No Biplab Deb, Rabindranath Tagore Didn’t Give Away Nobel Prize

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb is back in the news with his latest gaffe.

(Photo altered by The Quint)

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb is back in the news with his latest gaffe, saying that Rabindranath Tagore had given away the Nobel Prize to protest the misrule of the British, reported DNA.

Deb was attending a function in Udaipur to mark birth anniversary of Tagore.

Fact: Tagore did receive the Nobel Prize for poetry in 1913. In fact, Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915, but within a few years he resigned the honour as a protest against British policies in India.

Deb seems to have clearly mixed the two instances.

Twitterati, obviously, was in splits, giving history lessons to the Chief Minister.

This isn’t the first time a statement made by the newly appointed Chief Minster is making headlines.

Deb had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era.

He also questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997.

The Chief Minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should.

On Sunday, 29 April, he also said that the educated youth should set up ‘paan shops’ instead of running after political parties to get government jobs.

He also asked youth to explore a career in the dairy field and milk cows.

(With inputs from DNA and IANS)

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