socialist Party to form the Bharatiya Lok Dal (BLD).
Dr. Swaminathan:
- Known as the ‘Father of the Green Revolution’, Dr. Swaminathan played a major role in the set of changes introduced in farming in the 1960s and ‘70s that helped India achieve food security.
- He was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987, following which he set up the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai.
