Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of India, given for exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour such as arts, literature, science, public service, sports, social work, and national development.
Key Points
- Instituted: 2 January 1954
- Awarded by: President of India
- Eligibility:
- Indian citizens
- Foreign nationals may also receive it
- Maximum Recipients per Year: Three (Now removed)
- Award Includes:
- Peepal tree-shaped medal
- Certificate (Sanad) signed by the President
- Posthumous Awards: Allowed
- No monetary benefit attached.
- Award is not mandatory every year.
Important Firsts
| Category | Recipient / Fact |
|---|---|
| First recipients (1954) | C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman |
| First non-Indian recipient | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) |
| First sportsperson | Sachin Tendulkar (2014) |
| Youngest recipient | Sachin Tendulkar |
| Oldest recipient | Dhondo Keshav Karve (awarded at age 100+) |
Year-wise Bharat Ratna Recipients (1954–2025)
Total recipients till 2025: 53
| Year | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman |
| 1955 | Bhagwan Das, M. Visvesvaraya, Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant |
| 1958 | Dhondo Keshav Karve |
| 1961 | Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, Purushottam Das Tandon |
| 1962 | Rajendra Prasad |
| 1963 | Zakir Husain, Pandurang Vaman Kane |
| 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 1971 | Indira Gandhi |
| 1975 | V. V. Giri |
| 1976 | K. Kamaraj |
| 1980 | Mother Teresa |
| 1983 | Acharya Vinoba Bhave |
| 1987 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan |
| 1988 | M. G. Ramachandran |
| 1990 | B. R. Ambedkar, Nelson Mandela |
| 1991 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai, Rajiv Gandhi |
| 1992 | Abul Kalam Azad, J. R. D. Tata, Satyajit Ray |
| 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda, Aruna Asaf Ali, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 1998 | M. S. Subbulakshmi, Chidambaram Subramaniam |
| 1999 | Pandit Ravi Shankar, Amartya Sen, Jayaprakash Narayan, Gopinath Bordoloi |
| 2001 | Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Bismillah Khan |
| 2009 | Pandit Bhimsen Joshi |
| 2014 | Sachin Tendulkar, C. N. R. Rao |
| 2015 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya |
| 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Bhupen Hazarika |
| 2024 | P. V. Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Lal Krishna Advani, Karpoori Thakur |
| 2025 | No new awardees announced (as of latest available information) |
Fields Represented by Bharat Ratna Awardees
| Field | Examples |
|---|---|
| Science | C. V. Raman, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, C. N. R. Rao |
| Literature & Education | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Purushottam Das Tandon |
| Politics & Public Service | Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sardar Patel |
| Freedom Struggle | Rajendra Prasad, Jayaprakash Narayan |
| Music & Performing Arts | Lata Mangeshkar, Bhimsen Joshi, Ravi Shankar |
| Sports | Sachin Tendulkar |
Short Questions & Answers
Q1. What is Bharat Ratna?
A. It is the highest civilian award of India.
Q2. When was Bharat Ratna started?
A. In 1954.
Q3. Who awards the Bharat Ratna?
A. The President of India.
Q4. What is the maximum number of Bharat Ratna awards that can be given in a year?
A. Three.
Q5. Can Bharat Ratna be given posthumously?
A. Yes.
Q6. Who was the first sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna?
A. Sachin Tendulkar (2014).
Q7. How many people have received Bharat Ratna up to 2025?
A. 53 recipients.
Q8. Who is the youngest Bharat Ratna awardee?
A. Sachin Tendulkar.
Q9. Name a Bharat Ratna recipient from the field of science.
A. C. V. Raman / A. P. J. Abdul Kalam / C. N. R. Rao.
Q10. Name any two Bharat Ratna recipients from the field of music.
A. Lata Mangeshkar, Bhimsen Joshi, Ravi Shankar, M. S. Subbulakshmi (any two).
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