C. Rajagopalachari

• 24 Feb 2026

On 23rd February 2026, President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• The bust has been installed at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap, replacing that of Edwin Lutyens.
• The President stated that the move symbolises India’s effort to shed colonial-era legacies and embrace its cultural heritage.
• Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, was the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India.
• President Murmu recalled that Rajaji had placed portraits of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Mahatma Gandhi in Government House, symbolising the spirit of Swaraj and early “mental decolonisation.”