Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao has been awarded the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

Apart from former Prime Minister Rao, the award was also announced for former Prime Minister Chaudhry Charan Singh and agricultural scientist Dr MS Swaminathan.

Prime Minister Modi wrote on his official account at Medal (Bharat Ratna).”

He further wrote that as an eminent scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao Garu served India extensively in various capacities.

He said, “He is equally remembered for his work as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister and as a Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly over the years. His visionary leadership played an important role in the progress of India’s economy , laying a solid foundation for the country’s prosperity and growth.”

“During his tenure as Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao Garu took significant steps to open India to global markets and ushered in a new era of economic development. In addition, he had great influence on India’s foreign policy, language and education The contributions in the field underscore his multifaceted legacy as a leader who not only guided India through significant changes but also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage,” PM Modi added.

The former prime minister died of a heart attack on December 23, 2004.

Here’s everything you need to know about PV Narasimha Rao

• PV Narasimha Rao or Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao served as the Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996.
• He is best known for his sweeping economic reforms that liberalized the Indian economy.
• Rao was born on June 28, 1921 near Karimnagar in the former Andhra Pradesh state and studied at Ferguson College in Pune. He then attended Bombay University and Nagpur University, where he obtained a law degree. He is also known as a distinguished scholar who was proficient in many languages.
• Rao joined the Congress party as an activist for independence from Britain. He is also a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Before becoming the Prime Minister of India, Rao represented Andhra Pradesh in the Lok Sabha. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the Congress Party elected Rao as its leader, and he later became the Prime Minister. Rao began his mission to reshape the Indian economy by transforming it into a free market.