NEWS – Union government announced that Bharat Ratna would be bestowed posthumously on Charan Singh and P V Narasimha Rao and  M S Swaminathan

BHARAT RATNA

• Highest civilian award in the Republic of India
• Established in 1954
• Conferred in recognition of exceptional service or performance of the highest order, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex
• Selection process for the Bharat Ratna involves recommendations made by the Prime Minister to the President
• First Awardees –
  • Rajagopalachari (1954): He was a prominent Indian politician, independence activist, and the last Governor-General of India.
  • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1954): A philosopher and statesman, Radhakrishnan was the first Vice President and the second President of India.
  • V. Raman (1954): Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his work on the scattering of light and the discovery of the Raman effect

CHAUDHARY CHARAN SINGH

• Prime Minister of India from July 28, 1979, to January 14, 1980
• Strong advocate for the interests of farmers and played a crucial role in implementing policies aimed at improving agriculture in India
• His birthday is celebrated as Farmers day in India
• Bharat Ratna was conferred upon him in recognition of his dedicated service and leadership in the political and agricultural spheres

P V NARASIMHA RAO

• Ninth Prime Minister of India (1991 to 1996)
• His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by several transformative economic policies, including the liberalization of the Indian economy, which aimed to open up markets, encourage foreign investment, and reduce government control over industries
• These reforms played a crucial role in shaping India’s economic trajectory in the subsequent years

M S SWAMINATHAN

• Indian agricultural scientist and geneticist renowned for his significant contributions to the Green Revolution in India
• Often referred to as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India” for his leadership in introducing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, coupled with modern agricultural techniques
• These initiatives significantly increased food production in the country, helping to alleviate hunger and improve food security