The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, bestowed the nation’s highest honor, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously on Karpoori Thakur, the former Chief Minister of Bihar. The honor is given 35 years after Karpoori Thakur passed away on February 17, 1988.
Karpoori Thakur, who was dubbed “Jan Nayak” by many in the state, led Bihar as chief minister twice in a brief period of time, from December 1970 to June 1971 and December 1977 to April 1979.

Many of the state’s current generation of leaders, including Nitish Kumar and his RJD president ally Lalu Prasad Yadav, were influenced by him.
As Chief Minister, Karpoori Thakur tried to outlaw alcohol completely in Bihar, but the Dalits, whose jobs relied on the toddy trade, opposed his efforts.

Another aspect of his tenure that is most remembered is the Mungeri Lal Commission’s recommendations, which led to the introduction of backward class quotas in the state long before the Mandal Commission of the 1990s.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal United have long demanded recognition from the Center for the state’s first Chief Minister who is not a member of Congress. It is regarded as the BJP’s genius in a state with forty parliamentary seats, coming ahead of the general election. Given that Karpoori Thakur belongs to the Other Backward Castes, a lot of people believe this is an attempt by the BJP to win over this group of people, who have so far supported Nitish Kumar.