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Bharat Ratna Award Winners –The Bharat Ratna Award is India’s most prestigious civilian award, established in 1954 to recognize exceptional contributions in public service, literature, science, art, or other fields of human endeavor. Awarded by the President of India, up to three individuals can receive the Bharat Ratna each year, without distinction of caste, creed, occupation, religion, language, or gender. Recipients receive a certificate signed by the President and a medal shaped like a peepal leaf, featuring the state emblem and the inscription Satyamev Jayate.
Overview of Bharat Ratna Award 2024
For the year 2024, five exceptional individuals were awarded the Bharat Ratna for their influential contributions:
- Karpoori Thakur (1924–1988): Known as “Jan Nayak,” Thakur was a prominent politician and served two terms as Bihar’s Chief Minister.
- Chaudhary Charan Singh (1902–1987): Former Prime Minister of India, remembered for his focus on farmers’ rights and rural development.
- Lal Krishna Advani (born 1927): Co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party and former Deputy Prime Minister of India.
- M.S. Swaminathan (1925–2023): Agricultural scientist known as the “Father of the Green Revolution” in India.
- P.V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004): Former Prime Minister credited with initiating liberal economic reforms that transformed India’s economy.
List of Bharat Ratna Award Winners (1954–2024)
| Bharat Ratna Award Winners List | ||
| Recipients (State/UT) | Year | Key Notes |
| C. Rajagopalachari/ Rajaji(Tamil Nadu) | 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari/ Rajaji was the last Governor General of India.He was the founder of the Swatantra Party.He was the conscience keeper of MK Gandhi. |
| Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan(Tamil Nadu) | 1954 | Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan was the first Vice President of India.He became the country’s second President. |
| C. V. Raman(Tamil Nadu) | 1954 | C. V. Raman became the first Asian scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in any branch of science.He is famous for his discoveries in physics like Raman Scattering. |
| Bhagwan Das(Uttar Pradesh) | 1955 | Bhagwan Das was the co-founder of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith.He also contributed to the foundation of Banaras Hindu University. |
| M. Visvesvaraya(Karnataka) | 1955 | M. Visvesvaraya’s birth anniversary on 15th September is celebrated as Engineer’s Day in the country.He was a civil engineer who contributed much to the country’s dam development. |
| Jawaharlal Nehru(Uttar Pradesh) | 1955 | Jawaharlal Nehru became the first and longest tenure Prime Minister (PM) of India.He was PM at the time of receiving this award. |
| Govind Ballabh Pant(Uttarakhand) | 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant was elected to be the first chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh.He was an ardent supporter of making Hindi a national language. |
| Dhondo Keshav Karve(Maharashtra) | 1958 | Dhondo Keshav Karve was a great social reformer and was famous for women’s education, and widow remarriage.He founded the Widow Marriage Association. |
| Bidhan Chandra Roy(West Bengal) | 1961 | Bidhan Chandra Roy is recognized as the Maker of Modern West Bengal.His birth anniversary on 1st July is celebrated as National Doctors’ Day in the country. |
| Purushottam Das Tandon(Uttar Pradesh) | 1961 | Purushottam Das Tandon was titled Rajarshi. He became the speaker in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.He supported the Hindi language making it the official language. |
| Rajendra Prasad(Bihar) | 1962 | Rajendra Prasad swore as the first President of India.He was actively involved in the non-cooperation movement with Mahatma Gandhi Ji. |
| Zakir Husain(Andhra Pradesh) | 1963 | Zakir Husain was elected to be the second Vice President and third President of India.He became the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. |
| Pandurang Vaman Kane(Maharashtra) | 1963 | Pandurang Vaman Kane was a great Indologist and Sanskrit scholar.He is well known for his works like ‘History of Dharmasastra: Ancient and Medieval Religious and Civil Laws in India’. |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri(Uttar Pradesh) * | 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first posthumous recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award.He was elected to be the second PM of India. He is popular in country for his slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. |
| Indira Gandhi(Uttar Pradesh) | 1971 | Indira Gandhi was the first female recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award.She was PM during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.She was PM of India at the time of receiving this award. |
| V. V. Giri(Odisha) | 1975 | V. V. Giri served as the first acting President of India.He became the 4th President of India.He organized many trade unions for the freedom struggle. |
| K. Kamaraj(Tamil Nadu) * | 1976 | K. Kamaraj was recognized as the King Maker in Indian Political History as he contributed much to makingLal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi the PM of India. |
| Mother Teresa(West Bengal, born in North Macedonia) | 1980 | Mother Teresa is the first and only naturalized citizen of India who received the Bharat Ratna Award.She was the founder of Catholics Missionaries of Charity. She was also Nobel Laureate for her humanitarian works. |
| Vinoba Bhave(Maharashtra) * | 1983 | Vinoba Bhave was a great follower of Gandhism. He is well known for his Bhoodan Movement in the country.He received Ramon Magsaysay Award for his humanitarian works. |
| Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan(Pakistan) | 1987 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan became the first non-citizen recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award.He was also known as Frontier Gandhi.He was the founder of the Red Shirt Movement (Khudai Khidmatgar). |
| M. G. Ramachandran(Tamil Nadu) * | 1988 | M. G. Ramachandran was the first actor who became the recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award.He was the first actor who became chief minister of any state.He was the founder of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. |
| B.R. Ambedkar(Maharashtra) | 1990 | B.R. Ambedkar is recognized as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.He became the first Law Minister of the country.He vehemently criticized the caste system in Hinduism. |
| B.R. Ambedkar(South Africa) | 1990 | B.R. Ambedkar is recognized as the Gandhi of South Africa.He became the second non-citizen recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award.He received Nobel Peace Prize also. |
| Rajiv Gandhi(Uttar Pradesh) | 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi was elected to be the sixth PM of India.He became the youngest PM of India in 1984 at the age of 40 years.During his tenure as PM, landmark laws were passed like the Anti-defection law in 1985. |
| Vallabhbhai Patel(Gujarat) | 1991 | Vallabhbhai Patel is recognized as the Iron Man of India.He served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of the country.He played an important role in Bardoli Satyagraha, modern-based All India Services. |
| Morarji Desai (Gujarat) | 1991 | Morarji Desai is the sole national of India to be awarded the highest civilian honor of Pakistan the Nishan-e-Pakistan.He was elected to be the first non-congress PM of India.He was the oldest Prime Minister of India. |
| Abul Kalam Azad(West Bengal) | 1992 | Abul Kalam Azad was the first Education Minister of India.He is popularly known as Maulana Azad.His birth anniversary on 11th November is celebrated as National Education Day in the country. |
| J. R. D. Tata(Maharashtra) | 1992 | J. R. D. Tata was an industrialist and aviation pioneer in India.He started the country’s first airline named Air India.He established many institutes like Tate Institute of Fundamental Research, TCS, Tate Motors, etc. |
| Satyajit Ray(West Bengal) | 1992 | Satyajit Ray is credited to bring Indian Cinema to world recognition.His first film as director was Pather Panchali in 1955.He was awarded the country’s highest cinema award named Dadasaheb Phalke Award. |
| Gulzarilal Nanda(Punjab) | 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda served two times as the interim PM of India and two times as thedeputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission.He raised the labor issues on a national platform. |
| Aruna Asaf Ali(West Bengal) | 1997 | Aruna Asaf Ali became the first Mayor of Delhi in the post-independence period.She was actively involved in the Quit India Movement in 1942. |
| A.P.J Abdul Kalam(Tamil Nadu) | 1997 | A.P.J Abdul Kalam is recognized as the Missile Man of India.He contributed to the development of launch vehicle technology, ballistic missiles, etc.He became the country’s 11th President.His major works include Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds, India 2020, etc. |
| M. S. Subbulakshmi(Tamil Nadu) | 1998 | M. S. Subbulakshmi was a classical vocalist in Carnatic music.She is recognized as the Queen of Songs.She became the first musician of India to be awarded the Ramon Magsaysay for her public charity works. |
| Chidambaram Subramaniam(Tamil Nadu) | 1998 | Chidambaram Subramaniam is well known for his contribution to Green Revolution in India.He contributed to the International Rice Research Institute of Manila, Philippines. |
| Jayaprakash Narayan(Bihar) | 1999 | Jayaprakash Narayan is recognized as the Loknayak (People’s Leader).He launched the Total Revolution Movement/ JP Movement against the congress government. |
| Amartya Sen(West Bengal) | 1999 | Amartya Sen is Nobel Laureate in Economic Science.He contributed to welfare economics, social justice in economics, social choice theory, etc. |
| Gopinath Bordoloi(Assam) | 1999 | Gopinath Bordoloi was elected to be the first chief minister of Assam.He is recognized as the Lokapriya in Assam for his dedication to Assam’s development. |
| Ravi Shankar(Uttar Pradesh) | 1999 | Ravi Shankar is recognized as the world’s best exponent of Hindustani Classical Music.He also received the Grammy Award. |
| Lata Mangeshkar(Maharashtra) | 2001 | Lata Mangeshkar is recognized as the Nightingale of India, Voice of Millennium, and Queen of Melody.She was awarded the country’s highest cinema award Dadasaheb Phalke Award. |
| Bismillah Khan(Uttar Pradesh) | 2001 | Bismillah Khan is a celebrated classical shehnai player.He is credited to highlight the shehnai instrument in Indian music.He became the third classical musician who received the Bharat Ratna Award. |
| Bhimsen Joshi(Karnataka) | 2009 | Bhimsen Joshi was a great exponent of Hindustani classical music.He was a disciple of recognized Kirana Gharana.He was well known for his Khyal genre of singing style. |
| C. N. R. Rao(Karnataka) | 2014 | C. N. R. Rao is an eminent chemist who contributed much to solid-state and structural chemistry.He received many awards like Marlow Medal, Hughes Medal, Royal Medal, India Science Award, etc. |
| Sachin Tendulkar(Maharashtra) | 2014 | Sachin Tendulkar is recognized as the Master Blaster in cricket history.He debuted in the international cricket match at the age of 16 years.He is the only batsman to score more than 30,000 runs in entire forms of international cricket matches. |
| Madan Mohan Malaviya(Uttar Pradesh) | 2015 | Madan Mohan Malaviya was the founder of the Banaras Hindu University and Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha.He is recognized as the Mahamana. |
| Atal Bihari Bajpayee(Madhya Pradesh) | 2015 | Atal Bihari Bajpayee was elected to be PM of India three times.He was also awarded the best parliamentarian award in 1994.He was also a great poet. |
| Pranab Mukherjee(West Bengal) | 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee was elected to be the 13th President of India and 14th & 15th Leader of the Lok Sabha.In 2020, he died due to COVID-19. |
| Nanaji Deshmukh(Maharashtra) | 2019 | Nanaji Deshmukh’s real name was Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh.He contributed to education, rural self-reliance, and health.He served as the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. |
| Bhupen Hazarika(Assam) | 2019 | Bhupen Hazarika is recognized as the Sudhakantha (Nectar-throated).He was an eminent filmmaker, poet, lyricist, playback singer, and musician. |
| Karpoori Thakur(Bihar)* | 2024 | Karpoori Thakur was the former chief minister of Bihar and he was known as the Jan Nayak.Karpoori Thakur died on 17th February 1988The award comes 35 years after his death |
| Lal Krishna Advani | 2024 | He was first the Home Minister and later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet from 1999 to 2004 |
| MS Swaminathan(Thiruvananthapuram) | 2024 | Conferred with the Bharat Ratna – the country’s highest civilian honour. |
| Chaudhary Charan Singh(Uttar Pradesh)* | 2024 | He dedicated his life to the welfare of farmers.He stood against the Emergency (and) his dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters is inspiring |
| PV Narasimha Rao(Andhra Pradesh) | 2024 | Narasimha Rao is known for shepherding big economic reforms in the 1990s, when he led a Congress government at the Centre. |
Key Facts about the Bharat Ratna Award
- Eligibility: No distinction of caste, creed, occupation, religion, language, or gender.
- Posthumous Recognition: Awarded posthumously, including for figures such as Subhash Chandra Bose.
- Award Components: Certificate signed by the President, a medallion shaped like a peepal leaf.
- Restrictions: The title cannot be used as a prefix or suffix.
- Selection Process: The Prime Minister of India recommends candidates, and the award is conferred by the President.
Also Read Latest Current Affairs 2024
FAQs on Bharat Ratna Award Winners
Who was the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna?
The first recipients in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, and C.V. Raman.
What is the Bharat Ratna Award for?
It honors exceptional contributions to public service, arts, science, literature, or other human endeavors.
How many Bharat Ratna awards are given each year?
A maximum of three awards may be given each year.
Has any sportsperson received the Bharat Ratna?
Yes, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar received it in 2014.
Are Bharat Ratna awards given posthumously?
Yes, posthumous awards are allowed, with 14 awarded to date.
What does the Bharat Ratna medallion look like?
It is shaped like a peepal leaf, inscribed with the state emblem and Satyamev Jayate.
How many Indian Presidents have received the Bharat Ratna?
Six Indian Presidents have received the Bharat Ratna.
Is there any monetary prize with the Bharat Ratna?
No, recipients do not receive any monetary reward.
Can foreigners receive the Bharat Ratna?
Yes, former South African President Nelson Mandela received it in 1990.
Who is the youngest recipient of the Bharat Ratna?
Sachin Tendulkar, who received it at the age of 40.
Can Bharat Ratna be awarded to organizations?
No, it is awarded only to individuals.
Which year had the most Bharat Ratna recipients?
The year 2024 had five recipients, including posthumous awards.
Which Bharat Ratna winner was also a Nobel laureate?
Amartya Sen received both the Bharat Ratna and Nobel Prize in Economics.
What is the award’s official motto?
Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Triumphs) is inscribed on the medallion.
Who recommends the Bharat Ratna recipients?
The Prime Minister of India recommends candidates for the award.
Can the Bharat Ratna be revoked?
There is no official process for revoking the Bharat Ratna once awarded.
Which Bharat Ratna winner contributed to agriculture?
M.S. Swaminathan is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India.
Who are the Bharat Ratna awardees from Tamil Nadu?
C.V. Raman, C. Rajagopalachari, and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan were from Tamil Nadu.
Is the Bharat Ratna awarded annually?
While awarded most years, some years have no recipients.
Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna?
Indira Gandhi was the first female recipient in 1971.
