Bharat Ratna Award Winners List: Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has announced the award of Bharat Ratna to former BJP President and veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani from his official X account. He extended his best wishes to Lal Krishna Advani on being awarded Bharat Ratna. Along with this, his career achievements were counted and congratulations were also given to him. This is the second Bharat Ratna award this year. Prime Minister before this Narendra Modi Had announced to give Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur on 26th January. Let us know how many people have been awarded Bharat Ratna in India so far.
Who gets Bharat Ratna?
Bharat Ratna is awarded by the Government of India for making the highest contribution in any field. This is India’s biggest civilian honour. Till now 48 people have been given this honour. In the year 2024, this honor will also be given to Karpoori Thakur and Lal Krishna Advani. That means this list has become a total of 50 people. This honor was started in 1947, 7 years after independence. And in the year 1954, for the first time Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and Dr. CV Raman were awarded this honor.
What do you get with respect?
The list of recipients of this honor includes many people including former President of India, Prime Minister, scientists, political leaders, teachers and artists. Let us tell you that no financial amount of any kind is given in recognition. In this, a certificate signed by the President is given, and a medal is given. It’s just an honor and not a title of any kind. Under Article 18 (1) of the Indian Constitution, no person after receiving this honor can use it as a prefix or suffix to his name. However, it can be written on your visiting card or letter head as ‘Recipient of Bharat Ratna or Honored with Bharat Ratna’.
Let us know how many people have received this honor so far:
Complete list of Bharat Ratna award winners
1. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1954): The last Governor-General of independent India, C Rajagopalachari was a freedom fighter, politician and founder of the Swatantra Party. He was honored for his contribution to Indian politics and literature.
2. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1954): The eminent philosopher and second President of India, Radhakrishnan was given this honor for his contribution to education. His birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India.
3. Dr. CV Raman (1954): The work of Nobel Prize winner in Physics Dr. CV Raman was recognized globally for his discovery of the Raman effect. His research laid the foundation for Indian scientific progress.
4. Dr. Bhagwan Das (1955): A philosopher, freedom fighter and educationist, Dr. Bhagwan Das was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He was given this honor for his contribution to Indian education and philosophy.
5. Dr. M Visvesvaraya (1955): An eminent engineer and politician, Visvesvaraya’s contribution to the field of engineering and education in India is significant. He designed the famous Krishnaraja Sagar Dam of Mysore.
6. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1955): The first Prime Minister of independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, popularly known as Chacha Nehru, is remembered as a great leader. His policies laid the foundation of India’s socio-economic development.
7. Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant (1957): Was a prominent figure in India’s freedom struggle and a prominent political leader. His contribution to Indian history was important. Which also included his tenure as Home Minister.
8. Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve (1958): Was a social reformer and teacher. She dedicated her life to the empowerment of women through education, and founded the first women’s university in India.
9. Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1961): Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a physician, freedom fighter and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, made notable contributions to health and education. For which he got this honour.
10. Purushottam Das Tandon (1961): Was a freedom fighter and advocate of Hindi language. He played an important role in the Indian independence movement and in promoting Hindi as the official language of India.
11. Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1962): Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, was a prominent leader of the Indian Independence Movement and the Constituent Assembly. His leadership helped make the Indian Republic successful.
12. Dr. Zakir Hussain (1963): Was a distinguished teacher and the third President of India. He is remembered for his important contribution to Indian education. He established the National Muslim University located in Delhi. Which is today known as Jamia Millia Islamia.
13. Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane (1963): Sanskrit scholar Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane is known for his book “History of Dharmashastra”. He received this honor for an important contribution to Indian legal and cultural history.
14. Lal Bahadur Shastri (posthumously, 1966): Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, is known for his leadership during the India-Pakistan War of 1965 and his slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”.
15. Indira Gandhi (1971): India’s first and so far only female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, witnessed significant political and social changes under her leadership. His leadership is remembered during the India-Pakistan war of 1971.
16. VV Giri (1975): VV Giri was a supporter of labor rights in India and the fourth President of India. His contribution to Indian labor law and administration has been significant.
17. K Kamaraj (posthumous, 1976): Former President of the Indian National Congress, K Kamaraj was a strong leader of the Congress. His leadership and his role in the “Kamaraj Yojana” were instrumental in re-establishing the party after independence. His contribution to the freedom movement was important.
18. Mother Teresa (1980): This honor was given to Mother Teresa for her compassion and service towards the poor and sick. He got international recognition after the work of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata.
19. Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1983): The spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi and the initiator of the Bhoodan movement. Acharya Bhave had made a lot of efforts for land reforms and non-violent resistance.
20. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987): A close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun independence activist. He opposed British rule through non-violent means. He was also known as “Marginal Gandhi”.
21. MG Ramachandran (posthumous, 1988): Film actor turned politician, MGR had an important contribution in the development and welfare schemes of Tamil Nadu as Chief Minister.
22. Dr. BR Ambedkar (posthumous, 1990): Dr. BR Ambedkar, who drafted the Indian Constitution, was known for social justice. He advocated the rights of the marginalized people and tried hard to eliminate caste discrimination in the country.
23. Nelson Mandela (1990): South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and leader known worldwide for ending apartheid and promoting racial reconciliation. Due to this, the Government of India also honored him with this honour.
24. Rajiv Gandhi (posthumously, 1991): The tenure of Rajiv Gandhi, the youngest Prime Minister of India, was very important for taking India into the information age.
25. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (posthumously, 1991): Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in the country’s struggle for independence and the subsequent integration of the princely states into the Indian Union. Due to this he is also called Iron Man.
26. Morarji Desai (1991): An important leader in the Indian independence movement and the fourth Prime Minister of India, Desai was known as a leader who promoted peace and non-violence.
27. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (posthumous, 1992): A senior leader in the Indian independence movement and the first Education Minister of India, Maulana Abul Kalam has a major contribution in establishing an educational foundation in India.
28. JRD Tata (1992): JRD Tata, one of India’s greatest industrialists of all time, founded India’s first airline. He has been the longest serving chairman of Tata Group.
29. Satyajit Ray (1992): The contribution of India’s famous filmmaker Satyajit Ray to Indian cinema is immense. His work has been recognized internationally including the Oscar. He is called India’s greatest filmmaker.
30. Gulzarilal Nanda (1997): Gulzarilal Nanda was the acting Prime Minister of India twice. He worked extensively on labor issues and economic policies in his political career.
31. Aruna Asaf Ali (1997): She is remembered for hoisting the Indian national flag at the Bombay Gowalia Tank grounds during the Quit India Movement.
32. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (1997): Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, known as the “Missile Man of India”, was a great scientist. First he made unprecedented contribution to the country as a scientist and then as President. His thoughts inspire the youth even today.
33. MS Subbulakshmi (1998): Karnataka singer Subbulakshmi was very important in Indian classical music. His performances around the world brought Indian music to international audiences.
34. Chidambaram Subramaniam (1998): Chidambaram Subramaniam is known for his role in India’s Green Revolution. His agricultural policies and initiatives had significantly improved India’s food security and agriculture sector.
35. Jayaprakash Narayan (posthumous, 1999): Was a freedom fighter and political leader. Jayaprakash Narayan played an important role in the fight against corruption through the Indian independence movement and later the “Total Revolution” movement.
36. Professor Amartya Sen (1999): Amartya Sen’s work in economics left a deep impact on the world. He was also given the Nobel Prize for his contribution to economics.
37. Prakash Gopinath Bordoloi (posthumous, 1999): A prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and the first Chief Minister of Assam. The efforts of Gopinath Bordoloi were very important in keeping Assam united with India.
38. Pandit Ravi Shankar (1999): Pandit Ravi Shankar, a great sitar player and composer, is known for bringing Indian classical music to the global stage. His work has influenced many musicians around the world.
39. Lata Mangeshkar (2001): Lata Mangeshkar, popularly known as “India’s Nightingale”, has an unforgettable voice in the history of Indian music. He recorded more than a thousand Hindi films and several thousand songs in different regional languages.
40. Ustad Bismillah Khan (2001): The music of Bismillah Khan, known as the master of Shehnai, ruled the world. He had an important contribution in Indian classical music. It was because of him that Shehnai got recognition all over the world.
41. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (2009): Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, one of the greatest figures of Indian classical music, had a unique singing style. Due to which it is remembered not only in India but all over the world.
42. Professor CNR Rao (2014): Professor CNR Rao’s research and publications have made significant contributions to the field of chemical sciences.
43. Sachin Tendulkar (2014): Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest cricketers of all time, known as the God of Cricket in India, has many records in his name in international cricket.
44. Atal Bihari Vajpayee (2015): Atal Bihari Vajpayee has a different place as a politician and poet. His tenure as Prime Minister of India is known for his efforts towards economic reforms and improving India-Pakistan relations.
45. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya (posthumous, 2015): A teacher and independence activist, he played an important role in the establishment of Banaras Hindu University. He also made important contribution in promoting higher education in India.
46. Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous, 2019): Nanaji Deshmukh, a social worker and politician, is remembered for his contributions to the field of rural development and education in India.
47. Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous, 2019): Dr. Bhupen Hazarika is remembered for taking music to great heights in Assam and across India.
48. Pranab Mukherjee (2019): Pranab Mukherjee was called a brilliant statesman. He did excellent work as Finance Minister in the Congress government. He also completed his tenure as the 13th President of India.
49. Karpoori Thakur (to be honored posthumously, in 2024): Karpoori Thakur was a prominent political leader of Bihar. Who was known for fighting for social justice and the rights of the deprived.
50. Lal Krishna Advani (to be honored in 2024): Lal Krishna Advani has been an important leader in the journey from Jain Sangh to forming BJP. He has made an important contribution to the development of Indian politics and Bharatiya Janata Party.
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