Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award from Seychelles President Patrick Herminie over the weekend, complete with a trophy and certificate. However, the honor quickly drew scrutiny after observers noted multiple spelling errors on the certificate, including "repubblic" instead of "republic" and "Seycheeles" instead of "Seychelles."
Newly Created Award
It emerged that the award had been established just three days before Modi's arrival, making him its first and only recipient. Further controversy arose when the certificate was flagged as likely AI-generated by detection software.
The opposition Congress party seized on the issue, with Congress politician Supriya Shrinate remarking on social media: "Give him 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."
BJP Response and Official Statement
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the award, calling it a "proud moment for India" and recognizing his "green leadership." On Thursday, the Seychelles foreign ministry issued a statement explaining that a "working draft" had been accidentally circulated and that an "authentic and duly approved" version had now been issued. The ministry affirmed that "The Guardian of the Blue Horizon distinction is genuine."
Pattern of Awards
Critics point out that Modi has a history of receiving awards during foreign trips, often as the first and only recipient. Last month, before a visit to Israel, the Israeli parliament quickly created the Medal of the Knesset, which was bestowed on Modi. In 2019, he became the first recipient of India's Philip Kotler presidential award, which was intended to be annual but has not been awarded to anyone else since.
Biographer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay noted that the pursuit of awards reflects Modi's personality-driven politics: "The intention behind collecting these awards – often bestowed in circumstances that raise eyebrows – is to convey to supporters and potential converts that Modi is being honoured across the world over because of his greatness and that India's rising clout is because of Modi's personality."
In the past year, Modi has also received Ethiopia's Great Honour Nishan and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, both as the first foreign head of state to do so. The BJP maintains that these awards are a recognition of Modi's international stature.
