UNICEF representative for India, Mr Louis Georges Arsenault said that “India's victory over polio is a huge credit to those who mobilize people for polio vaccination�.

In a bid to show the organization's gratitude for spreading awareness on the disease, Arsenault felicitated Mr Bachan, who was an active campaigner.

Mr Amitabh Bachchan expressed his happiness at the disease being finally eradicated from India. "Polio eradicated from India. An eight year campaign with the UNICEF ambassadorship! Feel such accomplishment and joy!" he posted on Twitter.

He also said “I have been doing this everyday for the past 45 years, standing in front of the camera and speaking a few sentences, and it is a very easy job for us. But the really difficult part of the job was of those who, under hard circumstances and situations, went from point to point across the nation and gave the two drops of polio vaccination to save the children from the deadly disease.�

India was declared free of the crippling polio virus on March 27, 2014, by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It has been country's biggest public health achievement in recent times