• He was honored with the Padma Shri, India’s 4th highest civilian honor, in 1992 in the field of Literature and Education; and the Padma Bhushan, India’s 3rd highest civilian honor, in 2005 in the field of Literature and Education.

About Sir William Mark Tully:
Profile: He was a veteran journalist, renowned broadcaster, and acclaimed author who made India his home and became one of the most respected foreign correspondents covering the subcontinent.
Early Career: He joined the BBC in the 1960s and was later posted to India as junior administrative assistant in 1965.

• He served as Bureau Chief for BBC, New Delhi (India) for 22 years.

Author: Apart from being an award-winning journalist, he was also a renowned author and had written several books on India for instance: ‘No Full Stops in India’; ‘India in Slow Motion’; and ‘The Heart of India’.
Key Events Covered in South Asia History: During his several decades long career in journalism, he covered the most turbulent events in South Asia history, specifically India, which included:

• 1971 Bangladesh war; the Emergency between 1975 and 1977;
• Operation Blue Star; the assassination of former Prime Minister (PM) of India Indira Gandhi and the anti-Sikh riots and the Bhopal Gas tragedy (thousands of people died due to leakage of  methyl isocyanate in Madhya Pradesh, MP)in 1984;
• The assassination of former PM of India Rajiv Gandhi in 1991; and the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.

Awards/Accolades: He was also knighted(KBE) by the British government in 2002 for his exceptional services to journalism.