PM Modi greets L.K. Advani as he turns 99 and enters his 100th year

9 November 2026 · English

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Current affairs of 9 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams

News

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Lal Krishna Advani turned 99 on 8 November 2026, entering his 100th year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted him. The PM recalled the trauma of Partition, Advani's work in strengthening the Jana Sangh and building the BJP, defending democracy during the Emergency, the Somnath–Ayodhya Rath Yatra and his years in government. He also praised Advani's love of reading, his interest in culture and cinema, and his writing. The BJP held a havan, puja and a video screening on his life at its national headquarters, addressed by BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Advani had been discharged from Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, on 19 October after treatment for a chest infection.

Key facts for the exam

Background

• History: Born in Karachi, Advani joined the RSS as a youth and came to India during Partition in 1947. In 1951 he joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He was jailed during the Emergency (1975–77). The Jana Sangh merged into the Janata Party in 1977; on 6 April 1980 he co-founded the BJP with Vajpayee.
• Polity: In 1990 he led the Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat towards Ayodhya. In the Vajpayee government he was Home Minister (1998–2004) and India's 7th Deputy Prime Minister (June 2002 – May 2004). He also served as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and long represented Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The post of Deputy Prime Minister is not mentioned in the Constitution; it is a political convention. The first was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1947–50). Others: Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Jagjivan Ram, Y.B. Chavan, Devi Lal and Advani.
• Bharat Ratna: instituted on 2 January 1954, it is India's highest civilian award and normally not more than three are given in a year. In 2024, however, five were announced – Karpoori Thakur, L.K. Advani, Charan Singh, P.V. Narasimha Rao and M.S. Swaminathan (all except Advani posthumously). Considering his health, the President conferred it on Advani at his residence on 31 March 2024.

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Sources: PMO; PIB; ThePrint (PTI); Business Today; Telangana Today. Compiled by Shanmugam IAS Academy.

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