Bharat Ratna - wikipedia Bharat Ratna Bharat Ratna Awarded by Government of India Type Civilian National Description Obverse An image of the Sun along with the words `` Bharat Ratna '', inscribed in Devanagari script, on a peepal ( Ficus religiosa ) leaf Reverse A platinum State Emblem of India placed in the centre with the national motto, `` Satyameva Jayate '' ( Truth alone triumphs ) in Devanagari script Ribbon Statistics Instituted 1954 First awarded 1954 Last awarded 2015 Total awarded 45 First awardee ( s ) C. Rajagopalachari Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan C.V. Raman Recent awardee ( s ) Madan Mohan Malaviya ( Posthumous ) Atal Bihari Vajpayee Award rank ← NA Padma Vibhushan → The Bharat Ratna ( Hindi pronunciation : ( bhaːrt̪ rt̪ n ) ; Jewel of India ) is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred `` in recognition of exceptional service / performance of the highest order '', without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but the government expanded the criteria to include `` any field of human endeavour '' in December 2011. The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year. Recipients receive a Sanad ( certificate ) signed by the President and a peepal - leaf -- shaped medallion ; there is no monetary grant associated with the award. Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence. The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were politician C. Rajagopalachari, philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and scientist C.V. Raman, who were honoured in 1954. Since then, the award has been bestowed upon 45 individuals, including 12 who were awarded posthumously. The original statutes did not provide for posthumous awards but were amended in January 1955 to permit them. The former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first individual to be honoured posthumously. In 2014, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, then aged 40, became the youngest recipient ; while social reformer Dhondo Keshav Karve was awarded on his 100th birthday. Though usually conferred on India - born citizens, the Bharat Ratna has been awarded to one naturalised citizen, Mother Teresa, and to two non-Indians, Pakistan national Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and former South African President Nelson Mandela. On 24 December 2014, the Indian government announced the award to independence activist Madan Mohan Malaviya ( posthumously ) and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Bharat Ratna, along with other personal civil honours, was briefly suspended from July 1977 to January 1980, during the change in the national government ; and for a second time from August 1992 to December 1995, when several public - interest litigations challenged the constitutional validity of the awards. In 1992, the government 's decision to confer the award posthumously on Subhash Chandra Bose was opposed by those who had refused to accept the fact of his death, including some members of his extended family. Following a 1997 Supreme Court decision, the press communiqué announcing Bose 's award was cancelled ; it is the only time when the award was announced but not conferred. Several bestowals of the award have met with criticism. The posthumous award for M.G. Ramachandran ( 1988 ) was considered to have been aimed at placating the voters for the upcoming assembly election and posthumous awards of Madan Mohan Malaviya ( 2015 ) and Vallabhbhai Patel ( 1991 ) drew criticism for they died before the award was instituted. Contents 1 History 2 Regulations 3 Specifications 4 Controversies 5 Criticism 6 Popular demands 7 List of recipients 8 Explanatory notes 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 Further reading History On 2 January 1954, a press communiqué was released from the office of the secretary to the President announcing the creation of two civilian awards -- Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, and the three - tier Padma Vibhushan, classified into `` Pahela Warg '' ( Class I ), `` Dusra Warg '' ( Class II ), and `` Tisra Warg '' ( Class III ), which rank below the Bharat Ratna. On 15 January 1955, the Padma Vibhushan was reclassified into three different awards ; the Padma Vibhushan, the highest of the three, followed by the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri. There is no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens. It has been awarded to a naturalised Indian citizen, Mother Teresa in 1980, and to two non-Indians, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan of Pakistan in 1987 and the former South African president Nelson Mandela in 1990. Sachin Tendulkar, at the age of 40, became the youngest person and first athlete to receive the honour. In a special ceremony on 18 April 1958, Dhondo Keshav Karve was awarded on his 100th birthday. As of 2015, the award has been conferred upon 45 people with 12 posthumous declarations. The award was briefly suspended twice in its history. The first suspension occurred after Morarji Desai was sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister in 1977. His government withdrew all personal civil honours on 13 July 1977. The suspension was rescinded on 25 January 1980, after Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister. The civilian awards were suspended again in mid-1992, when two Public - Interest Litigations were filed, one in the Kerala High Court and another in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, challenging the `` constitutional validity '' of the awards. The awards were reintroduced by the Supreme Court in December 1995, following the conclusion of the litigation. Regulations The Bharat Ratna is conferred `` in recognition of exceptional service / performance of the highest order '', without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The award was originally confined to the arts, literature, science, and public services, as per the 1954 regulations. In December 2011, the rules were changed to include `` any field of human endeavour ''. The 1954 statutes did not allow posthumous awards, but this was subsequently modified in the January 1955 statute, and Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first recipient to be honoured posthumously in 1966. Although there is no formal nomination process, recommendations for the award can only be made by the Prime Minister to the President with a maximum number of three nominees being awarded per year. However, in 1999, four individuals were awarded the honour. The recipient receives a Sanad ( certificate ) signed by the President and a medallion without any monetary grant. Under the terms of Article 18 ( 1 ) of the Constitution, the recipients can not use the award as a prefix or suffix to their name, although recipients may use either the expressions `` Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President '' or `` Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award '' to indicate that they have been honoured with the award. The holders of the Bharat Ratna rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence. As with many official announcements, recipients are announced and registered in The Gazette of India, a publication released by the Department of Publication, Ministry of Urban Development used for official government notices ; without publication in the Gazette, conferral of the award is not considered official. Recipients whose awards have been revoked or restored, both of which require the authority of the President, are registered in the Gazette. Recipients whose awards have been revoked are required to surrender their medals, and their names are struck from the register. Specifications The original 1954 specifications of the award was a circle made of gold 1 ⁄ inches ( 35 mm ) in diameter with a centred sun burst design on the obverse side. The text `` Bharat Ratna '', in Devanagari Script, is inscribed on the upper edge in silver gilt with a wreath set along on the lower edge. A platinum State Emblem of India was placed in the centre of the reverse side with the national motto, `` Satyameva Jayate '' ( Truth alone triumphs ) in Devanagari Script, inscribed in silver - gilt on the lower edge. A year later, the design was modified. The current medal is in the shape of a peepal leaf, approximately 2 ⁄ inches ( 59 mm ) long, 1 ⁄ inches ( 48 mm ) wide and ⁄ inch ( 3.2 mm ) thick and rimmed in platinum. The embossed sun burst design, made of platinum, on the obverse side of the medal has a diameter of ⁄ inch ( 16 mm ) with rays spreading out from ⁄ inch ( 21 mm ) to ⁄ inch ( 13 mm ) from the center of the Sun. The words `` Bharat Ratna '' on the obverse side remained the same as the 1954 design as did the emblem of India and `` Satyameva Jayate '' on the reverse side. A 2 - inch - wide ( 51 mm ) white ribbon is attached to the medal so it can be worn around the neck. In 1957, the silver - gilt decoration was changed to burnished bronze. The Bharat Ratna medals are produced at Alipore Mint, Kolkata along with the other civilian and military awards like Padma Vibushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Param Veer Chakra. Controversies The Bharat Ratna has been surrounded by several controversies and multiple Public - Interest Litigations ( PIL ) had been filed against the conferral of the award. Subhas Chandra Bose ( 1992 ) In 1992, a press release was published to confer the award posthumously on Bose which was later cancelled by the Supreme Court in 1997. On 23 January 1992, a press release was published by the President 's Secretariat to confer the award posthumously on Subhash Chandra Bose. The decision triggered much criticism and a PIL was filed in the Calcutta High Court to revoke the award. The petitioner took objection to the conferral of the award and its posthumous mention of Bose, saying that honouring a personality higher than the award is `` ridiculous '', and it was an act of `` carelessness '' to classify such a person with past and future recipients. It said that the award can not be conferred to Bose posthumously as the Government had not officially accepted his death on 18 August 1945. The petitioner requested the whereabouts of Bose from 18 August 1945 till date, based on the information collected by the 1956 Shah Nawaz Committee and the 1970 Khosla Commission. Bose 's family members expressed their unwillingness to accept the award. To deliver the judgement, the Supreme Court formed a Special Division Bench with Judge Sujata V. Manohar and G.B. Pattanaik. The Solicitor General noted that to confer the award per the appropriate regulations pertaining to the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri, the name of the recipient must be published in The Gazette of India and entered in the recipients register maintained under the direction of the President. It was noted that only an announcement had been made by press communiqué, but the government had not proceeded to confer the award by publishing the name in the Gazette and entering the name in the register. Furthermore, the then presidents, R. Venkataraman ( 1987 -- 92 ) and Shankar Dayal Sharma ( 1992 -- 97 ), had not conferred a Sanad ( certificate ) with their signature and seal. On 4 August 1997, the Supreme Court delivered an order that since the award had not been officially conferred, it can not be revoked and declared that the press communiqué be treated as cancelled. The court declined to pass any judgement on the posthumous mention of Bose and his death. Civilian awards as `` Titles '' ( 1992 ) In 1992, two PILs were filed in the High Courts ; one in the Kerala High Court on 13 February 1992 by Balaji Raghavan and another in the Madhya Pradesh High Court ( Indore Bench ) on 24 August 1992 by Satya Pal Anand. Both petitioners questioned the civilian awards being `` Titles '' per an interpretation of Article 18 ( 1 ) of the Constitution. On 25 August 1992, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued a notice temporarily suspending all civilian awards. A Special Division Bench of the Supreme Court was formed comprising five judges ; A.M. Ahmadi C.J., Kuldip Singh, B.P. Jeevan Reddy, N.P. Singh, and S. Saghir Ahmad. On 15 December 1995, the Special Division Bench restored the awards and delivered a judgement that the `` Bharat Ratna and Padma awards are not titles under Article 18 of the Constitution ''. C.N.R. Rao and Sachin Tendulkar ( 2013 ) Following the announcement, in November 2013, that C.N.R. Rao and Sachin Tendulkar were to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, multiple PILs were filed challenging the conferring of the award. The PIL filed against Rao declared that other Indian scientists, such as Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, had contributed more than Rao and his claim of publishing 1400 research papers was `` physically impossible ''. The suit stated that as Rao had proven cases of plagiarism, he should not be presented with the award but rather should be annulled. The PIL filed against Tendulkar to the Election Commission under the Right to Information Act indicated that the awarding him the Bharat Ratna was a violation of the model code of conduct. The petitioner noted that as Tendulkar was an Indian National Congress nominated Member of Rajya Sabha, the decision to award him the Bharat Ratna would influence the voters of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram where the election process was underway at the time. Another PIL was filed against Tendulkar and a few ministers, `` alleging a conspiracy to ignore '' an Indian field hockey player Dhyan Chand. '' On 4 December 2013, the Election Commission rejected the petition stating that conferring the award on people from non-polling states did not amount to a violation of the code. Other High Courts as well rejected the petitions raised against Rao and Tendulkar. Criticism In 1988, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ( 1984 -- 89 ) conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously on film actor and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.G. Ramachandran, in a bid to influence voters prior to the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in 1989. The decision was criticised for awarding Ramachandran before independence activist B.R. Ambedkar and Vallabhbhai Patel, who were bestowed the honour in 1990 and 1991 respectively. While Ravi Shankar was accused of lobbying for the award, the decision by Indira Gandhi to posthumously honour K. Kamaraj was considered to have been aimed at placating Tamil voters for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in 1977. The seventh Prime Minister V.P. Singh was criticised for posthumously honouring B.R. Ambedkar to please Dalits. The posthumous conferments of the award on the recipients who died before the Indian independence in 1947 or the award was instituted in 1954 have been criticised by historians. It was noted that such conferments could lead to more demands to honour people like Maurya Emperor Ashoka, Mughal Emperor Akbar, Maratha Emperor Shivaji, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda, and independence activist Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao ( 1991 -- 96 ) was criticised for bestowing the award upon Vallabhbhai Patel in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950 ; and upon Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992, who went missing since 18 August 1945. Similarly in 2015, the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's decision to award Madan Mohan Malaviya, who died in 1946, met with criticism. Janardan Dwivedi, politician of the Indian National Congress, said that Malaviya, who worked predominantly in Varanasi, was `` deliberately chosen '' by the Prime Minister Modi, who is the incumbent Member of Parliament from Varanasi. A few of the conferments have been criticised for honouring personalities only after they received global recognition. The award for Mother Teresa was announced in 1980, a year after she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Satyajit Ray received an Academy Honorary Award in 1992 followed by the Bharat Ratna the same year. In 1999, Amartya Sen was awarded the Bharat Ratna, a year after his 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. The award was proposed by President K.R. Narayanan to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who agreed to the proposal. Popular demands Though, as per the statutes for the Bharat Ratna, the recommendations for the award can only be made by the Prime Minister to the President, there have been several demands from various political parties to honour their leaders. In January 2008, Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) leader L.K. Advani wrote to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending Singh 's predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the award. This was immediately followed by the Communist Party of India ( Marxist ) lobbying for their leader, Jyoti Basu, former Chief Minister of West Bengal. Basu, India 's longest - serving chief minister, said that he would decline the honour, even if awarded. Similar demands were made by Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Shiromani Akali Dal for their respective leaders N.T. Rama Rao, Kanshi Ram, and Parkash Singh Badal. In September 2015, regional political party Shiv Sena demanded the award for the independence activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar stating that he had been `` deliberately neglected by previous governments '' but his family clarified that they are not making such demand and that the freedom fighter is known for his contribution towards independence movement and did not need an award for recognition. Per the original statutes, sportspersons were not eligible for the Bharat Ratna ; however, a revision of the rules in December 2011 made eligible `` any field of human endeavour ''. Subsequently, several sportspersons ' names were discussed ; among the most talked - about of these was field - hockey player Dhyan Chand, who was recommended multiple times for the posthumous honour. In 2011, 82 members of parliament recommended Chand 's name for the award to the Prime Minister 's Office. In January 2012, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports forwarded his name again, this time along with 2008 Summer Olympics gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and mountaineer Tenzing Norgay. Bindra had earlier been recommended for the award in May 2013 by the National Rifle Association of India. In July 2013, the ministry again recommended Dhyan Chand. However, in November 2013, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar became the first sports - person to receive the honour and this garnered much criticism for the government. A PIL was filed in the Karnataka High Court where in the petitioner requested the court to issue a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider their representation dated 26 October 2012 and confer the Bharat Ratna upon Mahatma Gandhi. On 27 January 2014, a counsel appearing for the petitioner noted that after multiple representations from the petitioner, they were provided with the information under RTI that the recommendations to confer the award on Gandhi have been received multiple times in the past and were forwarded to the Prime Minister 's Office. A Division bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagarathna dismissed the petition stating that the subject is not amenable to any adjudication process and the nominations and conferment process is stated to be informal and in the discretion of the highest authority in the Government. List of recipients Key + Naturalized citizen recipient * Non-citizen recipient # Posthumous recipient List of laureates awarded the Bharat Ratna Year Laureates Notes 1954 C. Rajagopalachari An Indian independence activist, statesman, and lawyer, Rajagopalachari was the only Indian and last Governor - General of independent India. He was Chief Minister of Madras Presidency ( 1937 -- 39 ) and Madras State ( 1952 -- 54 ) ; and founder of Indian political party Swatantra Party. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Philosopher Radhakrishnan served as India 's first Vice-President ( 1952 -- 62 ) and second President ( 1962 -- 67 ). Since 1962, his birthday on 5 September is observed as `` Teachers ' Day '' in India. C.V. Raman Widely known for his work on the scattering of light and the discovery of the effect, better known as `` Raman scattering '', Raman mainly worked in the field of atomic physics and electromagnetism and was presented Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. 1955 -- Bhagwan Das Independence activist, philosopher, and educationist, Das is a co-founder of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith and worked with Madan Mohan Malaviya for the foundation of Banaras Hindu University. M. Visvesvaraya Civil engineer, statesman, and Diwan of Mysore ( 1912 -- 18 ), Visvesvaraya was a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire. His birthday, 15 September, is observed as `` Engineer 's Day '' in India. Jawaharlal Nehru Independence activist and author, Nehru is the first and the longest - serving Prime Minister of India ( 1947 -- 64 ). 1957 Govind Ballabh Pant Independence activist Pant was premier of United Provinces ( 1937 -- 39, 1946 -- 50 ) and first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh ( 1950 -- 54 ). He served as Union Home Minister from 1955 -- 61. 1958 Dhondo Keshav Karve Social reformer and educator, Karve is widely known for his works related to woman education and remarriage of Hindu widows. He established the Widow Marriage Association ( 1883 ), Hindu Widows Home ( 1896 ), and started Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women 's University in 1916. 1961 -- Bidhan Chandra Roy A physician, political leader, philanthropist, educationist, and social worker, Roy is often considered as `` Maker of Modern West Bengal ''. He was second Chief Minister of West Bengal ( 1948 -- 62 ) and his birthday on 1 July is observed as National Doctors ' Day in India. -- Purushottam Das Tandon Often titled as `` Rajarshi '', Tandon was an independence activist and served as speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly ( 1937 -- 50 ). He was actively involved in a campaign to get official language status to Hindi. 1962 Rajendra Prasad Independence activist, lawyer, statesman, and scholar, Prasad was closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi in the non-cooperation movement for Indian independence. He was later elected as the first President of India ( 1950 -- 62 ). 1963 -- Zakir Husain Independence activist and education philosopher, Husain served as a Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University ( 1948 -- 56 ) and the Governor of Bihar ( 1957 -- 62 ). Later, he was elected as second Vice-President of India ( 1962 -- 67 ) and went on to become the third President of India ( 1967 -- 69 ). Pandurang Vaman Kane Indologist and Sanskrit scholar, Kane is best known for his five volume literary work, History of Dharmaśāstra : Ancient and Medieval Religious and Civil Law in India ; the `` monumental '' work that extends over nearly 6,500 pages and being published from 1930 to 1962. 1966 Lal Bahadur Shastri Known for his slogan `` Jai Jawan Jai Kisan '' ( `` Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer '' ), Independence activist Shastri served as second Prime Minister of India ( 1964 -- 66 ) and led the country during the Indo - Pakistani War of 1965. 1971 Indira Gandhi Known as the `` Iron Lady of India '', Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India during 1966 -- 77 and 1980 -- 84. During the Indo - Pakistani War of 1971, her government supported Bangladesh Liberation War which led to the formation of a new country, Bangladesh. -- V.V. Giri While studying at the University College Dublin, Giri was involved in the Irish Sinn Féin movement. Returning to India, he organized labour unions and brought them to take active participation in Indian freedom struggle. He was elected as the first President of All India Trade Union Congress in 1926. Post-independence, Giri held positions of Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Mysore and various other cabinet ministries. He became the first acting President and was eventually elected as the fourth President of India ( 1969 -- 74 ). 1976 K. Kamaraj Independence activist and statesman Kamaraj was a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for three terms ; 1954 -- 57, 1957 -- 62, and 1962 -- 63. 1980 Mother Teresa `` Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta '' was a catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work in 1979 and was beatified on 19 October 2003 by Pope John Paul II and canonised on 4 September 2016 by Pope Francis. Vinoba Bhave Independence activist, social reformer, and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhave is best known for his Bhoodan movement, `` Land - Gift Movement ''. He was given the honorific title `` Acharya '' ( `` teacher '' ) and was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award ( 1958 ) for his humanitarian work. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Widely known as `` Frontier Gandhi '', independence activist and Pashtun leader Khan was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He joined Khilafat Movement in 1920 and founded Khudai Khidmatgar ( `` Red Shirt movement '' ) in 1929. M.G. Ramachandran Actor turned politician Ramachandran served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for three terms ; 1977 -- 80, 1980 -- 84, 1985 -- 87. B.R. Ambedkar Social reformer and leader of the Dalits ( `` Untouchables '' ), Ambedkar was the Chief architect of the Indian Constitution and also served as the first Law Minister of India. Ambedkar predominantly campaigned against the social discrimination with Dalits, the Hindu varna system. He was associated with the Dalit Buddhist movement and accepted Buddhism as a religion along with his close to half a million followers on 14 October 1956. Nelson Mandela Leader of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa, Mandela was the President of South Africa ( 1994 -- 99 ). Often called as the `` Gandhi of South Africa '', Mandela 's African National Congress movement was influenced by Gandhian philosophy. In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 1991 Rajiv Gandhi Gandhi was the ninth Prime Minister of India serving from 1984 to 1989. Vallabhbhai Patel Widely known as the `` Iron Man of India '', Patel was an independence activist and first Deputy Prime Minister of India ( 1947 -- 50 ). Post independence, `` Sardar '' ( `` Leader '' ) Patel worked with V.P. Menon towards dissolving 555 princely states into the Indian union. Morarji Desai Independence activist Desai was the sixth Prime Minister of India ( 1977 -- 79 ). He is the only Indian national to be awarded the Nishan - e-Pakistan, highest civilian award given by the Government of Pakistan. Abul Kalam Azad Independence activist Azad was India 's first Minister of Education and worked towards free primary education. He was widely known as `` Maulana Azad '' and his birthday on 11 November is observed as National Education Day in India. J.R.D. Tata Industrialist, philanthropist, and aviation pioneer, Tata founded India 's first airline Air India. He is the founder of various institutes including Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Tata Memorial Hospital, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Motors, TCS, National Institute of Advanced Studies, and National Centre for the Performing Arts. Satyajit Ray Having debuted as a director with Pather Panchali ( 1955 ), film - maker Ray is credited with bringing world recognition to Indian cinema. In 1984, Ray was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India 's highest award in cinema. Gulzarilal Nanda Independence activist Nanda was two times interim Prime Minister of India ( 1964, 1966 ) and two times deputy chairman of the Planning Commission. -- Aruna Asaf Ali Independence activist Ali is better known for hoisting the Indian flag in Bombay during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Post Independence, Ali was elected as Delhi 's first mayor in 1958. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Aerospace and defence scientist, Kalam was involved in the development of India 's first satellite launch vehicle SLV III and was the architect of Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. He worked for Indian National Committee for Space Research, Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Laboratory and was appointed as the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, Secretary to Department of Defence Research and Development and Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation. Later, he served as the eleventh President of India from 2002 till 2007. 1998 M.S. Subbulakshmi Carnatic classical vocalist Subbulakshmi, often hailed as `` Queen of songs '', is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award. Chidambaram Subramaniam Independence activist and former Minister of Agriculture of India ( 1964 -- 66 ), Subramaniam is known for his contribution towards Green Revolution in India. During the late 1970s, he worked for International Rice Research Institute, Manila, and the International Maize and Wheat Research Institute, Mexico. 1999 -- Jayaprakash Narayan Independence activist, social reformer, and commonly referred as `` Lok Nayak '' ( `` People 's Hero '' ), Narayan is better known for `` Total Revolution Movement '' or `` JP Movement '' initiated during the mid-1970s to `` overthrow the corrupt and exploitative Congress government ''. Amartya Sen Winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences ( 1998 ), Sen has done research over several topics including social choice theory, ethics and political philosophy, welfare economics, decision theory, development economics, public health, and gender studies. Gopinath Bordoloi Independence activist Bordoloi is the first Chief Minister of Assam ( 1946 -- 50 ). His efforts and association with the then Minister of Home Affairs Vallabhbhai Patel were widely acknowledged while keeping Assam united with India when parts of it were to merge with East Pakistan. Ravi Shankar Winner of four Grammy Awards and often considered `` the world 's best - known exponent of Hindustani classical music '', sitar player Shankar is known for his collaborative work with Western musicians including Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. Lata Mangeshkar Widely credited as the `` nightingale of India '', playback singer Mangeshkar started her career in the 1940s and has sung songs in over 36 languages. In 1989, Mangeshkar was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India 's highest award in cinema. Bismillah Khan Hindustani classical shehnai player, Khan played the instrument for more than eight decades and is credited to have brought the instrument to the centre stage of Indian music. 2009 Bhimsen Joshi Hindustani classical vocalist, Joshi was a disciple of Kirana gharana, an Indian musical school. He is widely known for the Khyal genre of singing with a `` mastery over rhythm and accurate notes ''. 2014 C.N.R. Rao The recipient of Honorary Doctorates from 63 Universities including Purdue, IIT Bombay, Oxford, chemist and professor Rao has worked prominently in the fields of Solid State and Materials Chemistry, Spectroscopy and Molecular Structure. He has authored around 1600 research papers and 48 books. Sachin Tendulkar Having debuted in 1989, Tendulkar played 664 international cricket matches in a career spanning over two decades. He holds various cricket records including the only player to have scored one hundred international centuries, the first batsman to score a double century in a One Day International and the only player to complete more than 30,000 runs in both ODI and Test cricket. 2015 Madan Mohan Malaviya Scholar and educational reformer Malaviya is a founder of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha ( 1906 ) and Banaras Hindu University and served as the university 's vice-chancellor from 1919 till 1938. He was the President of Indian National Congress for four terms and was the Chairman of Hindustan Times from 1924 to 1946. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Parliamentarian for over four decades, Vajpayee was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha, twice to the Rajya Sabha and served as the Prime Minister of India for three terms ; 1996, 1998, 1999 -- 2004. He was Minister of External Affairs during 1977 -- 79 and was awarded the `` Best Parliamentarian '' in 1994. Explanatory notes Jump up ^ The Bharat Ratna ceremony is usually held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi but a special ceremony was held at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai to honour Karve on his 100th birthday, 18 April 1958. ^ Jump up to : Per Article 18 ( 1 ) of the Constitution of India : Abolition of titles, `` no title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State ''. Jump up ^ The PIL accused the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Sports Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and the secretary to the union home department. Jump up ^ In 1960, Ramachandran was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, but declined as the invitation was written in the Devanagari script and not Tamil. Jump up ^ Desai had earlier abolished the awards while he was in the office of Prime Minister for it being `` worthless and politicized ''. Jump up ^ Earlier, Abul Kalam Azad had refused the Bharat Ratna while he was the Education Minister of India ( 1947 -- 58 ) citing that the selection committee members should not themselves be the recipients. Posthumous recipients Jump up ^ Lal Bahadur Shastri died on 11 January 1966, at the age of 61. Jump up ^ K. Kamaraj died on 2 October 1975, at the age of 72. Jump up ^ Vinoba Bhave died on 15 November 1982, at the age of 87. Jump up ^ M.G. Ramachandran died on 24 December 1987, at the age of 70. Jump up ^ B.R. Ambedkar died on 6 December 1956, at the age of 65. Jump up ^ Rajiv Gandhi died on 21 May 1991, at the age of 46. Jump up ^ Vallabhbhai Patel died on 15 December 1950, at the age of 75. Jump up ^ Abul Kalam Azad died on 22 February 1958, at the age of 69. Jump up ^ Aruna Asaf Ali died on 29 July 1996, at the age of 87. Jump up ^ Jayaprakash Narayan died on 8 October 1979, at the age of 76. Jump up ^ Gopinath Bordoloi died on 5 August 1950, at the age of 60. Jump up ^ Madan Mohan Malaviya died on 12 November 1946, at the age of 84. References Jump up ^ `` Atal Behari Vajpayee : India honours former PM with Bharat Ratna ''. BBC. 24 December 2014. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015. ^ Jump up to : Lal, Shavax A. ( 1954 ). `` The Gazette of India -- Extraordinary -- Part I '' ( PDF ). The Gazette of India. The President 's Secretariat ( published 2 January 1954 ) : 2. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. The President is pleased to institute an award to be designated Bharat Ratna and to make the following Regulations ^ Jump up to : Ayyar, N.M. ( 1955 ). `` The Gazette of India -- Extraordinary -- Part I '' ( PDF ). The Gazette of India. The President 's Secretariat ( published 15 January 1955 ) : 8. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. The President is pleased to make the following revised regulations for the award of the decoration Bharat Ratna in supersession of those published in Notification No. 1 - Pres. / 54, dated the 2nd January, 1954 ^ Jump up to : `` Bharat Ratna Scheme '' ( PDF ). Ministry of Home Affairs ( India ). Retrieved 8 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Govt changes criteria for Bharat Ratna ; now open for all ''. The Hindu. New Delhi. Press Trust of India. 16 December 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2011. Jump up ^ Guha 2001, p. 176. ^ Jump up to : `` Tendulkar receives Bharat Ratna ''. ESPNcricinfo. 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Profile : Dhondo Keshav Karve ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Jump up ^ Daniel 1958, p. 223. ^ Jump up to : `` List of recipients of Bharat Ratna ( 1954 -- 2015 ) '' ( PDF ). Ministry of Home Affairs ( India ). Retrieved 11 September 2015. ^ Jump up to : Hoiberg & Ramchandani 2000, p. 96. Jump up ^ Bhattacherje 2009, p. A248. ^ Jump up to : Edgar 2011, p. C - 105. Jump up ^ Madappa, K.C. ( 1980 ). `` The Gazette of India -- Extraordinary -- Part I '' ( PDF ). The Gazette of India. The President 's Secretariat ( published 25 January 1980 ) : 2. Retrieved 19 June 2016. The President is pleased to cancel the President 's Secretariat Notification No. 65 - Pres / 77 dated the 8th August, 1977 by which the Civilian Awards `` Bharat Ratna ', ' Padma Vibhushan ', ' Padma Bhushan ' and ' Padma Shri ' were cancelled and to direct that the said Awards shall be re-instituted with immediate effect. Jump up ^ Bhattacherje 2009, p. A253. ^ Jump up to : `` Balaji Raghavan S.P. Anand Vs. Union of India : Transfer Case ( civil ) 9 of 1994 ''. Supreme Court of India. 4 August 1997. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014. Jump up ^ Gundevia, Y.D. ( 1966 ). `` The Gazette of India -- Extraordinary -- Part I '' ( PDF ). The Gazette of India. The President 's Secretariat ( published 11 January 1966 ) : 2. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. The President is pleased to award the Bharat Ratna posthumously to : -- Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Jump up ^ `` The Constitution of India '' ( PDF ). Ministry of Law and Justice ( India ). p. 36. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Indian order of precedence '' ( PDF ). Rajya Sabha Secretariat. p. 1. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Crafting Bharat Ratna, Padma Medals at Kolkata Mint '' ( Press release ). Press Information Bureau ( PIB ), India. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014. Ranjan, Amitav ( 4 February 2014 ). `` Sachin 's Bharat Ratna today a medal from 2000 ''. The Indian Express. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014. Jump up ^ Sainty 2011. Jump up ^ `` Crafting Bharat Ratna, Padma Medals at Kolkata Mint ''. Press Information Bureau. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2015. `` History of the Alipore Mint ''. India Govt Mint, Kolkota. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2008. ^ Jump up to : Basu 2010, p. 132. ^ Jump up to : Haque, Amir ( 5 December 2013 ). `` PIL against Bharat Ratna to CNR Rao dismissed, petitioners warned ''. Headlines Today. New Delhi : India Today. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : Sengupta, Subhajit ( 19 November 2013 ). `` RTI activist moves EC against Sachin Tendulkar getting Bharat Ratna ''. IBN Live. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Case filed against Bharat Ratna award to Tendulkar ''. Rediff.com. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. `` Bharat Ratna controversy : Cases filed against Manmohan, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Sachin Tendulkar ''. The Economic Times. Muzaffarpur. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Union of India Vs. Bijan Ghosh and ORS : Special Leave Petition ( civil ) 628 of 1994 ''. Supreme Court of India. 4 August 1997. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014. Jump up ^ Basu 2010, p. 102. Jump up ^ `` SC cancels note on Bharat Ratna for Subhash Bose ''. Press Trust of India. New Delhi : The Indian Express. 5 August 1997. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Govt did n't violate model code in naming Sachin for Bharat Ratna : EC ''. Hindustan Times. New Delhi. 4 December 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Court reserves order on Sachin Tendulkar 's Bharat Ratna ''. Daily News and Analysis. Lucknow. Indo - Asian News Service. 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. `` Madras HC dismisses PIL against Sachin Tendulkar getting Bharat Ratna ''. Chennai : IBN Live. 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. `` HC dismisses PIL challenging Bharat Ratna to Sachin, Rao ''. The Hindu. Chennai. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : Guha 2001, p. 169. Jump up ^ Hattangadi, Shekhar ( 11 February 2011 ). `` It 's time to junk the sullied Padma awards ''. Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014. Jump up ^ Patranobis, Sutirtho ( 13 January 2008 ). `` ' Politicking ' over the Bharat Ratna award ''. Hindustan Times. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : Ramachandran, Sudha ( 24 January 2008 ). `` India 's top award misses congeniality ''. Asia Times Online. Bangalore. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014. Jump up ^ Chatterjee, Saibal ; Prakash, Amit ( 1996 ). `` An Honourable Judgement : A Supreme Court ruling aims to restore the sanctity of the nation 's highest awards ''. Outlook ( magazine ) ( published 10 January 1996 ). Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Needler : Bharat Ratna to Pandit Malviya can lead to more demands ''. Mail Today. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Jump up ^ Sharma, Sandipan ( 25 December 2014 ). `` Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Malaviya : Govt needs to stop politicising the reward ''. Firstpost. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Jump up ^ Sopariwala, Dorab R. ( 28 January 2015 ). `` A Bharat Ratna for Mahatma Gandhi ? ''. NDTV. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Jump up ^ Ramaswami, T.R. ( 7 January 2012 ). `` Let us not degrade country 's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna ''. The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 November 2015. ^ Jump up to : Diwanji, Amberish K. ( 24 December 2014 ). `` Mr Modi, why not a Bharat Ratna for the Mahatma ? ''. Rediff.com. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` '' Netaji stature bigger than Bharat Ratna `` : Kin say best way to honour him is to declassify govt files on his disappearance ''. The Indian Express. Kolkata. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Jump up ^ Agnihotri, Amit ( 5 January 2015 ). `` ' No posthumous Bharat Ratna should be given ' says Congress veteran Dwivedi ''. DailyMail. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Bharat Ratna cry for Bose ''. The Telegraph ( Calcutta ). New Delhi. 6 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. Jump up ^ Guha 2001, p. 170. Jump up ^ `` Acceptance Speeches : Satyajit Ray ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bharat Ratna for Amartya Sen ''. Frontline ( magazine ). The Hindu. 16 ( 3 ). 1999. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. Jump up ^ Tripathi, Salil ( 23 August 2013 ). `` Freedom of Expression : Indians are Becoming Increasingly Intolerant ''. Forbes India Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Prime Ministers of India ''. Prime Minister 's Office ( India ). Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ Chatterjee, Manini ( 10 January 2008 ). `` Uneasy lies crown that awaits Ratna -- Advani proposes Vajpayee 's name, method and timing fuel murmurs ''. The Telegraph ( Calcutta ). Calcutta. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Premiers / Chief Ministers of West Bengal ''. West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jyoti Basu can be given Bharat Ratna : CPI ( M ) ''. Kolkata : Daily News and Analysis. Press Trust of India. 11 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. `` Jyoti Basu `` not in the race '' ``. The Hindu. Kolkata. Press Trust of India. 13 January 2008. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bharat Ratna losing its sanctity ? ''. The Statesman. 24 November 2013. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Shiv Sena starts drive to collect 10 lakh signatures to get Bharat Ratna for Vinayak Damodar Savarkar ''. The Economic Times. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015. `` Shiv Sena demands Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar ''. Mid-Day. New Delhi. Press Trust of India. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015. `` Savarkar does n't need an award for recognition, says grand - nephew ''. The Indian Express. Mumbai. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ Ray, Suman ( 8 January 2014 ). `` Fans hold rally demanding Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand ''. New Delhi : India Today. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Dhyan Chand, not Sachin Tendulkar, is Sports Ministry 's choice for Bharat Ratna ''. New Delhi : NDTV Sports. Press Trust of India. 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` National Rifle Association of India recommends Abhinav Bindra for Bharat Ratna ''. New Delhi : NDTV Sports. Press Trust of India. 13 May 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ Shukla, Neha ( 13 February 2014 ). `` Sports ministry recommended Dhyan Chand for Bharat Ratna ''. The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ Ferro, Ashwin ( 5 February 2014 ). `` I have no hope of Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand now : Ashok Kumar ''. Mumbai : Mid Day. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2015. `` ' Dhyan Chand deserved Bharat Ratna more than Sachin ' ''. Rediff.com. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Nagpal, Deepak ( 18 November 2013 ). `` Bharat Ratna : If Sachin Tendulkar deserves it then why not Dhyan Chand ? ''. Zee News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Mazoomdaar, Jay ( 17 November 2013 ). `` Just not cricket : Why did Sachin get Bharat Ratna before Dhyan Chand ? ''. Firstpost. Retrieved 19 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bharat Ratna for Mahatma Gandhi ? ''. The Hindu. Bangalore. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Union of India Vs. Manjunath '' ( PDF ). High Court of Karnataka. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015. `` High Court of Karnataka : WP 3149 / 2014 ''. High Court of Karnataka. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Chakravarti Rajagopalachari ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 September 2015. `` Government of Tamil Nadu : Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu since 192 ''. Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Former President of India ''. The President 's Secretariat. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Former Vice President of India ''. The Vice President 's Secretariat. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan : The Philosopher President ''. Press Information Bureau ( PIB ). Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Nobel Prize in Physics 1930 ''. Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014. `` Sir Venkata Raman Facts ''. Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` About Us -- Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith Varanasi ''. Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014. Masih, Niha ( 1 January 2015 ). `` Varanasi : The City of Bharat Ratnas ''. NDTV. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Engineer 's Day in India : celebrating M. Visvesvaraya 's birthday ''. New Delhi : IBN Live. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2015. `` The Architect of India 's Nuclear Programme ''. Vigyan Prasar. Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ Guha, Ramachandra ( 11 January 2014 ). `` Leave it to history : India 's best and worst prime ministerse ''. The Telegraph. Calcutta. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh ''. Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014. `` Nation pays homage to Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant on his 127th birth anniversary ''. Business Standard. New Delhi. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ Osnes 2013, p. 104. Jump up ^ Kalra, R.N. ( 3 July 2011 ). `` A doctor par excellence ''. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Purushottam Das Tandon ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ Weber 2004, p. 138. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Rajendra Prasad ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ Taneja 2000, p. 167. Jump up ^ `` Mumbai University Alumni ''. University of Mumbai. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` From the Bookshelves of IGNCA : Texts on Dharmashastra wellspring of Indian code for life ''. Indira Gandhi National Centre of the Arts. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Gallery of Prime Ministers of India ''. Press Information Bureau ( PIB ). Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Lal Bahadur Shastri ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ Thelikorala, Sulakshi ( 18 November 2011 ). `` Indira Gandhi : Iron Lady of India ''. Asian Tribune. World Institute For Asian Studies. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Indira Gandhi ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ Mansingh, Surjit ( 2006 ). Historical Dictionary of India. Scarecrow Press. p. 240. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8108 - 6502 - 0. Jump up ^ Dubey, Scharada ( 2009 ). First among equals President of India. Westland. pp. 37 -- 44. ISBN 978 - 81 - 89975 - 53 - 1. ^ Jump up to : `` Details of terms of successive legislative assemblies constituted under the constitution of India ''. Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Kumaraswami Kamaraj ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Blessed Mother Teresa ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. `` Mother Teresa -- Biographical ''. Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. `` The Nobel Peace Prize 1979 ''. Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Vinoba Bhave ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Ramon Magsaysay Award winners ''. Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Abdul Ghaffar Khan ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` The chequered history of our national honours ''. Rediff.com. 1 February 2010. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Some Facts of Constituent Assembly ''. Parliament of India. National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ Jain, Anurodh Lalit ( 14 April 2013 ). `` Let 's help realise the vision of Ambedkar for Dalits ''. The Hindu. Retrieved 7 November 2015. `` Untouchability, The Dead Cow And The Brahmin ''. Outlook. 22 October 2002. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ Vajpeyi, Ananya ( 27 August 2015 ). `` Owning Ambedkar sans his views ''. The Hindu. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Srivastava, Kanchan ( 8 October 2015 ). `` Gautam Buddha 's ashes to travel from Sri Lanka to Maharashtra next week ''. Daily News Analysis. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Nelson Mandela ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Nelson Mandela, the ' Gandhi of South Africa ', had strong Indian connections ''. Deccan Chronicle. Johannesburg. Press Trust of India. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ Mandela, Nelson ( 6 June 1993 ). `` Nelson Mandela 's speech at unveiling of Gandhi Memorial ''. Pietermaritzburg : African National Congress. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Nelson Mandela -- Biographical ''. Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. `` The Nobel Peace Prize 1993 ''. Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` PM Modi pays tributes to Sardar Patel on his death anniversary ''. New Delhi : IBN Live. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Patel 's communalism -- a documented record ''. Frontline. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2015. `` Sardar Patel : Builder of a Steel Strong India ''. Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 6 November 2015. `` Who betrayed Sardar Patel ? ''. The Hindu. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 October 2015. Jump up ^ Mukul, Akshaya ( 20 January 2008 ). `` The great Bharat Ratna race ''. The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014. Jump up ^ Bhatia, Shyam ( 11 July 2001 ). `` When India and Pakistan almost made peace ''. Rediff.com. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Those who said no to top awards ''. The Times of India. 20 January 2008. Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` List of former Ministers in charge of Education / HRD ''. Ministry of Human Resource Development. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` National Education Day celebrated ''. The Hindu. Krishnagiri. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2015. Sharma, Arun Kumar ( 7 November 2010 ). `` Visionary educationist ''. The Tribune. Retrieved 11 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : J.R.D. Tata ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Shah, Shashank ; Ramamoorthy, V.E. ( 2013 ). Soulful Corporations : A Values - Based Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 149. ISBN 978 - 81 - 322 - 1275 - 1. Jump up ^ Gulzar, Nihalani & Chatterjee 2003, p. 612. Jump up ^ `` Sight and Sound Poll 1992 : Critics ''. California Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013. Kevin Lee ( 5 September 2002 ). `` A Slanted Canon ''. Asian American Film Commentary. Retrieved 3 February 2013. `` Greatest Film Directors and Their Best Films ''. Filmsite.org. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2013. `` The Greatest Directors Ever by Total Film Magazine ''. Filmsite.org. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Dadasaheb Phalke Awards ''. Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 6 May 2012. Jump up ^ `` Former PM Gulzarilal Nanda dead ''. Rediff.com. 15 January 1998. Retrieved 14 September 2015. Jump up ^ Singh, Kuldeep ( 31 July 1996 ). `` Obituary : Aruna Asaf Ali ''. The Independent. Retrieved 14 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Bio-data : Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ''. Press Information Bureau ( PIB ). 26 July 2002. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` MS Subbulakshmi : ' Nightingale ' of Carnatic music ''. Rediff.com. 12 December 2004. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015. `` M.S. Subbulakshmi commemorated with a doodle ''. Rediff.com. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 23 December 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` C Subramaniam awarded Bharat Ratna ''. Rediff.com. 18 February 1998. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014. Jump up ^ Merchant, Minhaz ; Bobb, Dilip ; Louis, Arul B. ; Sethi, Sunil ; Chawla, Prabhu ; Ahmed, Farzand ( 6 March 2014 ). `` Jayapraksh Narayan : A leader betrayed ''. India Today. Retrieved 17 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 1998 ''. Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Biographical note : Amartya Sen : Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy ''. Harvard University. Retrieved 17 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Assam Legislative Assembly -- Chief Ministers since 1937 ''. Assam Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014. Jump up ^ Phukan, Sandeep ( 8 February 2014 ). `` In Assam, Narendra Modi describes how Congress ' betrayed ' it ''. Guwahati : NDTV. Retrieved 17 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Ravi Shankar ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` India 's Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar turns 82 today ''. Firstpost. 28 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2014. Jump up ^ Gulzar, Nihalani & Chatterjee 2003, pp. 486, 487. Jump up ^ `` Indian music 's soulful maestro ''. BBC News. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 13 September 2015. Jump up ^ Jamkhandi, Gururaj ( 26 January 2011 ). `` Torch - bearers of kirana gharana, and their followers ''. The Times of India. Hubli. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2014. Jump up ^ Thakur 2010, pp. 77 -- 86. Jump up ^ `` Indian Fellow : Professor Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao ''. Indian National Science Academy. Retrieved 18 September 2015. `` Profile : Rao C.N.R ''. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. Retrieved 18 September 2015. `` Research : Rao C.N.R ''. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. Retrieved 18 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Sachin Tendulkar ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 18 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Records / Combined Test, ODI and T20I records / Batting records ; Most runs in career ''. ESPNcricinfo. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile : Madan Mohan Malaviya ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 18 September 2015. `` History of BHU : The Capital of all Knowledge ''. Banaras Hindu University. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2015. `` Speech of Prime Minister at the Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya inaugural function ''. Press Information Bureau. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Profile of Shri Atal Behari Bajpayee ''. Press Information Bureau ( PIB ). Retrieved 18 September 2015. `` Profile : Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee : March 19, 1998 -- May 22, 2004 ( Bhartiya Janta Party ) ''. Prime Minister 's Office. Retrieved 6 November 2015. Bibliography Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bharat Ratna. India portal Basu, Kanailal ( 2010 ). Netaji : Rediscovered. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4490 - 5569 - 1. Bhattacherje, S.B. ( 2009 ). Encyclopaedia of Indian Events & Dates. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978 - 81 - 207 - 4074 - 7. Daniel, P. ( 1958 ). The Indian Review. 58. G.A. Natesan & Company. Edgar, Thorpe ( 2011 ). The Pearson General Knowledge Manual 2011. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978 - 81 - 317 - 5640 - 9. Guha, Ramachandra ( 2001 ). An Anthropologist Among the Marxists and Other Essays. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7824 - 001 - 5. Gulzar ; Nihalani, Govind ; Chatterjee, Saibal, eds. ( 2003 ). Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7991 - 066 - 5. Hoiberg, Dale ; Ramchandani, Indu ( 2000 ). Students ' Britannica India. 1 -- 5. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7156 - 112 - 4. Osnes, Beth ( 2013 ). Theatre for Women 's Participation in Sustainable Development. Routledge. ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 72846 - 4. Sainty, Guy Stair ( 2011 ). World Orders of Knighthood and Merit. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9711966 - 7 - 4. Taneja, V.R. ; Taneja, S. ( 2000 ). Educational Thinkers. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978 - 81 - 7156 - 112 - 4. Weber, Thomas ( 2004 ). Gandhi as Disciple and Mentor. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 139 - 45657 - 9. Further reading Murthi, R.K. ( 2005 ). Encyclopedia of Bharat Ratnas. Pitambar Publishing. ISBN 978 - 81 - 209 - 1307 - 3. Chandra, Shailesh ( 2009 ). Bharat Ratna : The Jewel of India. Alfa Publications. p. 320. ISBN 978 - 81 - 907385 - 0 - 7. Bharat Ratna laureates 1954 -- 1960 C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C.V. Raman ( 1954 ) Bhagwan Das, Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, and Jawaharlal Nehru ( 1955 ) Govind Ballabh Pant ( 1957 ) Dhondo Keshav Karve ( 1958 ) 1961 -- 1980 Bidhan Chandra Roy and Purushottam Das Tandon ( 1961 ) Rajendra Prasad ( 1962 ) Zakir Husain and Pandurang Vaman Kane ( 1963 ) Lal Bahadur Shastri ( 1966 ) Indira Gandhi ( 1971 ) V.V. Giri ( 1975 ) K. Kamaraj ( 1976 ) Mother Teresa ( 1980 ) 1981 -- 2000 Vinoba Bhave ( 1983 ) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan ( 1987 ) M.G. Ramachandran ( 1988 ) B.R. Ambedkar and Nelson Mandela ( 1990 ) Rajiv Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Morarji Desai ( 1991 ) Abul Kalam Azad, J.R.D. Tata, and Satyajit Ray ( 1992 ) Gulzarilal Nanda, Aruna Asaf Ali, and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ( 1997 ) M.S. Subbulakshmi and Chidambaram Subramaniam ( 1998 ) Jayaprakash Narayan, Amartya Sen, Gopinath Bordoloi, and Ravi Shankar ( 1999 ) 2001 -- present Lata Mangeshkar and Bismillah Khan ( 2001 ) Bhimsen Joshi ( 2008 ) C.N.R. Rao and Sachin Tendulkar ( 2014 ) Madan Mohan Malaviya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee ( 2015 ) Indian honours and decorations Civilian National Bharat Ratna Padma Vibhushan Padma Bhushan Padma Shri Children National Bravery Award National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement National Bal Shree Honour Women Stree Shakti Puraskar Police President 's Police Medal for Gallantry Police Medal for Gallantry Central Ganga Sharan Award George Grierson Award Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award Moturi Satyanarayan Award National Award for Child Welfare Subramanya Bharathi Award By field Literature Sahitya Akademi Fellowship Sahitya Akademi Award Cinema Dadasaheb Phalke Award National Film Awards Other arts Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship Sports Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Arjuna Award Dronacharya Award Dhyan Chand Award Science & Technology Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Kalinga Prize Gallantry Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak Jeevan Raksha Padak Medical Dr. B.C. Roy Award International Gandhi Peace Prize Indira Gandhi Peace Prize Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony Military Wartime Param Vir Chakra Maha Vir Chakra Vir Chakra Peacetime Ashoka Chakra Kirti Chakra Shaurya Chakra Distinguished Service & Gallantry Sena Medal Army Nao Sena Medal Navy Vayu Sena Medal Air Force Wartime Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal Uttam Yudh Seva Medal Yudh Seva Medal Peacetime Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Service and campaign medals Wound Medal General Service Medal 1947 Samanya Seva Medal Special Service Medal Samar Seva Star Poorvi Star Paschimi Star Operation Vijay Star Siachen Glacier Medal Raksha Medal Sangram Medal Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Service Medal Videsh Seva Medal Long service awards Meritorious Service Medal Long Service and Good Conduct Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal Territorial Army Decoration Territorial Army Medal Independence Awards Indian Independence Medal 50th Independence Anniversary Medal 25th Independence Anniversary Medal Other Awards Mention in Dispatches Commendation Card Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bharat_Ratna&oldid=800740265 '' Categories : Awards established in 1954 Civil awards and decorations of India Recipients of the Bharat Ratna Lists of Indian award winners Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from November 2016 Articles with permanently dead external links Good articles EngvarB from July 2014 Use dmy dates from July 2015 Pages using deprecated image syntax Talk Contents About Wikipedia অসমীয়া বাংলা Deutsch Español فارسی Français ગુજરાતી 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ಕನ್ನಡ Kurdî Lëtzebuergesch मैथिली മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Polski Português Русский संस्कृतम् Simple English Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు Українська اردو 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 15 September 2017, at 11 : 15. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who was the first indian to receive bharat ratan
Answer: philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and scientist C. V. Raman