Modi receives controversial award in Seychelles – spelling errors and AI traces
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded a hastily created honor in Seychelles with multiple spelling mistakes, sparking opposition criticism over his habit of collecting awards during foreign trips.
Narendra Modi arrived in Seychelles over the weekend, where the archipelago nation swiftly bestowed one of its "highest" honors upon him. Modi beamed as he accepted the "Guardian of the Blue Horizon" award from Seychelles President Patrick Herminie, complete with a trophy and certificate.
Observers quickly noticed several anomalies. The certificate misspelled "republic" as "repubblic" and even "Seychelles" as "Seycheeles." It transpired that the award had been created just three days before Modi's arrival, and he is the first and only recipient. Furthermore, when run through software, the certificate was widely flagged as AI-generated.
The opposition Congress party seized on the controversy, claiming: "Give him [Modi] any award, and he'll come running." Congress politician Supriya Shrinate said on social media: "They were in such a tearing hurry that they even got the official name of the Republic of Seychelles wrong."
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back, calling it a "proud moment for India" for him to receive the award for his "green leadership." Critics have noted that Modi has shown a distinct inclination for collecting awards, both at home and abroad, during his 12 years in power.
Last month, days before Modi's visit to Israel, the Israeli parliament quickly created what it claimed to be one of the country's highest honors, the medal of the Knesset, which was bestowed on Modi upon arrival. He remains the sole recipient to date.
In 2019, Modi became the first recipient of India's Philip Kotler presidential award, given for his "outstanding leadership of the nation." According to a government press release, the honor was to be awarded annually to a nation's leader, but no other leader has received it since, and its website lies dormant.
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of a Modi biography, said the global push for prizes reflects the prime minister's personality-driven politics. "The intention behind collecting these awards – often bestowed in circumstances that raise eyebrows – is to convey to supporters that Modi is being honored worldwide because of his greatness and that India's rising clout is due to his personality," he said.
In the past year, Modi has also become the first foreign head of state to receive Ethiopia's Great Honour Nishan and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The BJP says the awards are recognition of Modi's international stature.
