Bharat Ratna Awards 2024

The Bharat Ratna Award is the highest civilian honour of India, conferred for exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. The award was instituted in 1954 and consists of a certificate, a peepal leaf-shaped medallion, and no monetary grant. The recipients of the award rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.

Government of India has announced that the following five eminent personalities will be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024:

Karpoori Thakur:

• He was a socialist leader and a two-time Chief Minister of Bihar. 
• Widely regarded as the ‘Jan Nayak’ (people’s hero) and a champion of the backward classes. 
• Implemented the first reservation policy for the most backward castes in Bihar in 1978. Enforced total prohibition of alcohol and established many educational institutions in the state. 
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna for his outstanding contributions to social justice and empowerment.

Lal Krishna Advani:

• He was a veteran leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.
• Initiated several reforms in the fields of security, defence, and media. 
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna for his monumental contributions to the development of India and his distinguished service in various capacities.

P.V. Narasimha Rao:

• He was the ninth Prime Minister of India and the first from South India.
• Widely hailed as the Father of economic reforms in India, as he initiated the liberalisation and globalisation of the Indian economy in 1991. 
• Steered the country through several challenges, such as the balance of payments crisis, the Babri Masjid demolition, and the insurgency in Kashmir. 
• He was also a scholar, polyglot, and author of several books. 
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna for his visionary leadership and his multifaceted legacy as a leader who transformed India.

Chaudhary Charan Singh:

• He was the fifth Prime Minister of India and a prominent leader of the farmers. 
• A staunch advocate of farmers’ rights and rural development. 
• Introduced several policies and schemes for the welfare of the peasantry and the poor.
• Resisted the Emergency and upheld the values of democracy.
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna for his incomparable contribution to the country and his unwavering dedication to the welfare of farmers.

M.S. Swaminathan:

• He was a renowned agricultural scientist and the chief architect of the Green Revolution in India.
• He introduced high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, which increased the food production and saved millions from famine. 
• Made significant contributions to the fields of biodiversity, biotechnology, and environmental conservation.
• Founded the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, which works for sustainable agriculture and rural development.
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna for his pivotal role in ensuring India’s food security and prosperity and his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor.