Government clears Pranab Mukherjee memorial at Rajghat's Rashtriya Smriti complex

The Centre has approved the construction of a memorial dedicated to former President Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtriya Smriti complex within Delhi's Rajghat.

This will mark another significant addition to the national memorial landscape, honouring India's former Presidents and Prime Ministers. The decision comes nearly six years after Mukherjee's death in August 2020 and follows the government's earlier decision in January 2025 to reserve land for the memorial.

READ THIS: Bangkok pub fire kills 27, injures 63: Smoke from circuit breaker gave seconds to escape

The memorial will be built at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, a designated area within the Rajghat complex reserved for commemorating former Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers. The project has now received the necessary clearance, paving the way for construction to begin.

A president with one of the longest careers

Pranab Mukherjee, who served as India's 13th President from 2012 to 2017, had one of the longest careers in Indian public life. A veteran parliamentarian and senior Congress leader before assuming the presidency, he held several key portfolios, including Finance, Defence and External Affairs, during his decades in government. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2019.

The move to establish a memorial was first announced in January 2025, when the Union government informed Mukherjee's family that a designated site had been identified within the Rajghat complex. His daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, had publicly thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that the family had not requested the honour and that the decision reflected her father's belief that state honours should be bestowed rather than sought.

ALSO READ: 'You pay for AI twice': Satya Nadella's 'Reverse Information Paradox' raises a billion-dollar question

The memorial proposal had earlier undergone scrutiny by the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC), which sought design modifications to ensure the structure remained consistent with the architectural character of the Rajghat memorial precinct. Suggestions included removing certain design elements, such as a proposed photograph installation and under-platform lighting, to maintain uniformity with existing memorials.

With the latest approval, the Pranab Mukherjee memorial will join other national memorials at Rajghat, including those dedicated to former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and P. V. Narasimha Rao, further expanding the Rashtriya Smriti complex as a site commemorating India's foremost constitutional leaders.