The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award and is conferred ‘in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex’.
Today, it was bestowed on former President Pranab Mukherjee. The prestigious award was also posthumously conferred on Nananji Deshmukh and legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika.
Pranab Mukherjee was a veteran member of the Congress party and had also served under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was the 13th President of India who served from 2012 to 2017. Pranab Da, as his colleagues fondly called him, was also the finance minister under the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile went on Twitter and congratulated the veteran politician on the honour.
Mukherjee, too, minutes later addressed the honour via Twitter.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi also congratulated the former statesman on Twitter.
Among the other awardees was Nanaji Deshmukh, who had passed away at the age of 84 in 2012. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from 1977 to 1979, representing UP’s Balrampur. He had also served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 1999 to 2005.
Legendary singer-composer from Assam, Bhupen Hazarika, who died in 2011 was also conferred with the prestigious award.