‘Hastily crafted foreign awards’ aim to boost PM Modi's image at home: report

In an article The Guardian, a British daily newspaper, has laid bare the story behind bestowing accolades and awards upon Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by foreign dignitaries during his trips abroad.

The article implies that some of the awards bestowed upon the Indian prime minister are hastily manufactured or lack institutional history. This is highlighted recently by the Seychelles award being created just three days prior to his arrival, complete with glaring spelling errors and software indicators suggesting it was AI-generated, and earlier the Israeli parliament quickly establishing a new medal just days before his visit.

The text suggests a deliberate strategy to collect these accolades to boost the prime minister’s image at home. By projecting an image of being widely honoured globally, the narrative conveyed to domestic supporters and voters is that India’s rising global influence is directly tied to his personal greatness and leadership.

Upon landing in Seychelles over the weekend, the British newspaper said, the Indian prime minister was promptly presented with one of the island nation’s top accolades. A smiling Modi accepted the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award, which included a trophy and a certificate, from Seychelles President Patrick Herminie.

However, netizens quickly noticed several anomalies. The accompanying certificate contained glaring typographical errors, misspelling the words “republic” and “Seychelles”. Furthermore, the honour had been established a mere three days prior to the visit, leaving Modi as its inaugural and sole recipient.

The controversy deepened when digital analysis flagged the certificate as likely being generated by artificial intelligence. Seizing on the blunder, the opposition Congress party mocked the situation, asserting that the prime minister is always eager to accept any accolade offered to him. “Give him [Modi] any award, and he’ll come running.”

“They were in such a tearing hurry that they even got the official name of the Republic of Seychelles wrong,” a Congress leader Supriya Shrinate wrote on social media.

In response, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the criticism, framing the accolade as a “proud moment” for the nation and a validation of his environmentally conscious leadership.

The Seychelles foreign ministry later issued a clarification on Thursday, explaining that an unpolished “working draft” had been mistakenly distributed and confirming that an official, fully approved version had since been provided. The ministry maintained that the distinction remains completely genuine. “The Guardian of the Blue Horizon distinction is genuine.”

Critics have noted that Modi has demonstrated a clear fondness for accumulating awards both domestically and internationally during his twelve years in office. For instance, just prior to his trip to Israel last month, the Israeli parliament hastily introduced a new accolade, the Medal of the Knesset, which was presented to the Indian prime minister upon arrival, making him its lone recipient so far.

A similar pattern emerged in 2019 when he became the inaugural recipient of the Philip Kotler Presidential Award for exceptional national leadership. Whilst official communications stated the prize would be awarded annually to a global leader, no subsequent presentations have been made, and the official website has gone dark.

Over the past year, his collection has grown to include Ethiopia’s Great Honour Nishan and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, making him the first foreign head of state to receive either distinction.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the Indian leadership’s hunger for such awards raises serious questions about the politics of “manufactured prestige” in India.

“When foreign awards are created days before a visit, when certificates carry basic spelling errors, and when the recipient becomes the first and only awardee, the strategy of image management becomes an embarrassment.

“For years, BJP has sold such honours as proof of India’s global recognition, despite pushing hate driven policies at home,” he said.

However, Tarar added, the contrast is becoming harder to hide. While Modi collects ceremonial awards abroad, ordinary Indians continue to face severe issues at home, he stated.

Whilst critics view these instances with skepticism, the ruling BJP maintains that the accolades simply reflect the prime minister’s elevated international standing.