List of "Bharat Ratna"-Award Recipients From 1954 Till Date

The “Bharat Ratna” Award is the highest Civilian Award in India. “Bharat Ratna” means “Gem of India”.

"Bharat Ratna" Award  is  conferred on  Indian Citizens, including resident and non-resident , and also on Foreigners  for the highest degrees of  national services rendered in the fields of:-

In the year 2011, the Government of India modified the eligibility criteria for "Bharat Ratna" Award  from the earlier criteria- "for the highest degrees of  national service" to - " "for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour"- to enable eminent sports-persons to receive the  nation's highest civilian award.

Initially, the” Bharat  Ratna”  award was conferred on only  alive persons and the award was  not intended to be given posthumous.

After January 1955 provision was made for issue of posthumous Bharat Ratna award.

From the year 1954 To 2013, “Bharat  Ratna”  award has been given to 41 Indian Citizens (both Resident and non-resident) and  including the following 3  foreigners:-

1.    Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975)-

The Second President and the  First Vice President of India, A Philosopher belonging to Tamil Nadu whose birthday is commemorated as “Teachers’ Day”.

2. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari /Rajaji(1878–1972)- The last Governor General of British India who was also an Indian  Freedom Fighter, belonging to Tamilnadu

3.Sir C. V. Raman ( 1888–1970)- Nobel-prize winning Physicist belonging to  Tamil Nadu

4. Dr.Bhagwan Das (1869–1958)- A Man of Literature and an  Indian  Freedom Fighter  belonging to Uttar Pradesh

5.Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya (1861–1962)- An Indian  Civil Engineer and Dam Architect,  A Diwan of  Princely state of Mysore Karnataka

 6. Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)- The First Prime Minister of India and an Indian  Freedom Fighter and  Writer belonging to Uttar Pradesh

7. Mr. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887–1961)- An Indian Freedom Fighter and Home Minister of Indian Union belonging to Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand


Recipient of 1958 (1):

8.Dhondo Keshav Karve (1858–1962) –An Educationist and a Social Reformer belonging to Maharashtra- Awarded Bharata Ratna in his birth centenary year 1958

Recipient of1959 &1960: None

Recipients of1961 (2):

9. Dr. B. C. Roy (1882–1962)_ A Physician, Politician and Former Chief Minister of West Bengal belonging to West Bengal

10.Mr.Purushottam Das Tandon (1882–1962)- An Indian- Freedom Fighter and an   Educationist belonging to Uttar Pradesh

Recipients of1962:None

Recipients of1963 (3):

11. Dr.(Babu) Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963)- The first President of India, a Freedom Fighter and a Jurist belonging to Bihar

12. Dr. Zakir Hussain (1897–1969)-Former President of India and a Scholar  belonging to Andhra Pradesh

13. Mr.Pandurang Vaman Kane (1880–1972)- Ideologist and Sanskrit scholar   belonging to Maharashtra

Recipient of 1964&1965: None

 Recipient of1966 (1):

14. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966)--The Second Prime Minister of India a Freedom Fighter belonging to Uttar Pradesh- Awarded Posthumously

RecipientsFrom 1967 To 1970: None


Recipient of1971 (1):

15.Mrs. Indira Gandhi–(1917–1984)- Former and the first and the only Lady Prime Minister of India/Daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, belonging to Uttar Pradesh

RecipientsFrom 1972 To 1974: None

Recipient of1975 (1):

16.Mr.V. V. Giri (1894–1980)- Former President- Trade Unionist belonging to Orissa

Recipient of 1976 (1):

17.Mr.K. Kamaraj (1903–1975)--A Freedom Fighter-Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu belonging to Tamil Nadu-Awarded Posthumously

RecipientFrom 1977 To 1979:None
 The ‘Bharat  Ratna” award  had been  kept suspended by the Government of  India,from  13th July 1977 to 26th January 1980.

Recipient of1980 (1):

18 .Mother Teresa (1910–1997)- A Nobel Laureate (For Peace, 1979) A foreigner belonging to the Republic of Macedonia-  dedicated to the Sick people of India especially for those who were affected by Leprosy

Recipient of1981&1982: None

Recipient of1983 (1):

19.Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895–1982)-- A Social  Reformer and a Freedom Fighter belonging to Maharashtra-Awarded Posthumously

RecipientFrom 1984 To 1986:- None

Recipient of1987 (1):

20.Mr.Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as "Frontier Gandhi", (1890–1988)-
The first non-citizen awarded Bharata Ratna- A Freedom Fighter belonging to
Pakistan

Recipient of1988 (1):

21.Mr. M. G. Ramachandran (1917–1987)- -Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu- Popular Cinema Actor belonging to Tamil Nadu- Awarded Posthumously

Recipient of1989:None

Recipients of1990 (2):

22.Dr.B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956)- An Architect who  played a key role in the formation of the Indian Constitution, a Social Reformer, Economist and Scholar belonging to Maharashtra-
Awarded Posthumously-

23. Dr.Nelson Mandela-Born in 1918-The Second non-citizen and the first non-Indian awarded Bharat  Ratna- A Leader of Anti-Apartheid movement belonging to South Africa

24.Mr.Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991)- - Former Prime Minister of India/Son of Mrs.Indira Gandhi/Grand-son of  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru- belonging to New Delhi -Awarded Posthumously

25.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950)- An Indian  Freedom  Fighter and the First Home Minister of India belonging to Gujarat-Awarded Posthumously-

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26. Mr.Morarji Desai (1896–1995)- A Former Prime Minister of India  and an Indian  Freedom
Fighter belonging to Gujarat

27. Mr. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) – AFreedom Fighter and the First Education Minister of India belonging to WestBengal-Awarded Posthumously

28. Mr.J. R. D. Tata (1904–1993)- An Industrialist and a philanthropist  belonging to Maharashtra

29.Mr.Satyajit Ray (1922–1992)- A popular Bengali -Film Director-An Oscar Award-winner belonging to West Bengal


RecipientFrom 1993 To 1996: None

Recipients of1997 (3):

30. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam- Born in 1931- A Former President of India- Atomic Scientist belonging to Tamil Nadu

31.Mr.Gulzarilal Nanda (1898–1998)-An Indian  Freedom Fighter and a former(Acting) Prime Minister of India belonging to Punjab

32. Ms,.Aruna Asaf Ali (1908–1996) An Indian  Freedom Fighter belonging to West Bengal-Awarded Posthumously

Recipients of1998 (2):

33 .Mrs.M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916–2004)- A Carnatic music vocalist  belonging to Tamil Nadu

34.Mr.Chidambaram Subramaniam/C.S. (1910–2000)- An Indian  Freedom Fighter and former IndianUnionMinister of Agriculture - belonging  to Tamil Nadu

35. Mr.Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979)- A Freedom -Fighter and a Social Reformer belonging to Bihar- Awarded Posthumously

Recipients of 1999 (3):

36.Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) -A Classical-Sitarist  belonging to Uttar Pradesh.

37. Dr.Amartya Sen- Born in 1933- An Indian Economist  and a Nobel Laureate ( For Economics, 1998),-belonging to West Bengal

38.  Mr.Gopinath Bordoloi (1890–1950)-- An Indian freedom  fighter belonging to Assam- Awarded Posthumously

Recipient of2000: None

Recipients of2001 (2):

39. Ms.Lata Mangeshkar- Born in 1929- A Hindi -Cinema-Play back Singer belonging  to Maharashtra

40. Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006)- A Classical Shehnai- Maestro belonging to Bihar

RecipientFrom 2002 To 2007: None

Recipient of 2008 (1):

 
41. Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (1922-2011)  A Hindustani classical vocalist belonging to Karnataka.