CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC IAS

Karpoori Thakur will be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

About Karpoori Thakur

• Karpoori Thakur was born on January 24, 1924, in Pitaunjhia, a village in Bihar, India.
• Son of a marginal farmer from the Nai (barber) community, the socialist icon went on to serve twice as Chief Minister of Bihar — first between December 1970 and June 1971 as part of the BharatiyaKranti Dal and later between December 1977 and April 1979 from the Janata Party.
• Popularly called as "Jannayak", or People’s Leader, Thakur was a freedom fighter, incarcerated during the Quit India movement in 1942.
• He has been seen as the architect of much of the social justice plank in Indian politics.
• He was part of the anti-Emergency movement, along with another great socialist leader, Jayaprakash Narayan.

About "Bharat Ratna"

1. Establishment: The Bharat Ratna was established on January 2, 1954, by the President of India to recognize exceptional service or performance in various fields.
2. Criteria for Award: The award is given for exceptional service in any field of human endeavor, including art, literature, science, public service, and sports. It is intended to be awarded without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
3. Posthumous Awards: The Bharat Ratnacan be awarded posthumously. In some cases, the government has conferred the honor on individuals after their death in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the nation.