Awardees of Bharat Ratna

The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India, established on 2 January 1954. It recognises exceptional service of the highest order in any field of human endeavour such as art, literature, science, public service, social work, and more — without distinction of race, occupation, position, or gender.

The award carries no monetary grant but includes a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President of India and a medallion shaped like a peepal leaf. A maximum of three Bharat Ratna awards can be given in a single year.

As of 2025, Bharat Ratna has been conferred on 53 remarkable individuals representing leadership, excellence, and service.

Complete List of Bharat Ratna Awardees (1954 – 2025)

🏅 1950s – Early Pioneers

1954 – C. Rajagopalachari (Statesman)

1954 – Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Philosopher & President)

1954 – C. V. Raman (Physicist, Nobel Laureate)

1955 – Bhagwan Das (Philosopher)

1955 – M. Visvesvaraya (Engineer)

1955 – Jawaharlal Nehru (India’s 1st PM)

1957 – Govind Ballabh Pant (Statesman)

1958 – Dhondo Keshav Karve (Social Reformer)

🏛 1960s – Nation Builders

1961 – Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (Physician & CM)

1961 – Purushottam Das Tandon (Linguistic Reformer)

1962 – Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1st President)

1963 – Dr. Zakir Husain (President)

1966 – Lal Bahadur Shastri (Prime Minister, Posthumously) 

🇮🇳 1970s – Political & Social Leaders

1971 – Indira Gandhi (Prime Minister)

1975 – V. V. Giri (President)

1976 – K. Kamaraj (Posthumous)

1980 – Mother Teresa (Nobel Laureate & Social Worker)

1983 – Vinoba Bhave (Social Reformer)

1987 – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan 

🎭 1988–1999 – Cultural Icons & Thinkers

1988 – M. G. Ramachandran (Actor & CM)

1990 – B. R. Ambedkar (Posthumous, Architect of the Constitution)

1990 – Nelson Mandela (Anti-Apartheid Leader)

1991 – Rajiv Gandhi (Posthumous, PM)

1991 – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Posthumous, Former Home Minister)

1991 – Morarji Desai (Prime Minister)

1992 – J. R. D. Tata (Industrialist)

1992 – Satyajit Ray (Filmmaker)

1992 – Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Posthumous)

1997 – Gulzarilal Nanda (Posthumous)

1997 – Aruna Asaf Ali (Posthumous)

1997 – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Scientist & President)

1998 – M. S. Subbulakshmi (Vocalist)

1998 – Chidambaram Subramaniam (Green Revolution Architect)

1999 – Amartya Sen (Economist)

1999 – Pandit Ravi Shankar (Music Maestro)

1999 – Jayaprakash Narayan (Posthumous Leader)

1999 – Gopalkrishna Gokhale (Posthumous) 

🎵 2000s – Cultural & Scientific Excellence

2001 – Lata Mangeshkar (Playback Singer)

2001 – Ustad Bismillah Khan (Shehnai Virtuoso)

2009 – Bhimsen Joshi (Vocalist)

2014 – Sachin Tendulkar (Cricket Legend)

2014 – Prof. C. N. R. Rao (Scientist)

2015 – Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Prime Minister)

2015 – Madan Mohan Malaviya (Educationist, Posthumous) 

🇮🇳 Recent Years – Contemporary Icons

2019 – Pranab Mukherjee (President)

2019 – Nanaji Deshmukh (Social Worker, Posthumous)

2019 – Bhupen Hazarika (Musician, Posthumous)

2024 – Karpoori Thakur (Posthumous, Leader, CM)

2024 – Lal Krishna Advani (Statesman, Former Home Minister)

2024 – M. S. Swaminathan (Agricultural Scientist, Posthumous)

2024 – Charan Singh (Prime Minister, Posthumous)

2024 – P. V. Narasimha Rao (Prime Minister, Posthumous)

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