{"id":2105,"date":"2026-07-03T00:35:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/03\/give-him-any-award-and-hell-come-running-narendra-modi-racks-up-honours-on-overseas-trips\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T00:35:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:35:05","slug":"give-him-any-award-and-hell-come-running-narendra-modi-racks-up-honours-on-overseas-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2105","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Give him any award, and he\u2019ll come running\u2019: Narendra Modi racks up honours on overseas trips"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"895dd4a3-3249-458c-8ce4-203925674c5b\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Narendra Modi stands formally with Patrick Herminie in front of the flags of their respective countries, a dark varnished wooden door, and a tall pedestal holding a pot of exotic orange and pink flowered plants. They hold the trophy between them. Herminie wears a dark suit and tie, and is much taller than Modi, who wears white with a dark sleeveless jacket.  \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d29634c780d5f82a8438482e7ab53b70831d9456\/178_51_390_312\/master\/390.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Narendra Modi received the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award, with trophy and certificate, from the Seychelles president, Patrick Herminie, at the weekend.<\/span> Photograph: State House Office of the president of the Republic of Seychelles<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Narendra Modi received the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award, with trophy and certificate, from the Seychelles president, Patrick Herminie, at the weekend.<\/span> Photograph: State House Office of the president of the Republic of Seychelles<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">\u2018Give him any award, and he\u2019ll come running\u2019: Narendra Modi racks up honours on overseas trips <\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Indian prime minister has a habit of collecting awards on his travels, some as their first and only recipient<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/narendra-modi\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Narendra Modi<\/a> touched down in Seychelles over the weekend, the archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean swiftly bestowed one of its \u201chighest\u201d honours upon the Indian prime minister.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Modi beamed as he accepted the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award from Patrick Herminie,the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/seychelles\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Seychelles<\/a> president, complete with a trophy and certificate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Observers soon pointed out that several things appeared to be off about the award. The certificate misspelled \u201crepublic\u201d as \u201crepubblic\u201d, and even \u201cSeychelles\u201d as \u201cSeycheeles\u201d. The award, it transpired, had only been created three days before Modi\u2019s arrival and he was the first and only recipient.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">To add to the furore, when run through software, the certificate was widely flagged as AI-generated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The opposition Congress party were quick to jump on the controversy, claiming: \u201cGive him [Modi] any award, and he\u2019ll come running.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThey were in such a tearing hurry that they even got the official name of the Republic of Seychelles wrong,\u201d the Congress politician Supriya Shrinate said on social media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) hit back, saying it was a \u201cproud moment for India\u201d for him to receive the award for his \u201cgreen leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"65288f70-c660-4cfc-8826-3e9000b43847\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Modi stands on a red carpet at the airport with a plane in the background as officials stand by and people wave Indian flags. \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/801cc18cde1bfb3a1409b0a89f6ccf353bc3b7ab\/0_0_720_480\/master\/720.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"65288f70-c660-4cfc-8826-3e9000b43847\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Modi concludes his state visit to Seychelles, \u2018a proud moment for India\u2019 for him to receive the award, his party said.  <\/span> Photograph: State House Office of the president of the Republic of Seychelles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">As critics have pointed out, Modi has shown a notable penchant for receiving awards, at home and abroad, over his 12 years in power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Last month, days before Modi\u2019s visit to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Israel<\/a>, the Israeli parliament quickly created what it claimed to be one of the country\u2019s highest honours, the medal of the Knesset, which was bestowed on Modi when he landed. Again, he is the only recipient to date.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In 2019, Modi also became the first recipient of India\u2019s Philip Kotler presidential award, given to the prime minister for his \u201coutstanding leadership of the nation\u201d. According to the government\u2019s press release, the honour was to be bestowed annually to the leader of a nation. However, no other leader has since been given the award and its website lies dormant.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"5c6e3a79-d164-4ac0-b1dd-753e5e1f8553\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-11 | 11\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-15vltj4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2024\/apr\/19\/messianic-spell-how-narendra-modi-created-a-cult-personality\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">\u2018Messianic spell\u2019: how Narendra Modi created a cult of personality<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It is privately acknowledged that accolades and awards have become an expectation during Modi\u2019s foreign trips. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, the author of a biography of Modi, said the global push for prizes was symptomatic of the prime minister\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2024\/apr\/19\/messianic-spell-how-narendra-modi-created-a-cult-personality\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">personality-driven politics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe intention behind collecting these awards \u2013 often bestowed in circumstances that raise eyebrows \u2013 is to convey to supporters and potential converts that Modi is being honoured across the world over because of his greatness and that India\u2019s rising clout is because of Modi\u2019s personality,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In the past year Modi has also become the first foreign head of state to receive Ethiopia\u2019s Great Honour Nishan and the order of the Republic of Trinidad &amp; Tobago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The BJP says the awards are a recognition of Modi\u2019s international stature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/narendra-modi\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Narendra Modi<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/india\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">India<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/seychelles\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Seychelles<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/south-and-central-asia\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">South and central Asia<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/israel\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Israel<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/middleeast\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Middle East and north Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=%E2%80%98Give%20him%20any%20award,%20and%20he%E2%80%99ll%20come%20running%E2%80%99:%20Narendra%20Modi%20racks%20up%20honours%20on%20overseas%20trips%20&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/03\/narendra-modi-awards-honours-overseas-trips?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Fjul%2F03%2Fnarendra-modi-awards-honours-overseas-trips&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/jul\/03\/narendra-modi-awards-honours-overseas-trips\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-axwinp\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Narendra Modi received the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award, with trophy and certificate, from the Seychelles president, Patrick Herminie, at the weekend. Photograph: State House Office of the president &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2105\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}