'The Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star' is the highest civilian honour of:

The "Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star" ("Ere-Orde van de Gele Ster") is the highest civilian honour of Suriname.

About the award:

• It is awarded by the President of Suriname for outstanding services to the nation.
• The "Yellow Star" refers to the five-pointed yellow star on the flag of Suriname, which symbolises unity and a bright future.

In June 2023, President Droupadi Murmu of India received this award from the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, during her state visit to Suriname. It was her first state visit abroad.

The honour recognised her contribution to strengthening the friendship between India and Suriname, and the long historical links between the two countries.

About Suriname:

• It is a small country on the north-eastern coast of South America.
• Its capital is Paramaribo.
• It was a Dutch colony ("Dutch Guiana") until its independence on 25 November 1975.
• Its official language is Dutch; it is the only Dutch-speaking country in South America.
• Its currency is the Surinamese dollar.
• More than 90 per cent of its area is covered by forest; it is one of the most forested countries in the world.

India and Suriname:

• Indians first arrived in Suriname on 5 June 1873, on the ship "Lalla Rookh", as indentured labourers to work on plantations after slavery was abolished. 5 June is celebrated as "Indian Arrival Day" in Suriname.
• People of Indian origin (called "Hindostanis") form the largest ethnic group in Suriname, about 27 per cent of the population.
• "Sarnami Hindustani", a form of Bhojpuri and Awadhi, is widely spoken.

Chandrikapersad Santokhi, an Indian-origin politician, was President from 2020 to 2025. He was the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in 2023. In July 2025, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons became Suriname's first woman President.

Other honours received by Indian Presidents and Prime Ministers abroad:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the highest civilian honours of many countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Russia, Bhutan, Egypt, France (Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour), Papua New Guinea, Fiji and others.

Other countries with large Indian-origin populations from indentured labour:

Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa and Jamaica.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Guyana's highest award is the "Order of Excellence"; PM Modi received it in 2024.
• ✗Trinidad and Tobago's highest award is the "Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago"; PM Modi received it in 2025.
• ✗Fiji's highest award is the "Companion of the Order of Fiji"; PM Modi received it in 2023.