Exploring the Prestigious Bharat Ratna Award
Table of Contents
The List of Bharat Ratna Awardees
India’s highest civilian award is the Bharat Ratna Award. It was established on January 2, 1954. This award can be given to anyone, irrespective of Indian citizens. But for the award, it is necessary to contribute to fields like arts, literature, sports, and public service. India presents this honour to those who have contributed to improving the nation or its citizens. By giving the Bharat Ratna Award, India shows gratitude towards great work. If you want to learn more facts about the Bharat Ratna Award, read the following article and get all the information. Here is a small gist of topics that you are going to learn; a list of Bharat Ratna Awardees, who received the first Bharat Ratna Award, and who is the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna Award. Let’s explore!
Bharat Ratna
The award which is India’s highest civilian award is Bharat Ratna. It was established on January 2, 1954. It was initially mainly presented in humanities, literature, sciences, and public service. But in December 2011, the Indian government expanded it to recognise outstanding contributions in “any field of human endeavour.” To select the Bharat Ratna Awards, the recipient must fulfil some situations. He must have contributed in fields like arts, science, literature, public service, and sports.
Then only the person can be eligible to receive the Bharat Ratna Award. The Prime Minister himself lists the names who deserve to get the Bharat Ratna Award. Then he sends this list to the President and gives the award to the winner. So, it’s a special and selective honour!
History of Bharat Ratna
The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, has a rich history dating back to its inception in 1954. On January 2, 1954, the President of India established it to honor exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavor. The term “Bharat Ratna” translates to “Jewel of India” in Hindi.
The award underwent various amendments to its eligibility criteria over the years. Initially, it was only given to Indian citizens, but in 2011, the eligibility was expanded to include non-citizens as well. Additionally, the criteria were broadened to include contributions in fields such as art, literature, science, and public service.
The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, and Dr. C. V. Raman, who were honored in 1954 for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
Since then, the Bharat Ratna has been bestowed upon individuals from diverse backgrounds, including politicians, scientists, artists, and social reformers. Some notable recipients include Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Sachin Tendulkar.
The Bharat Ratna is awarded by the President of India and is presented in the form of a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize. It is a symbol of the nation’s highest recognition and appreciation for exceptional service and achievement. Over the years, the Bharat Ratna has come to embody the values of excellence, integrity, and dedication to the nation.
The First Bharat Ratna Awardees
The first recipients of India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, were Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, and Dr. C. V. Raman. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born on September 5, 1888, in Tamil Nadu, was a distinguished philosopher, statesman, and the first Vice President (1952-1962) and second President (1962-1967) of India. He was renowned for his contributions to philosophy and education, advocating for holistic learning and moral development.
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, was a prominent lawyer, politician, and freedom fighter, who served as the last Governor-General of India (1948-1950). Dr. C. V. Raman, born on November 7, 1888, in Tamil Nadu, was a renowned physicist whose groundbreaking work in light scattering earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
In 1954, the Bharat Ratna was bestowed upon these three luminaries in recognition of their exceptional contributions to their respective fields and their service to the nation. Their legacy continues to inspire generations of Indians.”
List of Bharat Ratna Awardees
| Recipients (State/UT) | Year | About |
| C. Rajagopalachari/ Rajaji (Tamil Nadu) | 1954 | Lawyer, statesman, and activist |
| Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan (Tamil Nadu) | 1954 | First Vice-President and Second President of India |
| C. V. Raman (Tamil Nadu) | 1954 | Mathematicians, scientists, and physicists |
| Bhagwan Das (Uttar Pradesh) | 1955 | Educationist, activist, and philosopher |
| M. Visvesvaraya (Karnataka) | 1955 | Mysore’s Diwan, statesman, and civil engineer |
| Jawaharlal Nehru (Uttar Pradesh) | 1955 | Author and activist who held the position of Indian prime minister |
| Govind Ballabh Pant (Uttarakhand) | 1957 | First Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and activist |
| Dhondo Keshav Karve (Maharashtra) | 1958 | Social activist and Educator |
| Bidhan Chandra Roy (West Bengal) | 1961 | Social worker, educator, philanthropist, politician, and physician |
| Purushottam Das Tandon (Uttar Pradesh) | 1961 | Speaker of the United Provinces Legislative Assembly and activist |
| Rajendra Prasad (Bihar) | 1962 | Activist, lawyer, statesman, and scholar |
| Zakir Husain (Andhra Pradesh) | 1963 | Activist, economist, and education philosopher served as a Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and the Governor of Bihar |
| Pandurang Vaman Kane (Maharashtra) | 1963 | Indian scholar and Sanskrit expert, renowned for his five-volume literary composition |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri (Uttar Pradesh) * | 1966 | Activist and served as the second Prime Minister of India |
| Indira Gandhi (Uttar Pradesh) | 1971 | India’s first female prime minister |
| V. V. Giri (Odisha) | 1975 | Trade Unionist |
| K. Kamaraj (Tamil Nadu) * | 1976 | Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and independence fighter |
| Mother Teresa (West Bengal, born in North Macedonia) | 1980 | The founder of the Missionaries of Charity and a Catholic nun |
| Vinoba Bhave (Maharashtra) * | 1983 | Social reformer, activist, and close friend of Mahatma Gandhi |
| Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Pakistan) | 1987 | First non-citizen and activist for independence |
| M. G. Ramachandran (Tamil Nadu) * | 1988 | Actor turned politician and Tamil Nadu chief minister |
| B.R. Ambedkar (Maharashtra) | 1990 | Social reformer, Dalit activist, principal drafter of the Indian Constitution, and the nation’s first law minister. |
| Nelson Mandela(South Africa) | 1990 | Head of the South African Anti-Apartheid Movement and President of South Africa |
| Rajiv Gandhi (Uttar Pradesh) | 1991 | India’s ninth prime minister |
| Vallabhbhai Patel (Gujarat) | 1991 | First Deputy Prime Minister of India and activist |
| Morarji Desai (Gujarat) | 1991 | Prime Minister of India and activist |
| Abul Kalam Azad (West Bengal) | 1992 | First Minister of Education and an activist |
| J. R. D. Tata (Maharashtra) | 1992 | Businessman and a philanthropist |
| Satyajit Ray (West Bengal) | 1992 | A director, filmmaker, writer, novelist |
| Gulzarilal Nanda (Punjab) | 1997 | Activist and the interim Prime Minister of India |
| Aruna Asaf Ali (West Bengal) | 1997 | Activist |
| A.P.J Abdul Kalam (Tamil Nadu) | 1997 | Aerospace and defense scientist |
| M. S. Subbulakshmi (Tamil Nadu) | 1998 | Carnatic classical vocalist |
| Chidambaram Subramaniam (Tamil Nadu) | 1998 | Activist and the Agriculture Minister of India |
| Jayaprakash Narayan (Bihar) | 1999 | Activist and social reformer |
| Amartya Sen (West Bengal) | 1999 | Economist |
| Gopinath Bordoloi (Assam) | 1999 | Activist |
| Ravi Shankar (Uttar Pradesh) | 1999 | Musician, sitar player |
| Lata Mangeshkar (Maharashtra) | 2001 | Singer |
| Bismillah Khan (Uttar Pradesh) | 2001 | Hindustani classical shehnai player |
| Bhimsen Joshi (Karnataka) | 2009 | Hindustani classical vocalist |
| C. N. R. Rao (Karnataka) | 2014 | Chemist and professor, author |
| Sachin Tendulkar (Maharashtra) | 2014 | Cricketer |
| Madan Mohan Malaviya (Uttar Pradesh) | 2015 | Scholar and educational reformer |
| Atal Bihari Bajpayee (Madhya Pradesh) | 2015 | Nine times elected Lok Sabha , and twice Rajya Sabha member, and Former Prime Minister of India for three terms |
| Pranab Mukherjee (West Bengal) | 2019 | Former President of India |
| Nanaji Deshmukh (Maharashtra) | 2019 | Social activist |
| Bhupen Hazarika (Assam) | 2019 | Playback singer, lyricist, musician, singer, poet, and filmmaker from Assam |
| Karpoori Thakur(Bihar) | 2024 | Former Chief Minister of Bihar |
| Lal Krishna Advani | 2024 | Former Bhartiya Janta Party Leader |
| MS Swaminathan(Thiruvananthapuram) | 2024 | Father of Green Revolution |
| Chaudhary Charan Singh(Uttar Pradesh) | 2024 | Former Prime minister who championed the farming industry and protected farmers’ rights |
| PV Narasimha Rao(Andhra Pradesh) | 2024 | Former Prime Minister |
There have been some controversies and suspensions related to the Bharat Ratna:
- The award was suspended twice in its history. The first time was in 1977 when Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister. His government withdrew all personal civil honours, including the Bharat Ratna, on July 13, 1977.
- The second suspension happened in the mid-1990s when the Kerala High Court and the Madhya Pradesh High Court filed legal cases challenging the “constitutional validity” of the award.
Youngest Bharat Ratna Awardee: Sachin Tendulkar
The youngest recipient of India’s prestigious Bharat Ratna award is Sachin Tendulkar. Born on April 24, 1973, Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He received the Bharat Ratna on February 4, 2014, at the age of 40, in recognition of his unparalleled contribution to Indian cricket and his outstanding achievements on the international stage. Tendulkar’s exemplary career, marked by numerous records and accolades, has made him an icon not only in the world of sports but also in Indian society as a whole.
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The Oldest Bharat Ratna Award recipient
The oldest recipient of India’s prestigious Bharat Ratna award was Nanaji Deshmukh. Born on October 11, 1916, Deshmukh was a prominent social activist, politician, and member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously on August 8, 2019, at the age of 102, in recognition of his lifelong dedication to social service, rural development, and nation-building. Deshmukh’s tireless efforts to uplift marginalized communities and promote grassroots democracy left an indelible mark on Indian society, making him an important figure even in his later years.
List of Posthumous Recipients of the Bharat Ratna Award
A few people have received posthumous Bharat Ratna Awards. That is to say, they received their honor after passing away. The list of Bharat Ratna awardees who received posthumous honors is provided here.
- Lal Bahadur Shastri (Passed away on 11 January 1966)
- Kamaraj (Passed away on 2 October 1975)
- Vinoba Bhave (Passed away on 15 November 1982)
- M. G. Ramachandran (Passed away on 24 December 1987)
- B. R. Ambedkar (Passed away on 6 December 1956)
- Rajiv Gandhi (Passed away on 21 May 1991)
- Vallabhbhai Patel (Passed away on 15 December 1950)
- Abdul Kalam Azad (Passed away on 22 February 1958)
- Aruna Asaf Ali (Passed away on 29 July 1996)
- Jayaprakash Narayan (Passed away on 8 October 1979)
- Gopinath Bordoloi (Passed away on 5 August 1950)
- Madan Mohan Malaviya (Passed away on 12 November 1946)
- Bhupen Hazarika (Passed away on 5 November 2011)
- Nanaji Deshmukh (Passed away on 27 February 2010)
List Bharat Ratna Award winners 2024
- Karpoori Thakur: Renowned socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna on the eve of his 100th birth anniversary.
- Lal Krishna Advani: Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna award for his contributions to Indian politics and public life.
- PV Narasimha Rao: Former Prime Minister of India, recognized for his leadership during critical phases of economic reform and liberalization.
- Chaudhary Charan Singh: Former Prime Minister of India, honored for his advocacy for farmers’ rights and agricultural reforms.
- MS Swaminathan: Renowned agricultural scientist, acknowledged for his pioneering work in agricultural research and development, particularly in the Green Revolution.
List of Former President Bharat Ratna Awardees
Over the period spanning from 1954 to 2024, several Presidents of India have been recipients of the prestigious Bharat Ratna Award. Among the 48 esteemed awardees, six Indian Presidents received the Bharat Ratna Award. The table below shows their names and the respective years when they were conferred with this honor:
| Presidents of India | Year of Award |
| Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan | 1954 |
| Rajendra Prasad | 1962 |
| Zakir Hussain | 1963 |
| A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | 1997 |
| Dr. V V Giri | 1975 |
| Pranab Mukherjee | 2019 |
Beyond Prestige: Bharat Ratna Benefits
While the Bharat Ratna award doesn’t come with money, awardees enjoy some special Bharat Ratna Benefits:
- They are treated with the same respect as top government officials when travelling within India.
- They receive a diplomatic passport, usually given only to diplomats, high-ranking government officers, and diplomatic couriers. This passport lets them use a separate immigration line at airports and access VIP lounges.
- They can fly for free in the executive class for life.
- The ‘Table of Precedence’ for state events ranks them at 7A, alongside the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, State Governors, former Presidents, Deputy Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, and Speaker of Lok Sabha.
- Awardees receive a special medallion, a miniature version, and a certificate signed by the President of India.
- These privileges are also tax-free for Bharat Ratna recipients.
Bharat Ratna Prize Money
There is no Bharat Ratna prize money; recipients can’t use it as a title. They can only use phrases like ‘Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President’ to indicate they have received it. However, they enjoy some Bharat Ratna benefits, such as being treated like important government officials during travel in India.
They also receive a diplomatic passport, usually given to diplomats and top government officers, granting them separate immigration lines and VIP lounge access at airports. Despite the lack of monetary rewards, recipients receive a medallion, a miniature version, and a certificate signed by the President of India.
Conclusion
The Bharat Ratna, India’s top civilian award, started in 1954. Anyone with the Bharat Ratna Award has contributed to improving humanity in any field, like science, literature, arts, public service, and sports, regardless of their job, gender, or racism. The Bharat Ratna Award can be given to three people annually. The winners receives the award from the Indian President.
The Bharat Ratna Award has been given to 16 persons posthumously. It means the person who has died can also receive the Bharat Ratna Award for their great contributions. As you have studied above the list of Bharat Ratna Awardees, all played an important role in the betterment of our country. We must take inspiration from them and always do hard work.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many people received Bharat Ratna?
53 people have received the prize since 1954, including 18 who received it posthumously. In January 1966, an amendment to the original rules enabled the posthumous recognition of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. He became the first person to receive such an honor.
Who won the first Bharat Ratna?
In 1954, the Bharat Ratna provision was instituted. Famous scientists Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, lawyer and independence campaigner C. Rajagopalachari, and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s first vice president, were the first to receive the esteemed honor.
Who is the first person to receive Bharat Ratna posthumously?
The first posthumous recipient of the Bharat Ratna was Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966). Indira Gandhi was the first female recipient of the Bharat Ratna (1971).
How many females have received Bharat Ratna?
Since its inception in 1954, five women have been given this award. The first woman to win it was former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1971. Mother Teresa, a champion for freedom, received it in 1980; vocalists M S Subbalakshmi and Lata Mangeshkar received it in 1998 and 2001, respectively.
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