The “Bharat Ratna” Award is the highest Civilian Award in India. “Bharat Ratna” means “Gem of India”.
"Bharat Ratna" Award is conferred on Indian Citizens, including resident and non-resident , and also on Foreigners for the highest degrees of national services rendered in the fields of:-
- Art
- Literature
- Science
- Public service of high orders
In the year 2011, the Government of India modified the eligibility criteria for "Bharat Ratna" Award from the earlier criteria- "for the highest degrees of national service" to - " "for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour"- to enable eminent sports-persons to receive the nation's highest civilian award.
Initially, the” Bharat Ratna” award was conferred on only alive persons and the award was not intended to be given posthumous.
After January 1955 provision was made for issue of posthumous Bharat Ratna award.
From the year 1954 To 2013, “Bharat Ratna” award has been given to 41 Indian Citizens (both Resident and non-resident) and including the following 3 foreigners:-
Mother Theresa belonging to the Republic of Macedonia
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan belonging to Pakistan
Nelson Mandela belonging to South Africa
The following is the list of the “Bharata Ratna”-Award- Recipients from the year 1954 to the year 2013:-
Recipients of 1954 (6):
1. Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975)-
The Second President and the First Vice President of India, A Philosopher belonging to Tamil Nadu whose birthday is commemorated as “Teachers’ Day”.
2. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari /Rajaji(1878–1972)- The last Governor General of British India who was also an Indian Freedom Fighter, belonging to Tamilnadu
3.Sir C. V. Raman ( 1888–1970)- Nobel-prize winning Physicist belonging to Tamil Nadu
Recipients of 1955 (1):-
4. Dr.Bhagwan Das (1869–1958)- A Man of Literature and an Indian Freedom Fighter belonging to Uttar Pradesh
5.Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya (1861–1962)- An Indian Civil Engineer and Dam Architect, A Diwan of Princely state of Mysore Karnataka
6. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)- The First Prime Minister of India and an Indian Freedom Fighter and Writer belonging to Uttar Pradesh
Recipient of 1956: None
Recipient of 1957 (1):
7. Mr. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887–1961)- An Indian Freedom Fighter and Home Minister of Indian Union belonging to Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand
Recipient of 1958 (1):
8. Dhondo Keshav Karve (1858–1962) –An Educationist and a Social Reformer belonging to Maharashtra- Awarded Bharata Ratna in his birth centenary year 1958
Recipient of1959 &1960: None
Recipients of 1961 (2):
9. Dr. B. C. Roy (1882–1962)_ A Physician, Politician and Former Chief Minister of West Bengal belonging to West Bengal
10.Mr.Purushottam Das Tandon (1882–1962)- An Indian- Freedom Fighter and an Educationist belonging to Uttar Pradesh
Recipients of 1962: None
Recipients of 1963 (3):
11. Dr.(Babu) Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963)- The first President of India, a Freedom Fighter and a Jurist belonging to Bihar
12. Dr. Zakir Hussain (1897–1969)-Former President of India and a Scholar belonging to Andhra Pradesh
13. Mr.Pandurang Vaman Kane (1880–1972)- Ideologist and Sanskrit scholar belonging to Maharashtra
Recipient of 1964 &1965: None
Recipient of 1966 (1):
14. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966)--The Second Prime Minister of India a Freedom Fighter belonging to Uttar Pradesh- Awarded Posthumously
Recipients From 1967 To 1970: None
Recipient of 1971 (1):
15.Mrs. Indira Gandhi –(1917–1984)- Former and the first and the only Lady Prime Minister of India/Daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, belonging to Uttar Pradesh
Recipients From 1972 To 1974: None
Recipient of 1975 (1):
16.Mr.V. V. Giri (1894–1980)- Former President- Trade Unionist belonging to Orissa
Recipient of 1976 (1):
17.Mr.K. Kamaraj (1903–1975)--A Freedom Fighter-Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu belonging to Tamil Nadu-Awarded Posthumously
Recipient From 1977 To 1979: None
The ‘Bharat Ratna” award had been kept suspended by the Government of India,from 13th July 1977 to 26th January 1980.
Recipient of 1980 (1):
18. Mother Teresa (1910–1997)- A Nobel Laureate (For Peace, 1979) A foreigner belonging to the Republic of Macedonia- dedicated to the Sick people of India especially for those who were affected by Leprosy
Recipient of 1981&1982: None
Recipient of 1983 (1):
19.Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895–1982)-- A Social Reformer and a Freedom Fighter belonging to Maharashtra-Awarded Posthumously
Recipient From 1984 To 1986:- None
Recipient of 1987 (1):
20.Mr.Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as "Frontier Gandhi", (1890–1988)- The first non-citizen awarded Bharata Ratna- A Freedom Fighter belonging to Pakistan
Recipient of 1988 (1):
21.Mr. M. G. Ramachandran (1917–1987)- -Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu- Popular Cinema Actor belonging to Tamil Nadu- Awarded Posthumously
Recipient of 1989: None
Recipients of 1990 (2):
22.Dr.B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956)- An Architect who played a key role in the formation of the Indian Constitution, a Social Reformer, Economist and Scholar belonging to Maharashtra- Awarded Posthumously-
23. Dr.Nelson Mandela-Born in 1918-The Second non-citizen and the first non-Indian awarded Bharat Ratna- A Leader of Anti-Apartheid movement belonging to South Africa
Recipients of 1991 (3):
24.Mr.Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991)- - Former Prime Minister of India/Son of Mrs.Indira Gandhi/Grand-son of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru- belonging to New Delhi -Awarded Posthumously
25.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950)- An Indian Freedom Fighter and the First Home Minister of India belonging to Gujarat-Awarded Posthumously-
26. Mr.Morarji Desai (1896–1995)- A Former Prime Minister of India and an Indian Freedom Fighter belonging to Gujarat. He was the First Ever Non-Congress Prime Minister of India.
Recipients of 1992 (3):
27. Mr. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) – AFreedom Fighter and the First Education Minister of India belonging to WestBengal-Awarded Posthumously
28. Mr.J. R. D. Tata (1904–1993)- An Industrialist and a philanthropist belonging to Maharashtra
29.Mr.Satyajit Ray (1922–1992)- A popular Bengali -Film Director-An Oscar Award-winner belonging to West Bengal
Recipient From 1993 To 1996: None
Recipients of 1997 (3):
30. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam- Born in 1931- A Former President of India- Atomic Scientist belonging to Tamil Nadu
31.Mr.Gulzarilal Nanda (1898–1998)-An Indian Freedom Fighter and a former(Acting) Prime Minister of India belonging to Punjab
32. Ms,.Aruna Asaf Ali (1908–1996) An Indian Freedom Fighter belonging to West Bengal-Awarded Posthumously
Recipients of 1998 (2):
33 .Mrs.M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916–2004)- A Carnatic music vocalist belonging to Tamil Nadu
34.Mr.Chidambaram Subramaniam/C.S. (1910–2000)- An Indian Freedom Fighter and former Indian Union Minister of Agriculture - belonging to Tamil Nadu
35. Mr.Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979)- A Freedom -Fighter and a Social Reformer belonging to Bihar- Awarded Posthumously
Recipients of 1999 (3):
36 .Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) -A Classical-Sitarist belonging to Uttar Pradesh.
37. Dr.Amartya Sen- Born in 1933- An Indian Economist and a Nobel Laureate ( For Economics, 1998),-belonging to West Bengal
38. Mr.Gopinath Bordoloi (1890–1950)-- An Indian freedom fighter belonging to Assam- Awarded Posthumously
Recipient of 2000: None
Recipients of 2001 (2):
39. Ms.Lata Mangeshkar- Born in 1929- A Hindi -Cinema-Play back Singer belonging to Maharashtra
40. Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006)- A Classical Shehnai- Maestro belonging to Bihar
Recipient From 2002 To 2007: None
Recipient of 2008 (1):
41. Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (1922-2011) A Hindustani classical vocalist belonging to Karnataka.
Recipients From 2009 To 2012: None
For the Year 2013:
42. Sachin Tendulkar- (born in the year 1973)-Cricketer/Sports Person-for his achievements unreachable / and records unbreakable in the field of cricket, bringing glory to India
43. Dr.C.N.R.Rao- Indian Chemist- the man behind India's maiden 'Mars'-Mission