President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday conferred Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, on former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan and two-time former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, posthumously at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The awards to Rao, Singh, Thakur and Swaminathan were received by their kin.

P V Prabhakar Rao, the son of former prime minister Rao, received the award conferred on his father from the president. Jayant Chaudhary, Charan Singh's grandson and chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), accepted the honour from Murmu.   Swaminathan's daughter Nitya Rao and Thakur's son Ram Nath Thakur received the award from the president. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.

This year, the government announced five Bharat Ratna awards, including one to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart and former deputy prime minister L K Advani.  Sources said President Murmu will pay a visit to Advani's residence and confer him with the prestigious award. This was decided in view of the ailing health of the veteran BJP leader Advani, they added.

Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, Advani has served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its inception in 1980. Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).

Prime Minister Modi lauded the contributions of those conferred the Bharat Ratna paying rich tributes to former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh besides other luminaries.

"Every Indian cherishes what PV Narasimha Rao Garu has done for our nation and feels proud that he has been conferred the Bharat Ratna. He worked extensively to further our country's progress and modernization. He is also known as a respected scholar and thinker. His contributions will forever be cherished," Modi said on X.

He said the Bharat Ratna for Charan Singh is a recognition of his contributions to India's development, particularly in agriculture and rural development. "I am sure this honour will inspire future generations to uphold the values of hard work, dedication and public service that he epitomized," he said.

The country's highest civilian award for Karpoori Thakur is a fitting tribute to a stalwart who dedicated his life to social justice and equality, the prime minister said.

Known as a champion of the downtrodden, Thakur's contributions to the uplift of the marginalized and his relentless fight for the rights of the backward classes have left an indelible mark on the fabric of Indian society, he said.     "The Bharat Ratna to him highlights the values of inclusivity and compassion that are essential to the nation's ethos," he said.

Referring to agronomist M S Swaminathan, Modi described him as a revered figure in the world of agriculture who is is widely admired for his pioneering work and research in the field of genetics and agricultural science.

He said, "His efforts propelled India from struggle to self-sufficiency in food production. May the Bharat Ratna conferred on him inspire more people to take up research in agriculture and food security."

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani is the only living person among the recipients of the honour this year.

P V Narasimha Rao, who was prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and often referred to as the Chanakya of Indian politics, is known for initiating far-reaching economic reforms and for his skilful political manoeuvring.

He was the first prime minister from the south, the first Congress leader from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to complete a full five-year term and the man who steered India through the turbulent early 1990s.

Chaudhary Charan Singh, a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, was prime minister between July 28, 1979 and January 14, 1980. He died in 1987. Born on December 23, 1902, at Noorpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh in a middle-class family, Singh shifted to Meerut in 1929 and later joined the Congress.

After the Congress split, he became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the second time in February 1970 with the support of the Congress. However, the President's Rule was imposed in the state on October 2, 1970.

Considered the chief architect of land reforms in Uttar Pradesh, Singh had the reputation of being a hard taskmaster who would not tolerate inefficiency, nepotism and corruption in administration. A dedicated public worker and a staunch believer in social justice, his strength stemmed essentially from the confidence he enjoyed among millions of peasants.Agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, who died on September 28, 2023, at the age of 98, is most widely known for transforming India from a drought-stricken country dependent on the United States for foodgrain imports in the 1960s to being declared self-sufficient in food production in 1971.

His efforts involved introducing high-yielding genetic varieties of rice and wheat in India and the subcontinent, alongside American agronomist Norman Borlaug. Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987 for his work.

Swaminathan's research as a plant geneticist addressed the issue of food insecurity and helped small farmers augment their income by enhancing productivity. He dedicated his entire life to improving agriculture and the income of farmers.

Karpoori Thakur, popularly known as 'jannayak' (people's leader), served as Bihar chief minister from December 1970 to June 1971 and from December 1977 to April 1979. He was a key figure in the struggle against social discrimination and inequality.

A fountainhead of OBC politics in Bihar, Thakur was born on January 24, 1924, in one of the most backward sections of society- the Nai Samaj (barber community). His political journey was marked by his unwavering commitment to the marginalised sections of society.

Thakur's commitment to affirmative action gave representation and opportunities to the poor, oppressed, exploited and deprived sections of the country. His policies and reforms were pioneering in bringing about significant changes in the lives of many, especially in the fields of education, employment and farmer welfare.

His tenure as chief minister is best remembered for the implementation of the Mungeri Lal Commission recommendations, whereby quotas for backward classes were introduced in the state. He died on February 17, 1988.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said conferment of Bharat Ratna on former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan and two-time former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur showed Modi government's commitment towards farmers, downtrodden and backward people of the country.