Veteran Parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, founder member of the Bharatiya Janata Party who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, was conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee. A look at the life of the veteran politican.
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Bharat Ratna for Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The BJP has been demanding Bharat Ratna for Mr. Vajpayee for a long time; and BJP patriarch L.K. Advani has been at the forefront of seeking the highest civilian honour for the former Prime Minister
Key Achievements
- » He was one of the founder members of the erstwhile Bharatiya Janatha Sangh which later became the Bharatiya Janata Party
- » His birthday (December 25) was declared as Good Governance Day by the Narendra Modi government
- » He has served as the Prime Minister of India thrice
- » His pet projects were the National Highway Development Project and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
- » In 2001, the Vajpayee government launched the famous Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which aimed at improving the quality of education in primary and secondary schools.
- » He was the strong political voice behind the Ram Janmabhomi Movement which sought to build a temple for the Hindu God Rama in Ayodhya
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Choosing the jewels of India
by Gautam Bhatia
To open the Bharat Ratna to sports or other professional endeavours is confusing public success and stature with achievement in public life
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