Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Indian politician, and former Chief Minister of Bihar served as the Union Railway Minister of India and presented the railway budget six times in a row from 2004 to 2009. During his tenure, he implemented several changes and reforms in the Indian Railways.

The three largest sovereign countries by surface area are Russia, Canada, and the United States. Together they occupy roughly a quarter of Earth's landmass. Other heavyweights in size are China, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina and Kazakhstan.

The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were: the former Governor-General of the Union of India C. Rajagopalachari, the former President of the Republic of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan; and the Indian physicist C. V. Raman, who were honoured in 1954.