GIGA President Professor Amrita Narlikar receives personal Republic Day Felicitations from India’s Prime Minister Modi

Republic Day, 26 January, marks the date on which the Constitution of India came into being in 1950, turning the nation into the fully sovereign Republic of India. This year, India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence from colonial rule by Great Britain, making this Republic Day 2022 a very special one.

To mark this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent personalised letters to a few “friends of India”, recognizing their contributions to their relevant fields of expertise and appreciating their affection towards India.

In his letter to Professor Amrita Narlikar, the Prime Minister writes:

“…The world's future is being written by people like you, who enhance its intellectual capital and ensure our coming generations benefit from it.

It is said that knowledgeable people belong not only to their own country but also to the world. Your work as an academic in the domain of international relations in bringing countries and cultures closer is appreciated.”

The initiative to reach out to “eminent personalities” has received considerable coverage in Indian media. Under the title “Indian connect”, for instance, the Hindustan Times reported on this welcome outreach to a select group of people of international repute, as part of the government’s anniversary celebrations.