Prez unveils bust of first Indian Governor General at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday (February 23, 2026) unveiled the bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor General of independent India, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The initiative is part of a series of steps being taken towards shedding vestiges of colonial mindset, the President’s secretariat said. Rajagopalachari’s bust at the grand open staircase near Ashok Mandap in the Rashtrapati Bhavan replaces that of Edwin Lutyens, the main architect of several structures in New Delhi.

“This initiative is part of series of steps being taken towards shedding the vestiges of colonial mindset and embracing, with pride, the richness of India’s culture, heritage, timeless traditions and honouring those who served Bharat Mata with their extraordinary contributions,” the President’s Secretariat said on X.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan and family members of Rajagopalachari.