Nobel and other Prizes

M.S. Swaminathan, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh to get Bharat Ratna

Prelims Only | History and Art & Culture | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

Bharat Ratna

Introduction

The Bharat Ratna will be conferred on former Prime Ministers P. V. Narasimha Rao and Choudhary Charan Singh, as well as Green Revolution pioneer S. Swaminathan.
This will add to the two awardees already announced earlier this year — socialist leader Karpoori Thakur and former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani.

About the Bharat Ratna Laureates

[1] Dr. M.S. Swaminathan

Aspect	Details
Early Life	Born on August 7, 1925, in Kumbakonam, Madras Presidency. Pursued higher education in zoology and agricultural science. Passed away on 23^rd September, 2023 at the age of 98.
Career Highlights	Conducted research on combating potato crop parasites during a UNESCO fellowship (1949-1954). Earned a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1954. Served as Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1979-1982). Appointed as Director General of the International Rice Research Institute in 1982.
Green Revolution Contributions	Pioneered high-yielding variety seeds and improved irrigation methods. Collaborated with Dr. Norman Borlaug to develop high-yielding wheat varieties (1965-1970).
Challenges and Advocacy	Advocated for fair Minimum Support Prices for farmers and highlighted ecological concerns.
Legacy and Recognition	Received numerous international accolades and civilian awards from India and other nations. Honored with Padma Shri (1967), Padma Bhushan (1972), and Padma Vibhushan (1989) awards in India. Awarded over 80 honorary doctorates from universities worldwide.

[2] PV Narasimha Rao

	Details
Early Life	Born on June 28, 1921, in Karimnagar district, Hyderabad State (now Telangana, India). Passed away on December 23, 2004, in New Delhi.
Education	Bachelor of Arts degree from Osmania University. Higher studies at the University of Bombay and Nagpur University.
Political Career	Started in the Indian National Congress. Served as MLA in undivided Andhra Pradesh. Held ministerial positions, including Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Defence.
Economic Reforms (1991)	Initiated significant economic reforms in response to the 1991 crisis. Reforms included dismantling the License Raj, opening up the economy, and initiating privatization.
Foreign Policy	Strengthened ties with the United States and other major powers. Initiated the “Look East Policy” to enhance engagement with Southeast and East Asia.
South Asian Diplomacy	Handled the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and initiated dialogue with Pakistan. Deployed peacekeeping forces to Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).
Political Legacy	Credited with laying the foundation for India’s economic liberalization and globalization. Recognized for pragmatic leadership during a critical period in India’s history. Remembered as a statesman who shaped India’s economic and foreign policies.

[3] Choudhary Charan Singh

Aspect	Details
Early Life	Born on December 23, 1903, in Noorpur village near Hapur, India. Entered politics during the national movement and was elected to the United Provinces Assembly from Chhaprauli in 1937.
Political Career	Advocated for village economy issues and fought against the exploitation of peasants by big landlords. Served as Revenue Minister in UP’s first Chief Minister Govind Ballabh Pant’s cabinet, instrumental in implementing zamindari abolition and land ceiling laws. Emerged as a popular leader among North Indian farmer communities and Muslims. Became UP’s first non-Congress Chief Minister in 1967, forming a coalition government. Won the 1977 Lok Sabha elections on the Janata Party ticket, became Deputy PM under Morarji Desai’s government. Formed the Janata Party (Secular) in 1979, briefly served as PM with support from Indira Gandhi.
Legacy	Championed the cause of peasants and created a new political class representing farming communities in North India. Influenced the shift of farmer communities from Congress and Jan Sangh to parties specifically representing them. His son, Ajit Singh, formed the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), continuing the family’s political legacy. Charan Singh remains hailed as one of India’s tallest Jat leaders.

Back2Basics: Bharat Ratna

	Details
Nature	Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
History and Evolution	Instituted in 1954. Originally limited to achievements in arts, literature, science, and public services. Criteria expanded in December 2011.
First Recipients	C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C. V. Raman were the first recipients in 1954.
Key Aspects	Not mandatory to be awarded every year. Can be awarded to non-Indian citizens. Recommendations made by the Prime Minister to the President. Restricted to a maximum of three awards per year. Recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) and a medallion. No monetary grant accompanies the award.
Article Reference	Cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name, but can be indicated in biodata/letterhead/visiting card as “Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President” or “Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award”. Article 18(1) of the Constitution states that the award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Join the Community

Join us across Social Media platforms.