PM Modi conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the 41st Lokmanya Tilak award  on 1 August 2023,the 103rd death anniversary of the great Indian freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the award at a ceremony held in Pune by the Tilak Samarak Mandir trust (Hind Swaraj Sangha). Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the Pune Metro.

About Lokmanya Tilak Award:

• Lokmanya Tilak Award was constituted by Tilak Samarak Mandir trust (Hind Swaraj Sangha) in 1983 to honor the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak. 

• Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2022 was conferred upon senior scientist Tessy Thomas, popularly known as India's "missile woman."

• Past recipients of Award were Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma and Pranab Mukherjee; former PMs Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh; businessmen N R Narayana Murthy and Cyrus Poonawala; and engineer E Sreedharan, among others.

About Pune Metro:

• Pune Metro project has been undertaken by MAHA Metro (Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited), a SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) of Government of India and Government of Maharashtra. 

• The sections that will open for commuters are from Phugewadi to Civil Court and Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic.

• Oldest (First) Metro Rail System: Kolkata Metro

• Newest Metro Rail System: Pune Metro

• Largest Metro System: Delhi Metro

• Smallest Metro System: Kanpur Metro 

• Busiest (Highest Ridership) Metro System: Delhi Metro

About  Lokmanya Tilak:

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak the strongest advocate of Swaraj or Self Rule for India. His famous declaration “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it”.

• The British Government termed him as the "Father of Indian Unrest" and his followers bequeathed upon him the title of ‘Lokmanya’ meaning he who is revered by the people. 

• He started the Deccan Educational Society with college batchmates, Vishnu Shastry Chiplunkar and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar. Tilak founded two newspapers ‘Kesari’ in Marathi and ‘Mahratta’ in English.

• Tilak and his supporters came to be known as the extremist wing of Indian National Congress Party. Tilak’s endeavours were supported by fellow nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab. The trio came to be popularly referred to as the Lal-Bal-Pal. 

• Tilak was imprisoned for 18 months on Sedition charges for inciting murder of Commissioner Rand and Lt. Ayerst by Chapekar Brothers.

• Tilak founded the All India Home Rule League in 1916 with Joseph Baptista, Annie Besant and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.