The Bharat Ratna Award is the highest civilian honour of India, instituted in 1954 to recognise exceptional service or performance across fields like public affairs, science, arts, literature, and sports. Conferred by the President of India, the award is given without distinction of race, occupation, position, or gender. Any person in any occupation, sex or position is eligible for the Bharat Ratna award. In a year, a maximum of 3 people are awarded the Bharat Ratna award. A Complete and Updated List of Bharat Ratna Award Winners from 1954–2026, Honouring India’s Most Distinguished Personalities for Exceptional Contributions in Public Affairs, Science, Arts, Literature, Sports, and More. Bharat Ratna is also presented after one’s demise; till now, 16 people have been awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously. This article provides the complete Bharat Ratna Award winners list from 1954 to 2026, arranged year-wise, along with downloadable PDFs in English and Hindi for quick reference.
Download the Bharat Ratna Award Winners List PDF in English
Bharat Ratna Award Winners List (1954-2026)
List of all Bharat Ratna Award Winners in India from 1954 to 2026
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Recipients
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Year
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MS Swaminathan (Father of the Green Revolution)
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2024
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Chaudhary Charan Singh (Former Prime Minister of India)
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2024
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PV Narasimha Rao (Former Prime Minister of India)
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2024 |
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Lal Krishna Advani (Former Minister of Home Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of India)
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2024
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Karpoori Thakur ( Former Chief Minister) - Bihar
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2024
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Award not announced
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2023
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Award not announced
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2021
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Award not announced
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2020
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Nanaji Deshmukh (social activist) - Maharashtra
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2019
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Bhupen Hazarika (playback singer, lyricist, musician, poet, and film-maker) - Assam
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Pranab Mukherjee (politician) - West Bengal
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee (politician) - Madhya Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna List 2015
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Madan Mohan Malaviya (Scholar and educational reformer) - Uttar Pradesh
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Sachin Tendulkar (cricketer) - Maharashtra
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Bharat Ratna Winners List 2014
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CNR Rao (chemist and professor) - Karnataka
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Bhimsen Joshi (Hindustani classical vocalist) - Karnataka
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Bharat Ratna Winners 2009
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Bismillah Khan (Hindustani classical shehnai player) - Uttar Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna List 2001
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Lata Mangeshkar (playback singer) - Maharashtra
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Ravi Shankar (sitar player) - Uttar Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna Winners 1999
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Gopinath Bordoloi (Independence activist) - Assam
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Amartya Sen (economist) - West Bengal
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Jayaprakash Narayan (Independence activist, social reformer) - Bihar
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Chidambaram Subramaniam (Independence activist) - Tamil Nadu
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Bharat Ratna Winners 1998
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MS Subbulakshmi (Carnatic classical vocalist) - Tamil Nadu
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A P J Abdul Kalam (Aerospace and defence scientist) - Tamil Nadu
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Bharat Ratna List 1997
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Aruna Asaf Ali (Independence activist) - West Bengal
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Gulzarilal Nanda (Independence activist) - Punjab
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Satyajit Ray (Filmmaker) - West Bengal
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Bharat Ratna Winners 1992
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JRD Tata (Industrialist) - Maharashtra
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Abdul Kalam Azad (Independence activist) - West Bengal
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Morarji Desai (Independence activist) - Gujarat
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Bharat Ratna Winners List 1991
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Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Independence activist) - Gujarat
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Rajiv Gandhi (politician) - Uttar Pradesh
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Nelson Mandela (anti-apartheid activist) - South Africa
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Bharat Ratna Winners 1990
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B R Ambedkar (Social reformer) - Maharashtra
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M G Ramachandran (actor turned politician) - Tamil Nadu
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners 1988
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Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Independence activist) - Pakistan
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Bharat Ratna List 1987
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Vinoba Bhave (Independence activist, social reformer) - Maharashtra
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Bharat Ratna Winners List 1983
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Mother Teresa (a Catholic nun) - West Bengal
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Bharat Ratna List 1980
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K Kamaraj (politician) - Tamil Nadu
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Bharat Ratna winners 1976
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V V Giri (Independence activist) - Odisha
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Bharat Ratna List 1975
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Indira Gandhi (politician) - Uttar Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna List 1971
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Lal Bahadur Shastri (Independence activist) - Uttar Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners List 1966
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Pandurang Vaman Kane (Indologist and Sanskrit scholar) - Maharashtra
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Bharat Ratna Winners 1963
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Zakir Husain (Independence activist and education philosopher) - Andhra Pradesh
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Rajendra Prasad (Independence activist, lawyer, statesman, and scholar) - Bihar
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Bharat Ratna List 1962
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Purushottam Das Tandon (Independence activist) - Uttar Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners 1961
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Bidhan Chandra Roy (physician, political leader, philanthropist, educationist, and social worker) - West Bengal
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Dhondo Keshav Karve (Social reformer and educator) - Maharashtra
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners List 1958
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Govind Ballabh Pant (Independence activist) - Uttarakhand
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Bharat Ratna List 1957
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Jawaharlal Nehru (Independence activist and author) - Uttar Pradesh
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners 1955
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M Visvesvaraya (Civil engineer, statesman, and Diwan of Mysore) - Karnataka
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Bhagwan Das (Independence activist, philosopher, and educationist) - Uttar Pradesh
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CV Raman (physicist) - Tamil Nadu
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners List 1954
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Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (philosopher and politician) - Tamil Nadu
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C Rajagopalachari (statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activist) - Tamil Nadu
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Bharat Ratna Award Winners
Here are some Bharat Ratna awards Recipient list from 1954 to 2026.
First Recipient of Bharat Ratna Awards
The first Bharat Ratna award was awarded to politician C. Rajagopalachari, philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and scientist CV Raman in the year 1954.
Important Awards List
Posthumous Recipients of Bharat Ratna Award
Posthumous recipients are individuals who receive the award after their passing. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first person to be honoured posthumously, receiving the award on January 11, 1966, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
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Lal Bahadur Shastri (died on 11 January 1966)
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Kamaraj (died on 2 October 1975)
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Vinoba Bhave (died on 15 November 1982)
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M. G. Ramachandran (died on 24 December 1987)
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B. R. Ambedkar (died on 6 December 1956)
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Rajiv Gandhi (died on 21 May 1991)
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Vallabhbhai Patel (died on 15 December 1950)
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Abdul Kalam Azad (died on 22 February 1958)
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Aruna Asaf Ali (died on 29 July 1996)
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Jayaprakash Narayan (died on 8 October 1979)
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Gopinath Bordoloi (died on 5 August 1950)
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Madan Mohan Malaviya (died on 12 November 1946)
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Bhupen Hazarika (died on 5 November 2011)
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Nanaji Deshmukh (died on 27 February 2010)
Non-Citizen Recipients of Bharat Ratna Award
The Bharat Ratna can also be conferred on non-Indians, as there is no written provision restricting the award to Indian citizens. So far, there have been two non-citizen recipients. They are:
Naturalised Citizen Recipients of Bharat Ratna Award
- Mother Teresa – North Macedonia
Youngest Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award
The youngest Bharat Ratna recipient in India was Sachin Tendulkar, who received this award in the year 2014 when he was 40 years old. He is one of the finest Indian cricketers of all time and is considered a legend in the history of Cricket.
Oldest Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award
Dhondo Keshav Karve was the oldest person to receive the Bharat Ratna Award. He was a social reformer and was awarded on his 100th birthday in 1958.
Bharat Ratna Award Guidelines and Medal Specifications
According to the constitution, the Bharat Ratna cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name. The recipient of the award is facilitated with a sanad or certificate signed by the president and a medal.
The medal is in the form of a peepal leaf, which is 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide, and 3.1 mm thick. It is a bronze medal, and in the middle of the medal, the image of the sun is embossed, which is 1.6 cm in diameter. On the other side of the medal state emblem and the Moto of the country are written in Devanagari script.
Bharat Ratna 2024 Recipients and Their Contributions
Karpoori Thakur, the legendary socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, has been posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. This prestigious recognition was announced on the eve of his 100th birth anniversary, paying tribute to his lifelong service to society.
Another prominent recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award 2024 is Lal Krishna Advani. On 3rd February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader would receive this top civilian award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indian politics and public life.
In addition, the Bharat Ratna 2024 honours three distinguished personalities who have played a crucial role in shaping India’s development. Former Prime Ministers P. V. Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, along with renowned agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan, have also been selected for this prestigious award, highlighting their exceptional dedication to the nation’s progress.
Bharat Ratna Award Winners List: Overview
The Bharat Ratna award was received by 48 persons, and 17 were awarded posthumously. The Bharat Ratna award is the highest civilian award in India, which was instituted in the year 1954. The Bharat Ratna award is awarded to people for their exceptional public service and performance of the highest order in any field of human activity, like literature, science and art. The Bharat Ratna award is presented by the President of India. In a year, a maximum of 3 people are awarded the Bharat Ratna award. This award is also awarded posthumously; till now, 16 people have been awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously. The Bharat Ratna award was received by 48 persons. The Bharat Ratna award is presented without any discrimination based on race, profession, status, or gender. It recognises exceptional achievements in fields such as art, literature, science, public service, sports, and social work, expressing the nation’s appreciation for individuals who have made a lasting and meaningful contribution to society.
Bharat Ratna Award Winners List in Hindi (1954-2026)
Download the Bharat Ratna Award Winners List PDF in Hindi
1954 से 2026 तक भारत रत्न विजेताओं की सूची पीडीएफ
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार प्राप्तकर्ता
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वर्ष
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एमएस स्वामीनाथन (हरी क्रांति के पिता)
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2024
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चौधरी चरण सिंह (भारत के पूर्व मुख्य मंत्री)
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2024
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पीवी नरसिंह राव (भारत के पूर्व मुख्य मंत्री)
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2024
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लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी (पूर्व गृह मंत्री, भारत के उप मुख्य मंत्री)
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2024
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कर्पूरी ठाकुर (पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री) - बिहार
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2024
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पुरस्कार की घोषणा नहीं हुई
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2023
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पुरस्कार की घोषणा नहीं हुई
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2021
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पुरस्कार की घोषणा नहीं हुई
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2020
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नानाजी देशमुख (सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता) - महाराष्ट्र
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2019
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भूपेन हजारिका (पार्श्व गायक, गीतकार, संगीतकार, कवि, और फिल्म निर्माता) - असम
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प्रणब मुखर्जी (राजनीतिज्ञ) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी (राजनीतिज्ञ) - मध्य प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 2015
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मदन मोहन मालवीय (विद्वान एवं शिक्षाविद) सुधारक) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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सचिन तेंडुलकर (क्रिकेटर) - महाराष्ट्र
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भारत रत्न विजेता सूची 2014
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सीएनआर राव (रसायनज्ञ और प्रोफेसर) - कर्नाटक
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भीमसेन जोशी (हिंदुस्तानी क्लासिक गायक) - कर्नाटक
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भारत रत्न विजेता 2009
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बिस्मिल्लाह खान (हिंदुस्तानी शास्त्रीय शहनाई वादक) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 2001
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लता मंगेशकर (प्लेबैक गायक) - महाराष्ट्र
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रवि शंकर (सितार खिलाड़ी) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न विजेताओं सूची 1999
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गोपीनाथ बोरदोलोई (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - असम
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अमर्त्य सेन (अर्थशास्त्री) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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जयप्रकाश नारायण (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता, सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता) सुधारक) - बिहार
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चिदंबरम सुब्रमण्यम (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता) - तामिल तमिलनाडु
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1998
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एमएस सुब्बुलक्ष्मी (कर्नाटक शास्त्रीय गायिका) - तमिल तमिलनाडु
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ए.पी.जे. अब्दुल कलाम (एयरोस्पेस और रक्षा वैज्ञानिक) - तामिल तमिलनाडु
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1997
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अरुणा आसफ अली (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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गुलजारीलाल नंदा (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - पंजाब
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सत्यजीत रे (फिल्म निर्माता) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1992
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जेआरडी टाटा (उद्योगपति) - महाराष्ट्र
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अब्दुल कलाम आजाद (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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मोरारजी देसाई (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - गुजरात
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भारत रत्न विजेता सूची 1991
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सदर वल्लभभाई पटेल पटेल (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - गुजरात
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राजीव गांधी (राजनीतिज्ञ) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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नेल्सन मंडेला (रंगभेद विरोधी कार्यकर्ता) - दक्षिण अफ्रीका
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1990
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बी आर अम्बेडकर (सामाजिक सुधारक) - महाराष्ट्र
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एम जी रामचंद्रन (अभिनेता एवं राजनीतिज्ञ) - तामिल तमिलनाडु
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1988
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खान अब्दुल गफ्फार खान (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता) - पाकिस्तान
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1987
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विनोबा भावे (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता, समाज सुधारक) - महाराष्ट्र
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भारत रत्न विजेता सूची 1983
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मदर टेरेसा (कैथोलिक नन) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1980
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के कामराज (राजनीतिज्ञ) - तमिलनाडु
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1976
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वी वी गिरि (आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - ओडिशा
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1975
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इंदिरा गांधी (राजनीतिज्ञ) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1971
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लाल बहादुर शास्त्री (स्वतंत्रता सेनानी) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न विजेता सूची 1966
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पांडुरंग वामन काणे (भारतविद् एवं संस्कृत विद्वान) - महाराष्ट्र
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1963
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जाकिर हुसैन (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता और शिक्षाविद्) दार्शनिक) - आंध्र प्रदेश
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राजेंद्र प्रसाद (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता, वकील, राजनेता, और विद्वान) - बिहार
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1962
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पुरुषोत्तम दास टंडन (स्वतंत्रता सेनानी) - उत्तर प्रदेश प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1961
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बिधान चंद्र रॉय (चिकित्सक, राजनीतिक नेता, परोपकारी, शिक्षाविद् और सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता) - पश्चिम बंगाल
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धोंडो केशव कर्वे (समाज सुधारक और शिक्षक) - महाराष्ट्र
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भारत रत्न विजेता सूची 1958
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गोविंद बल्लभ पंत (स्वतंत्रता सेनानी) - उत्तराखंड
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1957
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जवाहर लाल नेहरू (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता और लेखक) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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भारत रत्न विजेता 1955
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एम विश्वेश्वरैया (सिविल इंजीनियर, राजनेता और दीवान) मैसूर) - कर्नाटक
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भगवान दास (स्वतंत्रता कार्यकर्ता, दार्शनिक और पत्रकार) शिक्षाविद्) - उत्तर प्रदेश
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सीवी रमन (भौतिक विज्ञानी) - तामिल तमिलनाडु
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भारत रत्न पुरस्कार सूची 1954
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सर्वपल्ली राधाकृष्णन (दार्शनिक और राजनीतिज्ञ) - तामिल तमिलनाडु
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सी राजगोपालाचारी (राजनेता, लेखक, वकील और पत्रकार) आजादी कार्यकर्ता) - तमिलनाडु
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FAQs
Q: Who was the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award?
C. Rajagopalachari (1954).
Q: Who was the first sports person to receive the Bharat Ratna?
Sachin Tendulkar (2014)
Q: Who was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992?
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992.
Q. When was the Bharat Ratna Award introduced?
The Bharat Ratna Award was introduced in the year 1954.
Q: Which Prime Minister received the Bharat Ratna while in office?
Jawaharlal Nehru (1955), Indira Gandhi (1971), and Lal Bahadur Shastri (posthumously, 1966)
Q: Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna Award?
Indira Gandhi (1971). She was the third Prime Minister of India.
Q: What is the maximum number of Bharat Ratna awards typically given in a single year?
The rule is restricted to a maximum of three awards in a single year. However, this rule was exceeded in 1999 (four awards) and again in 2024 (five awards).
Q: Who is the oldest person to ever receive the Bharat Ratna?
Dhondo Keshav Karve (1958), who was honoured on his 100th birthday.
Q: Can the Bharat Ratna be used as a title or prefix?
No. Under Article 18(1) of the Indian Constitution, the award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name.
