President Droupadi Murmu conferred with Suriname's highest civilian honor

President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with the highest civilian award of Suriname, called "The Grand Order of the Chain of Yellow Star," on Tuesday. She has become the first Indian citizen to receive this honor. Murmu, who is currently on a three-day visit to Suriname, participated in celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in the country.

Congratulating the president, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, "This special gesture from the government and people of Suriname symbolizes the enduring friendship between our countries." Meanwhile, Murmu in a tweet said, "I dedicate this honor to the successive generations of the Indian-Surinamese community, who have played a stellar role in enriching the fraternal ties between our two countries."

The 64-year-old president also announced that the central government has approved the extension of eligibility criteria for the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card from fourth generation to sixth generation. "This will help all those whose ancestors came to Suriname onboard the first ship-Lalla Rookh to get OCI cards," she was quoted as saying by ANI.

Murmu reached Paramaribo, Suriname, on Sunday on her first state visit to the country. On Monday, she met Chandrikapersad Santokhi, her counterpart in Suriname, and led delegation-level talks between the two sides. Reportedly, India and Suriname also signed four major Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of health, agriculture, and capacity building.