President Droupadi Murmu unveils C. Rajagopalachari's bust at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replacing Lutyens' bust
President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a bust of C. Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23 February 2026, replacing the bust of architect Edwin Lutyens.
Summary
President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a bust of C. Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23 February 2026 in the presence of Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, replacing the bust of architect Edwin Lutyens. The bust stands at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap, opposite the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, as part of steps to shed vestiges of the colonial mindset. The President then attended the 'Rajaji Utsav' at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, whose photo and book exhibition was opened to the public from 24 February to 1 March. She recalled that Rajaji placed portraits of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Mahatma Gandhi in his room at Government House, and noted that the 'Param Vir Dirgha' gallery now shows Param Vir Chakra awardees.
Key facts
- Date
- 23 February 2026, Rashtrapati Bhavan
- Unveiled by
- President Droupadi Murmu, with Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan
- Bust of
- C. Rajagopalachari — first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India
- Replaces
- Bust of Edwin Lutyens, at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap
- Exhibition
- Rajaji Utsav, open to public 24 February–1 March
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Whose bust did President Droupadi Murmu unveil at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23 February 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — C. Rajagopalachari
The President unveiled the bust of C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The bust of C. Rajagopalachari at Rashtrapati Bhavan replaced the bust of:
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Edwin Lutyens
The Rajaji bust at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap replaces the bust of Edwin Lutyens.
C. Rajagopalachari, whose bust was unveiled at Rashtrapati Bhavan in February 2026, is described as:
Show answer
Correct answer: A — The first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India
PIB describes Rajaji as the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India.