is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna carry no special title nor any other honorifics, but they do have a place in the
, on 2 January 1954. Along with other major national honours, such as the
, the awarding of the Bharat Ratna was suspended from 13 July 1977 to 26 January 1980.
, on 2 January 1954. The original statutes of January 1954 did not make allowance for posthumous awards (and this perhaps explains why the decoration was never awarded to
), though this provision was added in the January 1955 statute. Subsequently, there have been twelve posthumous awards, including the award to
, the only case of an award being withdrawn. The award was briefly suspended from 13 July 1977 to 26 January 1980.
While there was no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens, this seems to have been the general assumption. Of the 41 awards so far, there has been one award to a naturalised Indian citizen,
(1990). The awarding of this honour has frequently been the subject of litigation questioning the constitutional basis of such.
Originally, the specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal carrying the state emblem and motto, among other things. It is uncertain if a design in accordance with the original specifications was ever made. The actual award is designed in the shape of a peepul leaf and carries with the words "Bharat Ratna", inscribed in Devanagari script. The reverse side of the medal carries the state emblem and motto. The award is attached to a 2 inches (50.8 mm) ribbon, and was designed to be worn around the recipient's neck.
Indian freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992. The award was later withdrawn due to a legal technicality. This is the only case of an award being withdrawn. It was withdrawn in response to a
directive following a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Court against the
nature of the award. The Award Committee could not give conclusive evidence of Bose’s death and thus it invalidated the
, Abul Kalam Azad, he promptly declined it saying that it should not be given to those who have been on the selection committee. Later he was awarded posthumously in 1992.
The original specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal, 35 mm in diameter, with the sun and the Hindi legend "Bharat Ratna" above and a floral wreath below. The reverse was to carry the state emblem and motto. It was to be worn around the neck from a white ribbon. There is no indication that any specimens of this design were ever produced and one year later the design was altered.
| S.No |
Name |
Image |
Birth / death |
Awarded |
Born State/Country |
Notes |
| 1. |
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari |
 |
1878–1972 |
1954 |
Tamil Nadu |
Independence activist, last Governor-General |
| 2. |
C. V. Raman |
|
1888–1970 |
1954 |
Tamil Nadu |
Physicist |
| 3. |
Sarvepalli RadhakrishnanSir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , OM, FBA was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He was the first Vice President of India and subsequently the second President of India ....
|
|
1888–1975 |
1954 |
Tamil Nadu |
Philosopher, second President |
| 4. |
Bhagwan DasBhagwan Das was an Indian theosophist and public figure. For a time he served in the Central Legislative Assembly of British India. He became allied with the Hindustani Culture Society and was active in opposing rioting as a form of protest...
|
|
1869–1958 |
1955 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Independence activist, author |
| 5. |
Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya |
|
1860–1962 |
1955 |
Karnataka |
Civil engineer, Diwan of Mysore |
| 6. |
Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
|
|
1889–1964 |
1955 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Independence activist, author, first Prime Minister |
| 7. |
Govind Ballabh Pant Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was a statesman of India, an Indian independence activist, and one of the foremost political leaders from Uttarakhand and of the movement to establish Hindi as the official language of India.-Early life:Govind Ballabh Pant was born on September 10, 1887 in...
|
|
1887–1961 |
1957 |
Uttarakhand |
Independence activist, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister |
| 8. |
Dhondo Keshav Karve Maharshi Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve was a social reformer in India in the field of women's welfare. In honour of Karve, Queen's Road in Mumbai was renamed to Maharishi Karve Road...
|
|
1858–1962 |
1958 |
Maharashtra |
Educator, social reformer |
| 9. |
Bidhan Chandra Roy Bidhan Chandra Roy, M.R.C.P., F.R.C.S. was the second Chief Minister of West Bengal in India. He remained in his post for 14 years as a Indian National Congress candidate, from 1948 until his death in 1962. He was a highly respected physician and a renowned freedom fighter...
|
|
1882–1962 |
1961 |
Bihar |
Physician, Chief Minister of West Bengal |
| 10. |
Purushottam Das Tandon Purushottam Das Tandon पुरुषोत्तम दास टंडन , was a freedom fighter from Uttar Pradesh in India, of Punjabi Khatri descent. He is widely remembered for his efforts in achieving the Official Language of India status for Hindi. He was customarily given the title Rajarshi...
|
|
1882–1962 |
1961 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Independence activist, educator |
| 11. |
Rajendra PrasadDr. Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician and educator. He was one of the architects of the Indian Republic, having drafted its first constitution and serving as the first president of independent India...
|
|
1884–1963 |
1962 |
Bihar |
Independence activist, jurist, first President |
| 12. |
Zakir HussainDr. Zakir Hussain , was the third President of India from 13 May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969. He was the first elected Muslim president of India....
|
|
1897–1969 |
1963 |
Andhra Pradesh |
Scholar, third President |
| 13. |
Pandurang Vaman KaneBharat Ratna Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane was a notable Indologist and Sanskrit scholar. He received India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1963. He was born in a conservative Chitpavan Brahmin family in the Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, India. Eminent Historian Professor R.S...
|
|
1880–1972 |
1963 |
Maharashtra |
Indologist and Sanskrit scholar |
| 14. |
Lal Bahadur Shastri Lal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
|
|
1904–1966 |
1966 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Posthumous, independence activist, second Prime Minister |
| 15. |
Indira GandhiIndira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
|
 |
1917–1984 |
1971 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Fourth Prime Minister |
| 16. |
V. V. GiriVarahagiri Venkata Giri , commonly known as V. V. Giri, was the fourth President of the Republic of India from 24 August 1969 to 23 August 1974.-Early life:...
|
|
1894–1980 |
1975 |
Orissa |
Trade unionist and fourth President |
| 17. |
K. KamarajKumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
|
 |
1903–1975 |
1976 |
Tamil Nadu |
Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Madras State |
| 18. |
Mother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
|
 |
1910–1997 |
1980 |
Macedonia |
Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity |
| 19. |
Vinoba Bhave Vinoba Bhave , born Vinayak Narahari Bhave often called Acharya , was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. He is best known for the Bhoodan Andolan...
|
|
1895–1982 |
1983 |
Maharashtra |
Posthumous, social reformer, independence activist |
| 20. |
Khan Abdul Ghaffar KhanKhan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was an Afghan, Pashtun political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition to British Rule in India...
|
|
1890–1988 |
1987 |
Pakistan |
First non-citizen, independence activist |
| 21. |
M. G. RamachandranMaruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
|
|
1917–1987 |
1988 |
Sri Lanka |
Posthumous, film actor, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu |
| 22. |
B. R. AmbedkarBhimrao Ramji Ambedkar , popularly also known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, political leader, philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, orator, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, a revolutionary and one of the founding fathers of independent India. He was also the Chairman...
|
|
1891–1956 |
1990 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Posthumous, chief architect of the Indian Constitution, politician, economist, and scholar |
| 23. |
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
|
|
b. 1918 |
1990 |
South Africa |
Second non-citizen and first non-Indian recipient, Leader of the Anti-Apartheid movement |
| 24. |
Rajiv GandhiRajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
|
 |
1944–1991 |
1991 |
Maharashtra |
Posthumous, Seventh Prime Minister |
| 25. |
Vallabhbhai Patel |
|
1875–1950 |
1991 |
Gujarat |
Posthumous, independence activist, first Home Minister |
| 26. |
Morarji DesaiMorarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
|
 |
1896–1995 |
1991 |
Gujarat |
Independence activist, fifth Prime Minister |
| 27. |
Abul Kalam Azad |
|
1888–1958 |
1992 |
Saudi Arabia |
Posthumous, independence activist, first Minister of Education |
| 28. |
J. R. D. TataJehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was a pioneer aviator and important businessman of India. He was awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 1992 and the Legion of Honour from the French government in 1954.-Early life and education:J. R. D...
|
|
1904–1993 |
1992 |
France |
Industrialist and philanthropist |
| 29. |
Satyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
|
 |
1922–1992 |
1992 |
West Bengal |
Bengali filmmaker |
| 30. |
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
|
b. 1931 |
1997 |
Tamil Nadu |
Aeronautical Engineer,11th President of India |
| 31. |
Gulzarilal NandaGulzarilal Nanda was an Indian politician and an economist with specialization in labour problems. He was the interim Prime Minister of India twice for thirteen days each: the first time after the death of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, and the second time after the death of Prime...
|
|
1898–1998 |
1997 |
Pakistan |
Independence activist, interim Prime Minister |
| 32. |
Aruna Asaf Ali Aruna Asaf Ali , born Aruna Ganguli, was an Indian independence activist. She is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement, 1942.She was 87 years old at the time of her death.-Early life:Aruna Asaf Ali was...
|
|
1908–1996 |
1997 |
Haryana |
Posthumous, independence activist |
| 33. |
M. S. Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi , also known as M.S., was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. She is the first Indian musician to receive...
|
 |
1916–2004 |
1998 |
Tamil Nadu |
Classical Carnatic singer |
| 34. |
Chidambaram Subramaniam Chidambaram Subramaniam , was an Indian statesman...
|
|
1910–2000 |
1998 |
Tamil Nadu |
Independence activist, Minister of Agriculture |
| 35. |
Jayaprakash NarayanJayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
|
|
1902–1979 |
1999 |
Bihar |
Posthumous, independence activist and politician |
| 36. |
Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
|
|
b. 1920 |
1999 |
Uttar Pradesh |
SitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
player |
| 37. |
Amartya SenAmartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
|
|
b. 1933 |
1999 |
West Bengal |
Economist |
| 38. |
Gopinath Bordoloi Gopinath Bordoloi was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Assam, and also a leading Indian independence activist. He was a follower of the Gandhian principle of non violence as a political tool...
|
|
1890–1950 |
1999 |
Assam |
Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Assam |
| 39. |
Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
|
|
b. 1929 |
2001 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Playback singer |
| 40. |
Bismillah KhanUstad Bismillah Khan was an Indian shehnai maestro. He was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna , the highest civilian honour in India and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades....
|
.jpg) |
1916–2006 |
2001 |
Bihar |
Hindustani classical shehnaiThe shehnai, shahnai, shenai or mangal vadya, is an aerophonic instrument, a double reed conical oboe, common in North India, West India and Pakistan, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end...
player |
| 41. |
Bhimsen Joshi Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi ; February 4, 1922 - January 24, 2011) was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana , he is renowned for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music...
|
|
1922–2011 |
2008 |
Karnataka |
Hindustani classical singer |