At a civil investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious ‘Padma Bhushan’ award upon Bhagat Singh Koshyari—former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and former Governor of Maharashtra—in recognition of his contributions to ‘Public Affairs.’
Several dignitaries, including Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah, were present on this occasion. During the ceremony, the President presented a total of 66 awards, comprising 2 Padma Vibhushan, 6 Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri awards.
Popularly known as ‘Bhagat Da’ in Uttarakhand, Koshyari is a distinguished social worker, educationist, and nationalist leader. Born on June 17, 1942, in Palandhura village of Bageshwar, Koshyari has dedicated his life to the upliftment of society and public service.
Throughout his long political journey, he served as a Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (1997), as well as a Cabinet Minister, Chief Minister, and Leader of the Opposition in Uttarakhand. He was also elected as a Member of Parliament—to the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and to the Lok Sabha (from the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar constituency) in 2014. In 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra.
In addition to being a politician, he is also an accomplished writer. His books, *Uttaranchal Pradesh Kyon* (Why Uttaranchal Pradesh) and *Uttaranchal Pradesh: Sangharsh Evam Samadhan* (Uttaranchal Pradesh: Struggle and Solution), aptly reflect his unwavering dedication to the development of the state
