The Bharat Ratna awardees list is one of the most consistently tested GK topics in UPSC, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, Banking, Railways, and all State PSC competitive exams — Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honour, awarded for exceptional service of the highest order to the nation.
Instituted on January 2, 1954 by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the award has been given to 53 individuals as of 2024, including scientists, politicians, musicians, sportspersons, and freedom fighters. Covering arts, literature, science, public service, and now any field of human endeavour, the Bharat Ratna is the pinnacle of civilian recognition in India.
⚡ Quick Facts
- First three recipients (1954): C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. C. V. Raman — mnemonic: “Raja Radha Raman.”
- Only sportsperson: Sachin Tendulkar (2014) — first and only sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna; also youngest ever recipient at age 40.
- Non-Indian recipients: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987, Pakistan — “Frontier Gandhi”) and Nelson Mandela (1990, South Africa). Mother Teresa (1980) had Indian citizenship.
- 2024 batch (largest ever — 5 recipients): Karpoori Thakur, LK Advani, PV Narasimha Rao, MS Swaminathan, Chaudhary Charan Singh (4 of 5 posthumous).
- National importance dates: Award not given during 1977–1980 and 1993–1995. Maximum 3 per year (exceptions made: 2024 had 5).
Trap 1 — Non-Indian recipients: Exams ask “which foreign nationals received Bharat Ratna?” The answer is Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990). Mother Teresa (1980) is often listed as a non-Indian — she was Albanian-born but had Indian citizenship and ran her mission in India. For strictest “non-Indian citizen” answer: Khan + Mandela.
Trap 2 — First recipient: The award was given to THREE people simultaneously in 1954 (Rajagopalachari, Radhakrishnan, C.V. Raman). “Who was the first Bharat Ratna recipient?” technically has three answers — all three in 1954.
Trap 3 — Sachin Tendulkar’s distinction: Sachin is the YOUNGEST recipient (age 40 in 2014), NOT the oldest. He is also the FIRST AND ONLY sportsperson — not the first cricket-related recipient.
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🏅 Bharat Ratna Awardees — Complete List (1954–2024)
| # ↕ | Year ↕ | Recipient ↕ | Field | Posthumous? | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari First 1954 | Politics | No | Last Governor-General of India; Tamil Nadu; Congress; “Rajaji” |
| 2 | 1954 | Dr. S. Radhakrishnan First 1954 | Politics / Philosophy | No | Philosopher; 2nd President of India; Teachers’ Day (Sep 5) = his birthday |
| 3 | 1954 | Dr. C. V. Raman First 1954 | Science | No | Nobel Prize in Physics 1930 (Raman Effect); National Science Day = Feb 28 (his discovery) |
| 4 | 1955 | Dr. Bhagwan Das | Social/Scholar | No | Scholar, philosopher, Theosophist; UP; supporter of Indian independence |
| 5 | 1955 | Dr. M. Visvesvaraya | Science | No | Engineer, Dewan of Mysore; Engineers’ Day (Sep 15) = his birthday; KRS Dam designer |
| 6 | 1955 | Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru | Politics | No | India’s first PM; Children’s Day (Nov 14) = his birthday; architect of modern India |
| 7 | 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant | Politics | No | Freedom fighter; Chief Minister UP; India’s Home Minister; Hindi Language advocate |
| 8 | 1958 | Dr. D. K. Karve | Social Reform | No | Champion of women’s education and widow remarriage; Maharashtra; awarded on his 100th birthday |
| 9 | 1961 | Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy | Politics / Medicine | No | Physician; Chief Minister of West Bengal; Doctors’ Day (Jul 1) = his birthday |
| 10 | 1961 | Purushottam Das Tandon | Politics | No | Freedom fighter; Congress president; Hindi language promoter; “Rajarshi” |
| 11 | 1962 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | Politics | No | First President of India; Bihar; presided over Constituent Assembly; only President elected twice |
| 12 | 1963 | Dr. Zakir Husain | Politics / Education | No | Educationist; 3rd President of India; Jamia Millia Islamia founder; AMU Vice Chancellor |
| 13 | 1963 | Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane | Social/Scholar | No | Indologist; Sanskrit scholar; wrote “History of Dharmashastra” (5-volume encyclopaedia) |
| 14 | 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | Politics | Posthumous | 2nd PM of India; “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”; led 1965 India-Pakistan War; died in Tashkent 1966 |
| 15 | 1971 | Indira Gandhi | Politics | No | “Iron Lady of India”; PM; led 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War; Pokhran nuclear test 1974; first woman PM |
| 16 | 1975 | V. V. Giri | Politics | No | Trade unionist; 4th President of India; only President elected against official Congress candidate |
| 17 | 1976 | K. Kamaraj | Politics | Posthumous | Congress leader, Tamil Nadu CM; “Kingmaker” — helped elect Shastri and Indira Gandhi as PM |
| 18 | 1980 | Mother Teresa Non-Indian | Humanitarian | No | Nobel Peace Prize 1979; Albanian-born, Indian citizen; Missionaries of Charity; Kolkata; canonised 2016 |
| 19 | 1983 | Vinoba Bhave | Social Reform | Posthumous | Sarvodaya movement; Bhoodan (land gift) movement — redistributed 4 million acres; first Satyagrahi after Gandhi |
| 20 | 1987 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Foreign National | Social/Activist | No | “Frontier Gandhi”; Pakistani-Pashtun non-violent activist; Khudai Khidmatgar movement; first foreign national recipient |
| 21 | 1988 | M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) | Arts / Politics | Posthumous | Actor and CM of Tamil Nadu; AIADMK founder; only actor to become CM while still acting |
| 22 | 1990 | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Constitution Architect | Politics / Law | Posthumous | Architect of Indian Constitution; first Law Minister; Dalit rights champion; received 34 years after death (1956) |
| 23 | 1990 | Nelson Mandela Foreign National | Social/Activist | No | Anti-apartheid leader; President of South Africa; Nobel Peace Prize 1993; 2nd true foreign national recipient |
| 24 | 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi | Politics | Posthumous | PM of India; youngest PM at 40; assassinated 1991; brought computers and IT to India |
| 25 | 1991 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Iron Man of India | Politics | Posthumous | “Iron Man of India”; first Deputy PM & Home Minister; integrated 562 princely states into India; Statue of Unity |
| 26 | 1991 | Morarji Desai | Politics | No | PM of India 1977–79 (first non-Congress PM); Gujarat; also received Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Pakistan |
| 27 | 1992 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad | Politics / Education | Posthumous | First Education Minister of India; National Education Day (Nov 11) = his birthday; IITs established under him |
| 28 | 1992 | J. R. D. Tata | Industry / Science | No | Industrialist; pioneer of Indian aviation (Air India); built Tata empire into global conglomerate |
| 29 | 1992 | Satyajit Ray | Arts / Cinema | No | Filmmaker; Honorary Academy Award (Oscar) 1992; “Pather Panchali” trilogy; Bengal’s greatest artistic export |
| 30 | 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda | Politics | No | Acted as PM of India twice (1964 after Nehru’s death; 1966 after Shastri’s death); never elected PM |
| 31 | 1997 | Aruna Asaf Ali | Freedom Fighter | Posthumous | “Grand Old Lady of Independence”; hoisted Congress flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan during Quit India Movement (1942) |
| 32 | 1997 | Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Missile Man | Science | No | “Missile Man of India”; DRDO/ISRO scientist; 11th President of India; Pokhran II nuclear tests 1998; “People’s President” |
| 33 | 1998 | M. S. Subbulakshmi First Musician | Arts / Music | No | “Queen of Music”; first musician to receive Bharat Ratna; first Indian to perform at UN General Assembly (1966) |
| 34 | 1998 | C. Subramaniam | Politics | No | Agriculture Minister; key contributor to India’s Green Revolution; Tamil Nadu |
| 35 | 1999 | Jayaprakash Narayan | Politics | Posthumous | “Loknayak”; led anti-Emergency movement 1975; Bihar; socialist; inspired JP Movement |
| 36 | 1999 | Prof. Amartya Sen | Science / Economics | No | Economist; Nobel Prize in Economics 1998; welfare economics; poverty and hunger analysis; West Bengal |
| 37 | 1999 | Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi | Politics | Posthumous | First CM of Assam; ensured Assam’s integration with India (vs. Pakistan pressure); “Lokpriya” |
| 38 | 1999 | Ravi Shankar | Arts / Music | No | Sitar maestro; global ambassador of Indian classical music; influenced The Beatles; Grammy Awards |
| 39 | 2001 | Lata Mangeshkar Nightingale of India | Arts / Music | No | “Nightingale of India”; Bollywood playback singer; Guinness Book for most recorded artist; Maharashtra |
| 40 | 2001 | Ustad Bismillah Khan | Arts / Music | No | Shehnai maestro; played at Red Fort on Independence Day (Aug 15, 1947); Varanasi; Bharat Ratna at 85 |
| 41 | 2009 | Pandit Bhimsen Joshi | Arts / Music | No | Hindustani classical vocalist; Kirana gharana; renowned for Abhangas (devotional compositions); Karnataka; Pune |
| 42 | 2013 | Prof. C. N. R. Rao | Science | No | Chemist; materials scientist; JNCASR Bangalore; nanoscience pioneer; over 1,600 research papers |
| 43 | 2014 | Sachin Tendulkar Only Sportsperson | Sports | No | First and ONLY sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna; YOUNGEST ever recipient (age 40); 100 international centuries; “God of Cricket” |
| 44 | 2015 | Madan Mohan Malaviya | Education / Social | Posthumous | Educationist; founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU); Allahabad; Mahamana |
| 45 | 2015 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | Politics | No | PM of India; Pokhran II nuclear test 1998; Kargil War 1999; Golden Quadrilateral highway; BJP leader; poet |
| 46 | 2019 | Nanaji Deshmukh | Social | Posthumous | Social activist; RSS leader; rural development in Chitrakoot; Deen Dayal Research Institute |
| 47 | 2019 | Bhupen Hazarika | Arts / Music | Posthumous | “Bard of Brahmaputra”; Assamese singer, filmmaker; “Ganga Behti Ho” iconic song; voice of Northeast India |
| 48 | 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee | Politics | No | 13th President of India; Congress stalwart; Finance Minister multiple times; West Bengal; long public service career |
| 49 | 2024 | Karpoori Thakur 2024 Batch | Politics | Posthumous | “Jan Nayak”; Bihar CM; pioneered OBC reservation in Bihar; socialist leader; died 1988 |
| 50 | 2024 | LK Advani 2024 Batch | Politics | No | BJP patriarch; Deputy PM; Rath Yatra 1990; Ram Mandir movement; longest-serving Lok Sabha Speaker candidate |
| 51 | 2024 | PV Narasimha Rao 2024 Batch | Politics | Posthumous | PM who launched 1991 economic liberalisation (LPG reforms) with Manmohan Singh; Andhra Pradesh; Telugu scholar |
| 52 | 2024 | MS Swaminathan 2024 Batch | Science | Posthumous | “Father of Green Revolution in India”; transformed wheat and rice yields; Tamil Nadu; IARI; ended India’s food dependence |
| 53 | 2024 | Chaudhary Charan Singh 2024 Batch | Politics | Posthumous | Former PM; farmers’ rights advocate; UP CM; Jat leader; National Farmers’ Day (Dec 23) = his birthday |
🏆 Notable Firsts & Records — Quick Reference
| Category | Recipient | Year | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| First three recipients | Rajagopalachari, Radhakrishnan, C.V. Raman | 1954 | All three awarded simultaneously; mnemonic: “Raja Radha Raman” |
| Only sportsperson & youngest recipient | Sachin Tendulkar | 2014 | First and only sportsperson; youngest ever (age 40) |
| First foreign national (non-citizen) | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | 1987 | “Frontier Gandhi”; Pakistani national; Pashtun non-violent activist |
| Second foreign national | Nelson Mandela | 1990 | South African President; Nobel Peace Prize 1993; anti-apartheid icon |
| First musician to receive Bharat Ratna | M. S. Subbulakshmi | 1998 | “Queen of Music”; Carnatic vocalist; first Indian to perform at UN (1966) |
| First film personality (actor) | M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) | 1988 | Actor and CM of Tamil Nadu; AIADMK; posthumous |
| Largest single-year batch | 5 recipients | 2024 | Karpoori Thakur, LK Advani, PV Narasimha Rao, MS Swaminathan, Chaudhary Charan Singh |
| Constitution Architect (posthumous) | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar | 1990 | Received 34 years after death; Dalit rights; first Law Minister |
| Iron Man of India (posthumous) | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | 1991 | Integrated 562 princely states; first Deputy PM; Statue of Unity |
| Father of Green Revolution | MS Swaminathan | 2024 | Posthumous; transformed India’s food production; 2024 batch |
⚖️ Compare Two Recipients
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
The Bharat Ratna was first awarded in 1954 to three people simultaneously: C. Rajagopalachari (last Governor-General of India; Tamil Nadu), Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (philosopher and future 2nd President; his birthday Sep 5 = Teachers’ Day), and Dr. C. V. Raman (Nobel Prize in Physics 1930 for the Raman Effect; his discovery date Feb 28 = National Science Day). Mnemonic: “Raja Radha Raman.” Exams frequently ask which three names are correct — options often substitute Nehru, Ambedkar, or Patel as decoys.
Sachin Tendulkar’s 2014 Bharat Ratna holds two simultaneous records: (1) First and only sportsperson to receive the award — made possible only after the 2011 amendment extending eligibility to all fields of human endeavour. (2) Youngest ever recipient at age 40 — younger than all previous recipients including scientists and politicians. The award was given alongside CNR Rao (scientist). Sachin is also the only person to have scored 100 international centuries in cricket.
Three persons born outside India have received the Bharat Ratna: Mother Teresa (1980) — Albanian-born but had Indian citizenship; ran Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata; Nobel Peace Prize 1979. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) — Pakistani/Pashtun; “Frontier Gandhi”; Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement; FIRST true foreign national recipient. Nelson Mandela (1990) — South African; anti-apartheid; Nobel Peace Prize 1993; first Black President of South Africa; SECOND foreign national recipient. For “non-Indian citizen” questions: Khan + Mandela. For “non-Indian born” questions: Khan + Mandela + Mother Teresa.
The 2024 batch of 5 recipients (announced before General Elections) is the largest ever in a single year. All five are politically significant: Karpoori Thakur (posthumous) — Bihar CM; “Jan Nayak”; OBC rights pioneer; socialist. LK Advani — BJP patriarch; Deputy PM; Rath Yatra. PV Narasimha Rao (posthumous) — PM who launched 1991 LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) reforms with Manmohan Singh. MS Swaminathan (posthumous) — “Father of India’s Green Revolution”; transformed wheat/rice yields; Tamil Nadu. Chaudhary Charan Singh (posthumous) — former PM; farmers’ leader; his birthday (Dec 23) = National Farmers’ Day.
First three (1954): “Raja Radha Raman” → Rajagopalachari + Radhakrishnan + C.V. Raman
Non-Indian recipients: “Mother Teresa, Frontier Gandhi, Mandela” → MT (1980) + KAG Khan (1987) + Mandela (1990)
2024 batch (KARSC): Karpoori Thakur + Advani + Rao (PVN) + Swaminathan + Charan Singh
Famous posthumous trio (1991): “Rajiv, Sardar, Morarji” → Rajiv Gandhi (posthumous) + Sardar Patel (posthumous) + Morarji Desai (living) — all in 1991
Sachin’s dual record: “Only Sports + Youngest (40)” → Only sportsperson + youngest ever at 40 in 2014
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The Bharat Ratna was first awarded in 1954 to three recipients: C. Rajagopalachari (statesman, last Governor-General), Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (philosopher, future President), and Dr. C. V. Raman (Nobel Prize-winning physicist). The mnemonic “Raja Radha Raman” helps recall the three names.
Sachin Tendulkar is the first and only sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna, awarded in 2014. He is also the youngest ever recipient at age 40. The award was amended to allow sportspersons as eligible candidates in 2011, enabling Tendulkar’s nomination.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987), also called the Frontier Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela (1990) are the two true foreign nationals to receive the Bharat Ratna. Mother Teresa (1980) had Indian citizenship, so she is technically an Indian recipient. Khan and Mandela are the only non-Indian citizens to receive the award.
In 2024, five individuals received the Bharat Ratna \u2014 Karpoori Thakur (posthumous), LK Advani, PV Narasimha Rao (posthumous), MS Swaminathan (posthumous), and Chaudhary Charan Singh (posthumous). This was the largest single-year batch in the award’s history, with four of the five being posthumous recipients.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990 \u2014 34 years after his death in 1956. The same year, Nelson Mandela also received the award. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajiv Gandhi were also posthumous recipients in 1991.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honour, awarded for exceptional service of the highest order to the nation. It was instituted on January 2, 1954. Originally given only for achievement in arts, literature, science, and public service, the criteria were expanded in 2011 to include any field of human endeavour, which enabled sportspersons like Sachin Tendulkar to receive it. There is no restriction on nationality — two foreign nationals (Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela) have received it. The award carries no monetary prize but recipients are entitled to use the designation “Bharat Ratna” before their name.
Many iconic Indians have received the Bharat Ratna posthumously. The most notable include: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (1990) — architect of the Constitution; Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1991) — “Iron Man of India”; Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966) — second Prime Minister; Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1992) — first Education Minister; and the 2024 posthumous batch of four — Karpoori Thakur (OBC rights), PV Narasimha Rao (1991 liberalisation), MS Swaminathan (Green Revolution), and Chaudhary Charan Singh (farmers’ leader).
The Bharat Ratna was temporarily discontinued during two periods: from 1977 to 1980 (during the Janata Party government under Morarji Desai, who ironically later received the award himself in 1991), and from 1993 to 1995. Apart from these periods and individual years with no recipient, the award has been given fairly regularly since 1954. As of 2024, a total of 53 individuals have received the award across its history.
The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honour — only 3 awards maximum can be given per year and it is for exceptional, extraordinary achievement of national importance. The Padma Awards are a tier below, given annually in three grades: Padma Vibhushan (second highest civilian award), Padma Bhushan (third), and Padma Shri (fourth). Hundreds of Padma Awards are given each year across categories, while the Bharat Ratna is far more selective. Recipients of the Bharat Ratna are entitled to a place in the Indian order of precedence, ahead of Padma awardees.
