Bharat Ratna Awardees

C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), the last Governor-General of India, was one of the first three recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 1954, along with C.V. Raman and S. Radhakrishnan.

Indira Gandhi was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna, awarded in 1971. She was the Prime Minister of India and received the award for her distinguished service to the nation.

Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first person to receive the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1966, shortly after his death in Tashkent. B.R. Ambedkar received it posthumously in 1990, and Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992 (but later revoked).

Sachin Tendulkar became the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna in 2014. He received the award at the age of 40, making him also the youngest recipient of the award at that time.

Mother Teresa received the Bharat Ratna in 1980, five years before she received the Nobel Peace Prize (1979). She was recognized for her humanitarian work among the poor and sick in Kolkata.

C.V. Raman was one of the first three recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 1954. He discovered the Raman Effect (scattering of light) in 1928, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam received the Bharat Ratna in 1997 for his contributions to India's missile and space programmes. He later served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.

The Bharat Ratna award is in the shape of a peepal leaf (Ficus religiosa), coated with platinum gold. It has the Sun embossed on one side and the national emblem (Satyameva Jayate) on the reverse.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi) was the first non-Indian to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1987. He was a Pashtun independence activist from Pakistan who was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as India's first Education Minister from 1947 to 1958 and was instrumental in establishing IITs, IIMs, and the University Grants Commission. He received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992.

The Bharat Ratna can be awarded to a maximum of 3 persons per year. However, in many years, fewer than 3 are awarded. The award ceremony is typically held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Lata Mangeshkar received the Bharat Ratna in 2001. Known as the 'Nightingale of India', she is one of the most celebrated playback singers in Indian cinema and has sung in over 36 Indian languages.

Three Prime Ministers have received the Bharat Ratna: Jawaharlal Nehru (1955), Indira Gandhi (1971), and Rajiv Gandhi (1991, posthumously). Atal Bihari Vajpayee also received it in 2015.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi received the Bharat Ratna in 2008 for his outstanding contribution to Hindustani classical music. He was renowned for his khayal style of singing.

The Bharat Ratna confers special precedence in the Warrant of Precedence — Bharat Ratna recipients rank 7th in the official order of precedence (below the President, Vice President, PM, and Speakers). They are also entitled to use the national emblem on their correspondence.

M.S. Subbulakshmi received the Bharat Ratna in 1998. She was the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna and was also the first Indian musician to perform at the United Nations General Assembly.

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya received the Bharat Ratna in 2015. Vajpayee was the first PM from BJP to receive the award.

Sachin Tendulkar's Bharat Ratna was announced on 16 November 2013, the day he played his 200th and final Test match at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He received the award on 4 February 2014.

Karpoori Thakur, known as 'Jan Nayak' (People's Hero), former Chief Minister of Bihar and a champion of OBC rights, was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in January 2024, coinciding with his birth centenary.