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

The  "Bharat Ratna” Award was established on 2nd January 1954 by the first  President of India- Babu Rajendra Prasad along with the following 3 “Padma Awards”:

• Padma Vibhusan
• Padma Bhusan
• Padma Shri

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:-

• Art
• Literature
• Science
• Public service of high orders

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.

The Following is the List of "Bharat Ratna"-Award Recipients- consisting of  45 eminent Persons, including 40 Indian Citizens, /both Resident and Non-Resident and 3  Foreigners, From the Year 1954 To the Year 2015:-

1954 (6):
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

1955 (1):-
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. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)- The First Prime Minister of India and an Indian  Freedom Fighter and  Writer belonging to Uttar Pradesh

1956: None

1957 (1):
7. Mr. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887–1961)- An Indian Freedom Fighter and Home Minister of Indian Union belonging to Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand

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

1959 and1960: None

1961 (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

1962:None

1963 (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

1964 and 1965: None

1966 (1):

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

From 1967 To 1970:  None
1971 (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

From 1972 To 1974: None

1975 (1):

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

1976 (1):

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

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.

1980 (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

1981 and 1982: None

1983 (1):
19.Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895–1982)-- A Social  Reformer and a Freedom Fighter belonging to Maharashtra-Awarded Posthumously

From 1984 To 1986:- None

1987 (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

1988 (1):
21.Mr. M. G. Ramachandran (1917–1987)- -Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu- Popular Cinema Actor belonging to Tamil Nadu- Awarded Posthumously 

1989:None

1990 (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(1918-2013) -  The Second non-citizen and the first non-Indian awarded Bharat  Ratna- A Leader of Anti-Apartheid movement belonging to South Africa

1991 (3):
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-

26. Mr.Morarji Desai (1896–1995)- A Former Prime Minister of India  and an Indian  Freedom
Fighter belonging to Gujarat. He was the First Ever Non-Congress Prime Minister of India.

1992 (3):
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

From 1993 To 1996: None
1997 (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

1998 (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 Indian Union Minister 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

2000:None
2001 (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

From 2002 To 2007:None
2008 (1):

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

From 2009 To 2012: None
2013: 

42. Sachin Tendulkar- (Born in the year 1973)- Sports Person / Cricketer -for his unreachable achievements and unbreakable records in the field of cricket, which earned good name and glory to India, in a span of 24 years.

43. Dr.C.N.R.Rao- Indian Chemist- the man behind India's maiden 'Mars'-Mission 

Note: On the last day of his career in cricket, on 16th November 2013, at the end of his last and the 200th test cricket match, held at his home pitch, Mumbai, against West Indies, the Government of India has announced Bharat Ratna to the Indian 'God of Cricket' Sachin Tendulkar as a fitting farewell gift 
and to Dr C.N.R.Rao for his services in India's-"Mars-Mission".

On 04th February 2014, the 'Bharat Ratna' awards announced for Dr.C.N.R.Rao and  Sachin Tendulkar  were conferred on them  and the awards were given by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee in a simple function held at the "Durbar Hall" of the Rahstrapathi Bhavan, Newdelhi.

Sachin Tendular, on hearing the news that he would be given the nation's highest civilian award on 16th November 2013 had initially dedicated the 'Bharat Ratna' award to his mother Mrs.Rajni.

However, on 17th November 2013, he dedicated the award to all the mothers in India, as there are millions and millions of mothers in India, who are sacrificing so many things for their children. 

The First Indian Sports Person To Receive Bharat Ratna Award-Sachin

44.Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya:Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
  
45. Atal Bihari Vajpayee:

The President's Office on Wednesday announced the Bharat Ratna award to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The announcement was made on the eve of Mr. Vajpayee's 90th birthday and the 153rd birth anniversary of Pandit Malviya.

The BJP has been demanding Bharat Ratna for Mr. Vajpayee for a long time; and BJP patriarch L.K. Advani has been at the forefront of seeking the highest civilian honour for the former Prime Minister. 

A Bharat Ratna for Pandit Malviya, a freedom fighter and the founder of the Benaras Hindu University was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign. Justice Giridhar Malviya, the grandson of Pandit Malaviya was one of those who proposed the nomination of Mr. Modi from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. Mr. Vajpayee will be the seventh Prime Minister to receive the award, while Pandit Malviya will be the 12th person to be honoured posthumously.

Earlier recipients of the award include former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Lal Bahadur Shastri, along with first Governor General of free India C. Rajagopalachari, and former Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.