Notable recipients of the Lokmanya Tilak National Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. He is the 41st recipient of the award.

The Lokmanya Tilak National Award is handed out by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. The trust was founded in 1983 in honour of Bal Gangadhar Tilak who was given the title of ‘Lokmanya’ during the freedom struggle. The award is conferred upon those who have worked towards the development and upliftment of the nation and who have left a significant impact on the progress of the country.

It is presented on August 1 every year to mark the death anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Several renowned people have been honoured with this award, including Rahul Bajaj, N R Narayana Murthy.

Here, we list some national leaders have also received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award:

Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister

The third Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, came into office in 1966 after the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. She founded the Kamala Nehru Vidhyalaya and has also been associated with institutions such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is the recipient of countless other awards including the Bharat Ratna, which she won in 1972.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister

Atal Bihari Vajpayee first assumed the office of Prime Minister on May 16, 1996. He was the 10th Prime Minister of India. He started his career in journalism and switched to politics in 1951. A ten-time Lok Sabha member and a two-time Rajya Sabha member, Vajpayee was awarded the Lokmanya Tilak Award in 1994.

Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister

Dr Manmohan Singh presided over the office of Prime Minister from 2004-14. He had earlier served as the Finance Minister and was a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991. In the 2004 elections, Sonia Gandhi recommended Singh for the post of Prime Minister. Under his leadership, the rupee saw its highest growth rate ever. He was honoured with the Lokmanya Tilak Award in 1997.

Sharad Pawar, founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

Sharad Pawar is the former Union Agriculture Minister, and he also founded the Nationalist Congress Party in 1999. He became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 1980 and served for four terms. He was awarded the Lokmanya Tilak Award in 2016 for his work as the Agriculture Minister.

Pranab Mukherjee, former President

Pranab Mukherjee served as the 13th President of India and held office from 2012-17. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha five times and to the Lok Sabha twice. He first became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1969, with the help of Indira Gandhi. He was honoured with the Lokmanya Tilak Award in 2009.