The title ‘Bharat Ratna’ translates literally to ‘the Gem of India’. It is the highest civilian award in India given for exceptional contribution to the field of Art, Literature, Science and Public Service. The award was instituted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India in 1954. The award initially carried a gold medal 35mm in diameter having ‘Sun’ on one side and state ‘National Emblem’ on the other. The design of the medal was altered a year later in 1955. The first Bharat Ratna was awarded to Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan in 1954. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2008 for his contribution to the field of Indian Classical Music.
Complete list of awardees
S.No | Name | Birth / death | Awarded | Notes | Indian state or country of origin |
1. | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 1888–1975 | 1954 | Second President, First Vice President, Philosopher. | Tamil Nadu |
2. | C. Rajagopalachari | 1878–1972 | 1954 | Last Governor-General, Freedom Fighter. | Tamil Nadu |
3. | C. V. Raman | 1888–1970 | 1954 | Nobel-prize winning Physicist | Tamil Nadu |
4. | Bhagwan Das | 1869–1958 | 1955 | Literature, Freedom Fighter | Uttar Pradesh |
5. | Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya | 1861–1962 | 1955 | Civil Engineer, Dam Architect, Diwan of Princely state of Mysore | Karnataka |
6. | Jawaharlal Nehru | 1889–1964 | 1955 | First Prime Minister, Freedom Fighter, Author. | Uttar Pradesh |
7. | Govind Ballabh Pant | 1887–1961 | 1957 | Freedom Fighter, Home Minister | Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand) |
8. | Dhondo Keshav Karve | 1858–1962 | 1958 | Educationist, Social Reformer, Awarded in his birth centenary year. | Maharashtra |
9. | Bidhan Chandra Roy | 1882–1962 | 1961 | Physician, Politician, Former Chief Minister of West Bengal | West Bengal |
10. | Purushottam Das Tandon | 1882–1962 | 1961 | Freedom Fighter, Educationist | Uttar Pradesh |
11. | Rajendra Prasad | 1884–1963 | 1962 | First President, Freedom Fighter, Jurist | Bihar |
12. | Zakir Hussain | 1897–1969 | 1963 | Former President, Scholar. | Andhra Pradesh |
13. | Pandurang Vaman Kane | 1880–1972 | 1963 | Indologist and Sanskrit scholar | Maharashtra |
14. | Lal Bahadur Shastri | 1904–1966 | 1966 | Posthumous, Second Prime Minister, Freedom Fighter | Uttar Pradesh |
15. | Indira Gandhi | 1917–1984 | 1971 | Former Prime Minister | Uttar Pradesh |
16. | V. V. Giri | 1894–1980 | 1975 | Former President, Trade Unionist. | Orissa |
17. | K. Kamaraj | 1903–1975 | 1976 | Posthumous, Freedom Fighter, Chief Minister-Tamil Nadu. | Tamil Nadu |
18. | Mother Teresa | 1910–1997 | 1980 | Nobel Laureate (Peace, 1979). | West Bengal |
19. | Vinoba Bhave | 1895–1982 | 1983 | Posthumous, Social Reformer, Freedom Fighter. | Maharashtra |
20. | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | 1890–1988 | 1987 | First non-citizen, Freedom Fighter. | Pakistan |
21. | M. G. Ramachandran | 1917–1987 | 1988 | Posthumous, Chief Minister-Tamil Nadu, Actor. | Tamil Nadu |
22. | B. R. Ambedkar | 1891–1956 | 1990 | Posthumous, Architect-Indian Constitution,Social Reformer, Economist and Scholar | Maharashtra |
23. | Nelson Mandela | b. 1918 | 1990 | Second non-citizen and first non-Indian, Leader of Anti-Apartheid movement. | South Africa |
24. | Rajiv Gandhi | 1944–1991 | 1991 | Posthumous, Former Prime Minister | New Delhi |
25. | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | 1875–1950 | 1991 | Posthumous, Freedom Fighter, First Home Minister of India. | Gujarat |
26. | Morarji Deai | 1896–1995 | 1991 | Former Prime Minister, Freedom Fighter. | Gujarat |
27. | Abul Kalam Azad | 1888–1958 | 1992 | Posthumous, Freedom Fighter, First Education Minister of India | West Bengal |
28. | J. R. D. Tata | 1904–1993 | 1992 | Industrialist and philanthropist | Maharashtra |
29. | Satyajit Ray | 1922–1992 | 1992 | Film director | West Bengal |
30. | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | b. 1931 | 1997 | Former President, scientist. | Tamil Nadu |
31. | Gulzarilal Nanda | 1898–1998 | 1997 | Freedom Fighter, former Prime Minister. | Punjab |
32. | Aruna Asaf Ali | 1908–1996 | 1997 | Posthumous, Freedom Fighter. | West Bengal |
33. | M. S. Subbulakshmi | 1916–2004 | 1998 | Carnatic music vocalist. | Tamil Nadu |
34. | Chidambaram Subramaniam | 1910–2000 | 1998 | Freedom Fighter, Minister of Agriculture (Father of Green revolution). | Tamil Nadu |
35. | Jayaprakash Narayan | 1902–1979 | 1998 | Posthumous, Freedom Fighter, Social Reformer. | Bihar |
36. | Ravi Shankar | b. 1920 | 1999 | Sitar player | United States |
37. | Amartya Sen | b. 1933 | 1999 | Nobel-prize winning Economist | West Bengal |
38. | Gopinath Bordoloi | 1890–1950 | 1999 | Posthumous, Freedom fighter, Chief Minister | Assam |
39. | Lata Mangeshkar | b. 1929 | 2001 | Singer | Maharashtra |
40. | Bismillah Khan | 1916–2006 | 2001 | Classical musician, shehnai maestro | Bihar |
41. | Bhimsen Joshi | b. 1922 | 2008 | Hindustani Classical vocalist | Karnataka |
(Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Ratna#Complete_list_of_awardees)
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