Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the island nation of Seychelles has sparked a controversy after questions were raised over the authenticity of an award certificate presented to him. According to the London-based Guardian newspaper, the certificate contained spelling errors, was flagged as AI-generated by online detection tools, and the award itself had been created just days before Modi’s arrival.
During his visit over the weekend, President Patrick Herminie conferred upon Prime Minister Modi the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award, described as one of Seychelles’ highest civilian honours. Modi received a trophy and a certificate during the official ceremony.
However, soon after the event, several observers pointed out apparent mistakes in the certificate. The document reportedly misspelled “Republic” as “Repubblic” and “Seychelles” as “Seycheeles.” Reports also claimed that the award had been instituted only three days before Modi’s visit, making him its first and, so far, only recipient.
Adding to the controversy, the certificate was reportedly analysed using AI-detection software and was widely flagged as being AI-generated.
The developments quickly drew political reactions in India. The opposition Congress party criticised the episode, with Congress leader Supriya Shrinate alleging that the organisers were in such a hurry that they even misspelled the official name of the Republic of Seychelles. The party also mocked the Prime Minister over the award.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, dismissed the criticism and described the honour as a proud moment for India. The party said the award recognised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, particularly in the field of environmental and green initiatives.
Amid the controversy, Seychelles’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a clarification on Thursday. The ministry stated that a working draft of the certificate had been circulated by mistake and that an authentic and officially approved version had since been issued.
The ministry also rejected allegations about the award itself, stating that the Guardian of the Blue Horizon distinction is genuine.
According to the London-based Guardian newspaper, this is not the first time questions have been raised about honours presented to Prime Minister Modi during overseas visits.
The report noted that last month, ahead of Modi’s visit to Israel, the Israeli Parliament reportedly introduced the Medal of the Knesset, describing it as one of the country’s highest honours. Modi became its first recipient, and no one else has received the award so far.
The Guardian also referred to the Philip Kotler Presidential Award, presented to Modi in 2019 for his “outstanding leadership of the nation.” The award was announced as an annual honour for national leaders, but no other world leader has received it since, and its website is reportedly inactive.
Political commentator and Modi biographer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay told the publication that the growing number of international honours reflects the Prime Minister’s personality-driven political image. He was quoted as saying that such awards help project Modi as a globally respected leader and reinforce the message that India’s rising international influence is closely linked to his leadership.
The report further noted that over the past year, Modi has also received honours from Ethiopia and Trinidad and Tobago, becoming the first foreign head of state to receive those distinctions.
The BJP, meanwhile, maintains that these international recognitions reflect Prime Minister Modi’s growing global stature and India’s increasing influence on the world stage.
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