New Delhi, March 30 (IANS): In a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu honoured four great personalities of India -- former Chief Minister of Bihar Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur, former Prime Ministers of the country P. V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh and the country's famous agricultural scientist credited for Green Revolution, M. S. Swaminathan.
They all have been given India's highest civilian honour posthumously.
Karpoori Thakur's son, Ramnath Thakur, received the honour during the event.
Karpoori Thakur was an Indian politician who served two terms as the Chief Minister of Bihar, first from December 1970 to June 1971, and then from June 1977 to April 1979. He was popularly known as Jan Nayak (People's Hero).
Narasimha Rao's son P. V. Prabhakar Rao received the honour from the President. At the same time, Chaudhary Charan Singh, another former Prime Minister of the country who was considered the 'messiah of farmers', was also honoured, and his grandson Jayant Chaudhary received it.
Narasimha Rao was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the ninth Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to India's economy.
Chaudhary Charan Singh was also a freedom fighter who served as the fifth Prime Minister of India and fifth Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
The country's famous agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan's award was received by his daughter Nitya Rao.
Swaminathan was an Indian agronomist, agricultural scientist, geneticist, administrator and humanitarian. He was a global leader of the Green Revolution.
On the occasion, many Union Ministers and other dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J. P. Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge were present.
Along with them, Lal Krishna Advani is also honoured with Bharat Ratna. However, President Murmu will visit Advani's house and honour him with Bharat Ratna there on Sunday.