Bharat Ratna | The highest civilian honour of the Republic of India
by Yuvi - May 12, 2022
Bharat Ratna Award
Bharat Ratna award is the highest civilian honour in the Republic of India. Instituted and started on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex, in recognition of “exceptional service or performance of the highest order”.
Initially Bharat Ratna was limited to achievements in the fields of arts, literature, science, and public services only, but later on in December 2011 the Indian government decided to expanded this criteria and included “any field of human endeavour”.
Recommendations for the Bharat Ratna
Prime Minister gives the recommendations for the Bharat Ratna to the President of India, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year.
The recipients receive a certificate signed by the President of India and a peepal leaf-shaped medallion. There is no monetary grant associated with Bharat Ratna award. Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
Content Index
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Bharat Ratna Award
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Recommendations for the Bharat Ratna
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First recipients of Bharat Ratna
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Youngest recipient of Bharat Ratna
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Suspension of Bharat Ratna
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Criticism in Bharat Ratna awards
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Important facts about Bharat Ratna
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Bharat Ratna recipient Entitlements
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Bharat Ratna Award winner list
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Bharat Ratna recipients image gallery
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Frequently asked questions regarding Bharat Ratna
First recipients of Bharat Ratna
C. Rajagopalachari the last Governor-General of the Dominion of India and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan the second President and the first Vice President of India and C. V. Raman who was a Nobel Prize Laureate and a Physicist were honoured with bharat Ratna initially in 1954. the first Bharat Ratna Award was given to these 3 personalities.
Till now (2022), the award has been bestowed upon 48 individuals, among them 14 are awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously. The original statutes did not provide for posthumous awards but it was amended in January 1955 to permit posthumous Bharat Ratna. Indian Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first person to be honoured posthumously.
Youngest recipient of Bharat Ratna
Sachin Tendulkar was awarded with Bharat Ratna in 2014 at a age of 40yrs, and he became the youngest recipient of Bharat Ratna. Dhondo Keshav Karve a social reformer was awarded with bharat Ratna on his 100th birthday, and he become the oldest person who was awarded Bharat Ratna
M. S. Subbulakshmi was the first singer to be awarded Bharat Ratna and M. G. Ramachandran was the first actor to be awarded Bharat Ratna.
Bharat Ratna to non-Indians
Though Bharat Ratna is usually conferred to India-born citizens, but Bharat Ratna has been also awarded to a naturalised Indian citizen Mother Teresa, and to two non-Indians they were Abdul Ghaffar Khan (born in British India and later citizen of Pakistan) and Nelson Mandela, who was born in South Africa and citizen of South Africa.
Suspension of Bharat Ratna
Along with other personal civil honours The Bharat Ratna, was briefly suspended from July 1977 to January 1980, during the change in the national government, and for second time it was suspended from August 1992 to December 1995, when several public-interest litigations challenged the constitutional validity of the awards.
Bharat Ratna posthumously to Subhas Chandra Bose
The Indian government decided to confer the award posthumously to Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992, but it was opposed by peoples who had refused to accept the fact of death of Subhas Chandra Bose, including some members of his extended family.
The press communique announcing Subhas Chandra Bose’s award was cancelled due to Supreme Court decision in 1997. It become a unique incident in which the award was announced but it was not conferred.
Criticism in Bharat Ratna awards
The posthumous Bharat Ratna award of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1991) and Madan Mohan Malaviya (2015) were criticised as they died before Bharat Ratna award was instituted.
Important facts about Bharat Ratna
- There is no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens.
- There is no formal nomination process for Bharat Ratna, and the recommendations for this honour can only be made by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India
- The office of the secretary to the President of India released a press communique on 02 Jan 1954 announcing the creation of two civilian awards—Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.
- Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest and the first sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna at the age of 40yrs.
- Dhondo Keshav Karve was the oldest person who was awarded on his 100th birthday.
- Bharat Ratna medal is in the shape of a peepal leaf, approximately 2+5⁄16 inches (59 mm) long, 1+7⁄8 inches (48 mm) wide and 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) thick and made of platinum. The words “Bharat Ratna” is on the obverse side and the emblem of India and “Satyameva Jayate” is on the reverse side of the medal.
- The Bharat Ratna medals are produced at Alipore Mint, in Kolkata
- Bharat Ratna award does not carry any monetary benefits
Bharat Ratna recipient Entitlements
- Bharat Ratna recipient receives a medallion and a certificate signed by the President of India.
- Treatment as a state guests when traveling within a state.
- Recipients can request to facilitate for abroad missions.
- Entitled for a diplomatic passport.
- Entitled for a lifetime free executive class travel on Air India.
- Placed at 7a position in the Indian order of precedence.
Bharat Ratna Award winner list
Sl No | Recipient | Field of work / State |
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1 |
Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
Bharat Ratna 1954 |
Public Affairs Tamil Nadu |
2 |
Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
Bharat Ratna 1954 |
Public Affairs Tamil Nadu |
3 |
Shri Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
Bharat Ratna 1954 |
Science and Engineering Tamil Nadu |
4 |
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
Bharat Ratna 1955 |
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh |
5 |
Dr. M. Visvesvaraya
Bharat Ratna 1955 |
Civil Service Karnataka |
6 |
Dr. Bhagwan Das
Bharat Ratna 1955 |
Literature and Education Uttar Pradesh |
7 |
Shri Govind Ballabh Pant
Bharat Ratna 1957 |
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh |
8 |
Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve
Bharat Ratna 1958 |
Social Work Maharashtra |
9 |
Shri Purushottam Das Tandon
Bharat Ratna 1961 |
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh |
10 |
Shri Bidhan Chandra Roy
Bharat Ratna 1961 |
Public Affairs West Bengal |
11 |
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Bharat Ratna 1962 |
Public Affairs Bihar |
12 |
Dr. Zakir Husain
Bharat Ratna 1963 |
Public Affairs Telangana |
13 |
Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane
Bharat Ratna 1963 |
Social Work Maharashtra |
14 |
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri
Bharat Ratna 1966 |
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh |
15 |
Smt. Indira Gandhi
Bharat Ratna 1971 |
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh |
16 |
Shri V.V. Giri
Bharat Ratna 1975 |
Public Affairs Odisha |
17 |
Shri Kumaraswamy Kamraj
Bharat Ratna 1976 |
Public Affairs Tamil Nadu |
18 |
Mother Mary Bojaxhiu Teresa
Bharat Ratna 1980 |
Social Work West Bengal |
19 |
Shri Acharya Vinoba Bhave
Bharat Ratna 1983 |
Social Work Maharashtra |
20 |
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Bharat Ratna 1987 |
Social Work Pakistan |
21 |
Shri Manidur Gopalan Ramachandran (posthumous)
Bharat Ratna 1988 |
Public Affairs Tamil Nadu |
22 |
Dr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
Bharat Ratna 1990 |
Public Affairs South Africa |
23 |
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Bharat Ratna 1990 |
Public Affairs Maharashtra |
24 |
Shri Rajiv Gandhi
Bharat Ratna 1991 |
Public Affairs Delhi |
25 |
Shri Morarji Ranchhodji Desai
Bharat Ratna 1991 |
Public Affairs Gujara |
26 |
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Bharat Ratna 1991 |
Public Affairs Gujarat |
27 |
Shri Satyajit Ray
Bharat Ratna 1992 |
Art West Bengal |
28 |
Shri Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata
Bharat Ratna 1992 |
Trade and Industry Maharashtra |
29 |
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Bharat Ratna 1992 |
Public Affairs West Bengal |
30 |
Smt. Aruna Asaf (Posth.) Ali
Bharat Ratna 1997 |
Public Affairs Delhi |
31 |
Shri Gulzari Lal Nanda
Bharat Ratna 1997 |
Public Affairs Gujarat |
32 |
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Bharat Ratna 1997 |
Science and Engineering Delhi |
33 |
Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi
Bharat Ratna 1998 |
Art Tamil Nadu |
34 |
Shri Chidambaram Subramaniam
Bharat Ratna 1998 |
Public Affairs Tamil Nadu |
35 |
Shri Jayaprakash (Posth.) Narayan
Bharat Ratna 1999 |
Public Affairs Bihar |
36 |
Shri Gopinath (posth.) Bordoloi
Bharat Ratna 1999 |
Public Affairs Assam |
37 |
Prof. Amartya Sen
Bharat Ratna 1999 |
Literature and Education United Kingdom |
38 |
Pandit Ravi Shankar
Bharat Ratna 1999 |
Art USA |
39 |
Ustad Bismillah Khan
Bharat Ratna 2001 |
Art Uttar Pradesh |
40 |
Kum. Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar
Bharat Ratna 2001 |
Art Maharashtra |
41 |
Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi
Bharat Ratna 2009 |
Art Maharashtra |
42 |
Shri Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Bharat Ratna 2014 |
Sports Maharashtra |
43 |
Prof. C. N. R. Rao
Bharat Ratna 2014 |
Science and Engineering Karnataka |
44 |
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Bharat Ratna 2015 |
Public Affairs Delhi |
45 |
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
Bharat Ratna 2015 |
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh |
46 |
Shri Pranab Mukherjee
Bharat Ratna 2019 |
Public Affairs Delhi |
47 |
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous)
Bharat Ratna 2019 |
Art Assam |
48 |
Shri Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous)
Bharat Ratna 2019 |
Social Work Maharashtra |
Bharat Ratna recipients image gallery
Frequently asked questions regarding Bharat Ratna
Question | Descriptive answer |
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Which award is the highest civilian award of our country | Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of India |
Who received the first Bharat Ratna award | Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari received the first Bharat Ratna in 1954 |
Who awards Bharat Ratna | President of India awards Bharat Ratna Award |
Who was the first non Indian to receive Bharat Ratna | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the first non Indian who received Bharat Ratna in 1987 |
Who was the first foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the first non Indian who received Bharat Ratna in 1987 |
Which famous sitar player has been awarded Bharat Ratna |
Famous Sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar has received Bharat Ratna in 1999. He is known for his collaborative work with Western musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison
|
Which artist from assam has been awarded the Bharat Ratna | Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous) from Assam has been awarded Bharat Ratna in 2019 |
When Bharat Ratna was given to Dr. Ambedkar | Bharat Ratna was awarded to Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in 1990 |
Who was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1999 | Pandit Ravi Shankar, Prof. Amartya Sen, Shri Gopinath (posth.) Bordoloi and Shri Jayaprakash (Posth.) Narayan has been awarded Bharat Ratna in 1999. |
Who was honoured with Bharat Ratna in the year 2019 | Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous) and Shri Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous) were honoured with Bharat Ratna Award in 2019 |
Which Indian President got Bharat Ratna award | Indian President K. R. Narayanan was holding the office of President of India when he was awarded Bharat Ratna. The award was proposed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to President K. R. Narayanan who agreed to the proposal. |
Who got Bharat Ratna in 1992 | Shri Satyajit Ray, Shri Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad got Bharat Ratna in 1992 |
Which Pakistani citizen is awarded Bharat Ratna | Abdul Ghaffar Khan (born in British India and later citizen of Pakistan) was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1987 |
Which player has been awarded the Bharat Ratna | Sachin Tendulkar a cricket player has been awarded Bharat Ratna in 2014. Sachin Tendulkar holds various cricket records and played 664 international cricket matches in his career. |
Who got the Bharat Ratna award in 1963 |
Dr. Zakir Husain and Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane were awarded Bharat Ratna Award in 1963
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Who were honoured with Bharat Ratna in 2019 | Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous) and Shri Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous) were honoured with Bharat Ratna in 2019 |
Who was the first foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna | Abdul Ghaffar Khan (born in British India and later citizen of Pakistan) was the first foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna |
How many Bharat Ratna can be given in a year | Total 03 Bharat Ratna Awards can be given in a year. Year 1999 is an exceptions of this, in which total 4 Bharat Ratna awards were awarded |
When did Bismillah Khan received the Bharat Ratna | Ustad Bismillah Khan received the Bharat Ratna in 2001 |
Who is the first indian sportsperson to get Bharat Ratna | Sachin Tendulkar was the first Indian sportsperson who got Bharat Ratna. |
How many people got Bharat Ratna till now ( 2022 ) | Total 48 Bharat Ratna awards has been given till now ( 2022 ) |
When was Bharat Ratna award started ? | Bharat ratna award was started in 1954. |
When Lata Mangeshkar get Bharat Ratna ? | Kum. Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar was awarded with bharat Ratna in 2001 |
Who was the first scientist to get Bharat Ratna award ? |
Shri Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was the first scientist who get Bharat Ratna Award.
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Who was the first recipient of Bharat Ratna award ? | Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari received the first Bharat Ratna in 1954 |
Which playback singer has been awarded the Bharat Ratna | The “nightingale of India”, Lata Mangeshkar a playback singer was awarded with Bharat Ratna in 2001 |