The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award since 1954, celebrates individuals of exceptional merit in diverse fields. With inclusivity at its core, it honors outstanding contributions to public service and excellence across literature, science, and the arts. Awarded by the President of India, it recognizes up to three individuals annually, including posthumously, for their profound impact on society.
Bharat Ratna Awardees 2024
- Posthumous Tribute to Karpoori Thakur:
- Karpoori Thakur, the former Chief Minister of Bihar and a distinguished socialist leader, will posthumously receive the Bharat Ratna. This prestigious honor coincides with the eve of his 100th birth anniversary, recognizing his remarkable contributions to society.
- Lal Krishna Advani:
- Lal Krishna Advani, a seasoned leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been selected as a recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award for 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this decision on February 3, 2024, acknowledging Advani’s significant impact on Indian politics and public service.
Other Honorees:
- PV Narasimha Rao:
- Former Prime Minister renowned for his pivotal economic reforms.
- Chaudhary Charan Singh:
- Former Prime Minister and advocate for farmers’ rights.
- MS Swaminathan:
- Eminent agricultural scientist, often referred to as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India.”
Bharat Ratna Award Winners List
Over the years, 48 individuals have been honored with the Bharat Ratna award, with 17 of them receiving the prestigious recognition posthumously. Below is a list of these extraordinary individuals, along with their remarkable contributions to society.
| Year | Recipients | About |
| 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari | Activist, statesman, and lawyer |
| Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan | India’s first Vice-President and second President | |
| C. V. Raman | Physicists, mathematicians, and scientists | |
| 1955 | Bhagwan Das | Activist, philosopher, and educationist |
| M. Visvesvaraya | Civil engineer, statesman, and Diwan of Mysore | |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | Activist and author served as the Prime Minister of India | |
| 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant | Activist and first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh |
| 1958 | Dhondo Keshav Karve | Social reformer and educator |
| 1961 | Bidhan Chandra Roy | Physician, political leader, philanthropist, educationist, and social worker |
| Purushottam Das Tandon | Activist and speaker of the United Provinces Legislative Assembly | |
| 1962 | Rajendra Prasad | Activist, lawyer, statesman, and scholar |
| 1963 | Zakir Husain | Activist, economist, and education philosopher served as a Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and the Governor of Bihar |
| Pandurang Vaman Kane | Indologist and Sanskrit scholar, known for his five-volume literary work | |
| 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | Activist and served as the second Prime Minister of India |
| 1971 | Indira Gandhi | First women Prime Minister of India |
| 1975 | V. V. Giri | Trade Unionist |
| 1976 | K. Kamaraj | Independence activist and statesman, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu |
| 1980 | Mother Teresa | Catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. |
| 1983 | Vinoba Bhave | Activist, social reformer, and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi |
| 1987 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | First noncitizen, independence activist |
| 1988 | M. G. Ramachandran | Actor turned politician, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu |
| 1990 | B.R. Ambedkar | Social reformer and leader of the Dalits |
| Nelson Mandela | Leader of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa, President of South Africa | |
| 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi | Gandhi was the ninth Prime Minister of India serving from 1984 to 1989. |
| Vallabhbhai Patel | Activist and first Deputy Prime Minister of India | |
| Morarji Desai | Activist, and Prime Minister of India | |
| 1992 | Abul Kalam Azad | Activist and first Minister of education |
| J. R. D. Tata | Industrialist, philanthropist, and aviation pioneer | |
| Satyajit Ray | Director, filmmaker, writer, novelist | |
| 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda | Activist, and interim Prime Minister of India. |
| Aruna Asaf Ali | Activist | |
| A.P.J Abdul Kalam | Aerospace and defense scientist | |
| 1998 | M. S. Subbulakshmi | Carnatic classical vocalist |
| Chidambaram Subramaniam | Activist and former Minister of Agriculture of India | |
| 1999 | Jayaprakash Narayan | Activist, and social reformer |
| Amartya Sen | Economist | |
| Gopinath Bordoloi | Activist | |
| Ravi Shankar | Musician, sitar player | |
| 2001 | Lata Mangeshkar | Singer |
| Bismillah Khan | Hindustani classical shehnai player | |
| 2009 | Bhimsen Joshi | Hindustani classical vocalist |
| 2014 | C. N. R. Rao | Chemist and professor, author |
| Sachin Tendulkar | Cricketer | |
| 2015 | Madan Mohan Malaviya | Scholar and educational reformer. |
| Atal Bihari Bajpayee | Elected nine times to the Lok Sabha, twice to the Rajya Sabha, and served as the Prime Minister of India for three terms. | |
| 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee | Indian politician, and senior leader in the Indian National Congress. |
| Nanaji Deshmukh | A social activist from India, education, health, and rural self-reliance. | |
| Bhupen Hazarika | Indian playback singer, lyricist, musician, singer, poet, and filmmaker from Assam. | |
| 2024 (Posthumously) | Karpoori Thakur | A renowned socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar |
| 2024 | Lal Krishna Advani | A Veteran Bhartiya Janta Party Leader |
| 2024 | PV Narsimha Rao | Former Prime Minister |
| 2024 | Chaudhary Charan Singh | A former Prime Minister who supported the agricultural sector and upheld the rights of the farmers. |
| 2024 | MS Swaminathan | Father of Green Revolution |
Bharat Ratna First Recipients (1954)
- C. Rajagopalachari
- Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- CV Raman
Youngest Bharat Ratna Recipient
- Sachin Tendulkar (2014):
- Legendary cricketer, awarded the Bharat Ratna at the age of 40 for his outstanding contributions to cricket.
Oldest Bharat Ratna Recipient
- Dhondo Keshav Karve (1958):
- Revered social reformer, received the Bharat Ratna on his 100th birthday, marking a historic milestone in the award’s history.