President Droupadi Murmu bestowed the prestigious Bharat Ratna award on former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur. The ceremony, attended by top dignitaries including Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, honored these leaders for their significant contributions to India's economy, rural development, and freedom struggle. This year, the government announced a total of five Bharat Ratna awards, including one for BJP stalwart L K Advani.
The family members of former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur expressed their joy and gratitude as their late father, grandfather and great grandfather was honored with the prestigious Bharat Ratna award, the country's highest civilian award. They thanked Prime Minister Modi for bestowing this recognition upon Thakur, who was known for his contributions to Indian politics and society. The award will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday, in the presence of the Thakur family and other dignitaries.