Bharat Ratna Awardees (1954–2024)

History

The Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian honour, instituted on 2 January 1954 by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The award was established to recognise exceptional service to the nation or humanity — in any field including arts, literature, science, public service, and sport. It was originally awarded only to Indian citizens, but the eligibility was extended to non-Indians in 1966. The award was suspended twice — from 1977–1980 (Janata Party government) and 1992–1996 (pending litigation).

Awarded By

The Bharat Ratna is awarded by the President of India on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of India. There is no formal application process — the Prime Minister recommends recipients to the President who approves and awards. Up to 3 persons may be awarded in any year, though there is no minimum. The award carries no monetary grant.

The Medal

The Bharat Ratna award consists of a peepal-leaf shaped medallion (5.8 cm × 4.7 cm) made of toned gold, with a sun emblem and the words "Bharat Ratna" inscribed in Devanagari script on the front. The reverse bears the State Emblem of India with the national motto "Satyameva Jayate." Awardees are entitled to use "Bharat Ratna" as a suffix to their names and hold the 7th position in the Indian order of precedence.

Notable Firsts

• First recipients (1954): C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Sir C.V. Raman
• First posthumous: Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966)
• First non-Indian: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987)
• First musician: M.S. Subbulakshmi (1998)
• First sportsperson: Sachin Tendulkar (2013)
• Youngest recipient: Sachin Tendulkar (age 40, 2013)