Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam made the announcement just before PM Modi began addressing the Indian community in Mauritius on Tuesday evening. It is also the 21st international award bestowed upon PM Modi by a country. In December, Kuwait bestowed its highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ to PM Modi, in appreciation of his distinguished achievements and the efforts made to strengthen the relations between the two countries. The Order is awarded to Heads of State and foreign royal families in sign of friendship. It has been previously awarded to foreign leaders like Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and George Bush besides other dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth and Prince Muhammad bin Salman. It takes the number of civilian honours received by PM Modi to a record 20, highlighting his leadership and India’s growing stature on the global stage. The Indian PM was the first foreign leader to be conferred with the award since 1969 when Queen Elizabeth received Nigeria’s highest national honour. In addition to these highest honours, he has received several prestigious awards from renowned global organisations. In 2018, he was awarded by the Seoul Peace Prize, in recognition of his contributions to global harmony and world peace. In 2019, the United Nations honoured him with its highest accolade, The Champions of the Earth Award for his bold environmental leadership. In 2021, he received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award, which is awarded annually to leaders who demonstrate outstanding national leadership. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded PM Modi the Global Goalkeeper Award in 2019 in recognition for his efforts to transform India’s Swachhat Abhiyan into a mass cleanliness movement.