Narasimha Rao — The Scholar-Statesman Awarded Bharat Ratna | 10 Points

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister and veteran Congress leader PV Narasimha Rao will be conferred Bharat Ratna, country’s highest civilian award, PM Modi announced on Friday. “Delighted to share that our former Prime Minister, Shri PV Narasimha Rao Garu, will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna (sic),” PM Modi tweeted. Here are some interesting facts about him.

• PV Narasimha Rao served his term as Prime Minister in India from 21 June, 1991 to 16 May, 1996. 
• Born on June 28, 1921, the veteran Congress leader received his education from several institutes including Osmania University in Hyderabad, Bombay University and the Nagpur University.

• During his political career, the political leader also served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (1957-1977) , Union Minister, and as a Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly for many years. 
• A former agriculturist and an advocate, the 9th Indian PM began his political journey after being elected as a legislator from Andhra Pradesh in 1957. 
• After he joined politics, he held some important portfolios. He served in various ministerial positions in the Andhra government from 1962-73.
• He also served as Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh. Rao rose to national prominence for handling several diverse portfolios, most significantly Home, Defence and Foreign Affairs, in the cabinets of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Personal interests

• Apart from politics, the Congress leader’s interest was also captivated by cinema, theatre and poetry etc. 
• A man of many interests, his special interest lied in Indian philosophy and culture, writing fiction and political commentary, learning languages, writing poems in telugu and hindi and keeping abreast of literature in general. 
• The late leader had also successfully published ‘Sahasraphan’, a hindi translation of late Shri Viswanatha Satyanarayana’s famous Telegu novel ‘Veyi Padagalu’ published by Jnanpith; ‘Abala Jeevitam’, Telugu translation of late Shri Hari Narayan Apte’s famous Marathi novel, “Pan Lakshat Kon Gheto”, published by central Sahitya Academy. 
• He translated other famous works from Marathi to Telugu and from Telugu to Hindi, and published many articles in different magazines mostly under a pen name. 
• He lectured at universities in the US and West Germany on political matters and allied subjects.

As minister of external affairs, he travelled extensively to the UK, west Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Egypt in 1974. Narsimha Rao was also the Leader of the Special Non-aligned Mission that visited countries in West Asia in November 1983, to resolve the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.  He was associated actively with the Commonwealth Heads of Government in New Delhi and with the Action Group set up by the meeting on the question of Cyprus.  He is credited with bringing many economic reforms in the country, particularly for dismantling the License Raj in the country.  It was during Rao's term that he appointed Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister, who ushered in a series of economic reforms to lift the country from a worsening economic crisis.  Rao was a six-time MP and died at the age of 83 in 2004. 

 It is a dream come true: PV Narasimha Rao's grandson 

The grandson of PV Narasimha Rao, NV Subhash, has expressed his delight after the announcement. While speaking to the Republic Subhash said,” Irrespective of any political affiliation, PM Modi has given the brightest moment to us. It is a dream come true.”