The Bharat Ratna – India’s highest civilian award – now posthumously recognizes former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh along with agricultural scientist Dr MS Swaminathan for their distinguished services shaping modern India.
Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao Background and Tenure
A scholar and polyglot well-versed in 10 Indian and foreign languages, Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao (1921-2004) had a long political career as Congress leader and union minister through the 1970s and 80s before ascending unexpectedly to the Prime Minister’s role in 1991.
- 10th Prime Minister of India during transformative 1991-1996 tenure
- Architect of pathbreaking economic liberalization as finance minister under minority government
Major Policy Reforms
- Delicensing industries, tariff reductions, FDI reforms – unshackled growth
- Triggered equity market, private banking revolution
- Invested in S&T and foreign affairs – set stage for emergence as global player
Lasting Impact
A Partisan politician who rose above political differences to unleash structural changes that put India on a sustained high growth trajectory benefiting millions.
Key Statistics
| Tenure | 1991-1996 |
| Growth Rate | 6.7% average |
| Income Taxpayers | Went from 1% of population to 4% by 1996 |
| Telecom Revolution | 15 million new phone connections added |
Chaudhary Charan Singh
Born in a Jat peasant family in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Chaudhary Charan Singh (1902-1987) witnessed the grim poverty and exploitation of Indian farmers from an early age – experiences that shaped his unwavering commitment to liberate the peasantry through policy reforms throughout his seven-decade illustrious public life across roles as a freedom fighter, Parliamentarian, state and union minister before brief tenure as Prime Minister.
Peasant Leader Credentials
- Champion of India’s farmers serving as Prime Minister for just 170 days in 1979
- Stalwart farmer’s union leader bringing peasant issues into national consciousness
Policy Impact
- Abolished feudal zamindari system as UP CM in early years
- Pioneered minimum support price regime and input subsidies as Union Minister
- Empowered the political voice of rural heartland – policies focusing on rural indebtedness and agricultural growth still invoke his vision.
Key Farm Sector Milestones Under Leadership
| Metric | Outcomes |
| Wheat Production | Tripled between 1947-1976 |
| Irrigation Networks | Went from 22 to 48 million hectares |
| Milk Production | From 17 to 30 million metric tons |
MS Swaminathan
Agricultural scientist Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan (1925-2023) was born in Kumbakonam and initially trained in genetics and later plant breeding in India and the United Kingdom. After doctoral research on potato genetics, he joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in 1951 beginning over five decades of advanced crop research pioneering improved varieties and sustainable insights that would transform India’s food security trajectory.
Unparalleled Contributions
Widely considered the foremost driver of India’s Green Revolution revolutionizing food security. Built scientific institutions advancing Indian agriculture over 5 decades
Pioneering Innovations
- Developed high-yielding variety seeds adapting Mexican dwarf wheat strains
- Propagated sustainable “evergreen revolution” protecting small farms
Impact
- Transformed nation from “ship-to-mouth” importer to surplus producer
- Continues advising policymakers on farmer prosperity, food security
Institutions Created
- Indian Council for Agricultural Research
- National Commission on Farmers
With the Bharat Ratna honor recognizing such multi-dimensional nation-building contributions across polity, agriculture and policy reform domains – modern India pays tribute to leaders who laid the foundations enabling its emergence as a self-reliant global economic player.
Reasons for Bharat Ratna Honor to Leaders
Narasimha Rao
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- Unleashed major economic liberalization reforms in 1991 as Prime Minister
- Structural changes laying foundation for India’s rapid emergence as global economic power
Chaudhary Charan Singh
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- Relentless peasant issue advocacy driving agri policy focus since independence
- Pioneered minimum support price and input subsidy schemes still guiding farmer welfare ecosystems
M.S Swaminathan
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- Regarded as foremost driver of Green Revolution and evergreen innovations
- Transformed India’s food security while cementing scientific research’s role in agriculture
These leaders represent the expanse of critical domains – governance, policy, science and agriculture. They have motivated future public service showing importance of multi-dimensional nation building efforts.