Former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh as well as agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.

The government had earlier announced the country's highest civilian honour for L K Advani and Karpoori Thakur. "Narasimha Rao steered India through critical transformations and also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage," Modi said on X.

Rao's visionary leadership, Modi said, was instrumental in making India economically advanced and laid a solid foundation for its prosperity, growth.

"Bharat Ratna to Charan Singh dedicated to his incomparable contribution to country," the prime minister said.

"Swaminathan made monumental contributions to country in agriculture and farmers’ welfare," Modi said.

He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture and made outstanding efforts in modernising it, the prime minister said.