Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna. It is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India, established to recognize exceptional service of the highest order in any field of human endeavor. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of exceptional service towards the advancement of Art, Literature, Science, and public service. The recommendations for the award are made by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year.

History and establishment

The award was instituted on 2 January 1954 by a proclamation of the then-President Rajendra Prasad, following a resolution by the Government of India led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The original statutes permitted the award for achievements in the arts, sciences, literature, and public services, but were amended in 2011 to include "any field of human endeavour." The first recipients, announced in 1954, were the eminent scientist C. V. Raman, the philosopher and statesman Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and the former Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari. The award's creation was part of a new national honors system for independent India, distinct from the British-era awards like the Order of the British Empire.

Award criteria and process

The official criteria state the award is given for "exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order." There are no formal written nominations from the public; the recommendations are initiated solely by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India. The Prime Minister can recommend a maximum of three names for the award in any given year. The award does not carry any monetary grant, but recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal-leaf shaped medallion. The award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name, per Article 18 of the Constitution of India.

Recipients

The diverse list of recipients includes freedom fighters, politicians, scientists, artists, and social reformers. Early awardees included independence leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajendra Prasad. It has been conferred posthumously to figures such as Subhas Chandra Bose (in 1992) and Bhagat Singh (in 2024). The award has recognized luminaries from various fields: science with A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and C. N. R. Rao; music with M. S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar; sports with Sachin Tendulkar; and social reform with Mother Teresa and K. Kamaraj. The only naturalized citizen recipient is Mother Teresa, while Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela are notable foreign recipients.

Design and symbolism

The original design was a circular gold medal, approximately 35 mm in diameter, with the sunburst motif and the words "Bharat Ratna" inscribed in Devanagari script on the obverse. The reverse bore the state emblem and motto. The current design, adopted in 1955, is in the form of a peepal leaf, approximately 59 mm long, 48 mm wide, and 3.2 mm thick, made of toned bronze. The obverse features a sunburst below the words "Bharat Ratna" in Devanagari, while the reverse displays the State Emblem of India, the Satyameva Jayate motto, and a floral wreath. The medal is attached to a 51 mm wide white ribbon, which is worn around the neck.

Notable facts and records

The award was briefly suspended from July 1977 to January 1980 following the recommendations of the Mohan Dharia Committee. Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first individual to be honored posthumously. Sachin Tendulkar, awarded in 2014, is the youngest recipient and the first sportsperson to receive the honor. In 1992, a controversial posthumous award to Subhas Chandra Bose was later withdrawn due to a legal technicality, though it was re-conferred in 2024. The year 1999 saw a unique instance with Amartya Sen and Gopinath Bordoloi being awarded, alongside posthumous honors for Ravi Shankar and Jayaprakash Narayan. The award does not confer any title, unlike British honors such as Knight Bachelor.

Category:National civil awards of India Category:1954 establishments in India