Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

The Bharat Ratna 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 on 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
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018
independence activist Madan Mohan Malaviya
(posthumously) and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee.

Benefits of Bharat Ratna:

1. Free first class flight journey anywhere in India.

2. Free first class train journey.
3. Pension equal to or 50% of Prime Minister of
India’s salary.
4. Can attend the Parliament meetings and sessions.
5. Precedence at par with Cabinet Rank.
6. Eligible for Z-category protection, if needed.
7. Special Guest in Republic Day and Independence
Day.
8. Status equal to VVIP.

Bharat Ratna Winner List From 1954 To 2018

Birth
Name of the Awarded
S.No. & About him
Awardees Year
Death
Scholar And
Educational Reformer
And Served As The
Madan Mohan 1861
1 2015 Banaras Hindu
Malviya –1946
University Vice-
Chancellor From 1919
Till 1938.
Served As The Prime
Atal Bihari Minister Of India For
2 1924- 2015
Vajpayee Three Terms; 1996,
1998, 1999–2004.
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

Honorary Doctorates
From 63 Universities &
3 Prof. C.N.R Rao 1934- 2014 Authored Around 1600
Research Papers And
48 Books.
Sachin Tendulkar Had
Played 664
International Cricket
Sachin
4 1973- 2014 Matches In A Career &
Tendulkar
Made 30,000 Runs In
Both Odi And Test
Cricket
1922
Hindustani Classical
5 Bhimsen Joshi – 2008
Vocalist
2011
1916 Hindustani Classical
6 Bismillah Khan 2001
–2006 Shehnai Player
Lata
7 1929- 2001 Nightingale Of India
Mangeshkar
1920 Hindustani Classical
8 Ravi Shankar 1999
–2012 Music
Gopinath
1890 First Chief Minister Of
9 Bordoloi 1999
–1950 Assam (1946–50) And
(Posthumous)
Research On Several
Topics Like Social
Choice Theory, Ethics
Professor
10 1933- 1999 And Political
Amartya Sen
Philosophy, Welfare
Economics, Decision
Theory And More
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

Total Revolution
Jayaprakash Movement And
1902
11 Narayan 1999 Independence
–1979
(Posthumous) Activist, Social
Reformer
Shri Independence Activist
1910
12 Chidambaram 1998 And Former Minister
–2000
Subramniam Of Agriculture Of India
Smt. Madurai
1916 Carnatic Classical
13 Sanmukhavadivu 1998
–2004 Vocalist
Subbulakshmi
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Aerospace And
14 1931- 1997
Kalam Defence Scientist
Quit India Movement
Smt. Aruna Asaf 1909
15 1997 In 1942 & Delhi’s First
Ali (Posthumous) –1996
Mayor In 1958.
2 Times Interim Prime
Minister Of India
Shri Gulzarilal 1898 (1964, 1966) And
16 1997
Nanda –1998 Deputy Chairman Of
The Planning
Commission.
For Bringing World
1922
17 Shri Satyajit Ray 1992 Recognition To Indian
–1992
Cinema In 1984
Shri Jehangir
Industrialist,
Ratanji 1904
18 1992 Philanthropist, And
Dadabhai Tata –1993
Aviation Pioneer
(J. R. D. Tata)
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

Maulana Abul Independence Activist

1888
19 Kalam Azad 1992 And First Minister Of
–1958
(Posthumous) Education
Independence Activist
Shri Morarji 1896
20 1991 And 6th Prime Minister
Desai –1995
Of India In 1977–79
Sardar Called Iron Man Of
Vallabhbhai 1875 India And First Deputy
21 1991
Patel –1950 Prime Minister Of
(Posthumous) India In 1947–50
Shri Rajiv
1944 9th Prime Minister Of
22 Gandhi 1991
–1991 India
(Posthumous)
Dr. Nelson
President Of South
23 Rolihlahla 1918- 1990
Africa In 1994–99
Mandela
Dr. Bhim Rao
1891 Social Reformer And
24 Ramji Ambedkar 1990
–1956 Leader Of The Dalits
(Posthumous)
Shri Marudu Chief Minister Of Tamil
Gopalan 1917 Nadu For 3rd Terms;
25 1988
Ramachandran –1987 1977–80, 1980–84,
(Posthumous) 1985–87
Called Frontier Gandhi
Khan Abdul 1890 And Founded Khudai
26 1987
Ghaffar Khan –1988 Khidmatgar (Red Shirt
Movement) In 1929
Shri Acharya Independence
1895
27 Vinobha Bhave 1983 Activist, Social
–1982
(Posthumous) Reformer
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

“Saint Mother Teresa

1910 Of Calcutta” Founder
28 Mother Teresa 1980
–1997 Of The Missionaries Of
Charity
Shri Chief Minister Of Tamil
Kumaraswami 1903 Nadu For 3 Terms –
29 1976
Kamraj –1975 1954–57, 1957–62,
(Posthumous) And 1962–63
Shri Varahagiri 1894 4th Prime Minister And
30 1975
Venkata Giri –1980 Independence Activist
Called As The “Iron
Lady Of India” And
Smt. Indira 1917
31 1971 Was Prime Minister Of
Gandhi –1984
India During 1966–77
And 1980–84
For His Slogan “Jai
Shri Lal Bahadur
1904 Jawan Jai Kisan” And
32 Shastri 1966
–1966 Second Prime Minister
(Posthumous)
Of India In 1964–66
Dr. Pandurang 1880 Indologist And
33 1963
Vaman Kane –1972 Sanskrit Scholar
Independence Activist
And Education
Philosopher & Vice
Dr. Zakir 1897 Chancellor Of Aligarh
34 1963
Hussain –1969 Muslim University In
1948–56 And 3rd
President Of India In
1967–69
Dr. Rajendra 1884 Independence
35 1962
Prasad –1963 Activist, Lawyer,
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

Statesman, And
Scholar & First
President Of India
1950–62
Speaker Of The Uttar
Pradesh Legislative
Shri
1882 Assembly In 1937–50
36 Purushottam 1961
–1962 & Involvement Of
Das Tandon
Official Language
Status To Hindi.
Physician, Political
Leader,
Dr. Bidhan 1882
37 1961 Philanthropist,
Chandra Roy –1962
Educationist, And A
Social Worker
Dr. Dhondo 1858 Social Reformer And
38 1958
Keshave Karve –1962 Educator
1st Chief Minister Of
Uttar Pradesh (1950–
Pt. Govind 1887
39 1957 54) And Premier Of
Ballabh Pant –1961
United Provinces In
1937–39, 1946–50
1st Prime Minister Of
Pt. Jawaharlal 1889 India In 1947–64 &
40 1955
Nehru –1964 Independence Activist
And Author
Dr. Civil Engineer,
1861
41 Mokshagundam 1955 Statesman, And Diwan
–1962
Visvesvaraya Of Mysore In 1912–18
 Bharata Ratna Award Winners from 1954 to 2018

Independence
Dr. Bhagwan 1869
42 1955 Activist, Philosopher,
Das –1958
And Educationist
Dr.
1888
43 Chandrasekhara 1954 Physicist
– 197
Venkata Raman
1st Vice-President In
Dr. Sarvapali 1888
44 1954 1952–62) And Second
Radhakrishnan –1975
President In 1962–67
Independence
Shri Chakravarti 1878
45 1954 Activist, Statesman,
Rajagopalachari –1972
And Lawyer