Bharat Ratna for LK Advani: Here's A List of Recipients of Bharat Ratna

New Delhi: Former Deputy Prime Minister and prominent BJP leader, Lal Krishna (LK) Advani, is set to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. 

Modi, on X, said, "I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour. One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights.

“Advani Ji’s decades-long service in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, setting an exemplary standard in political ethics. He has made unparalleled efforts towards furthering national unity and cultural resurgence. The conferring of the Bharat Ratna on him is a very emotional moment for me. I will always consider it my privilege that I got countless opportunities to interact with him and learn from him," said Modi.

The Bharat Ratna, instituted in 1954, is the highest civilian honor in India. It is bestowed upon individuals for their outstanding public service and exceptional achievements in various fields such as literature, science, and the arts. Notably, the Bharat Ratna has been awarded to 50 individuals to date, with 15 of them receiving the honor posthumously.

Upon being conferred with the Bharat Ratna, the recipient is bestowed with a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President, along with a medallion. It's noteworthy that the Bharat Ratna does not entail any monetary grant, as per information provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The award is a symbol of recognition for exceptional contributions and achievements, without any associated financial benefit.

List of people who were conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna:

1. LK Advani(B-1927) Politician and former Deputy Prime Minister to be awarded with Bharat Ratna in 2024

2 Karpoori Thakur (Posthumous) (1924-1988) Politician awarded in 2024

3 Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous) (1916-2010) Social Activist awarded in 2019

4 Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika (Posthumous) (1926-2011) Playback Singer, Lyricist, Musician, Poet, and Filmmaker awarded in 2019

5 Pranab Mukherjee (1935-2020) Politician awarded in 2019

6 Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (Posthumous) (1861-1946) Scholar & Educational Reformer awarded in 2015

7 Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924-2018) Politician awarded in 2015

8 Sachin Tendulkar (b-1973) Cricketer awarded in 2014

9 CNR Rao (b-1934) Chemist & Professor awarded in 2014

10 Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011) Hindustani Classical Vocalist awarded in 2009

11 Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) Hindustani Classical Shehnai Player awarded in 2001

12 Lata Mangeshkar (1929-2022) Playback Singer awarded in 2001

13 Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) Sitar Player awarded in 1999

14 Gopinath Bordoloi (Posthumous) (1890-1950) Independence Activist awarded in 1999

15 Amartya Sen (b-1933) Economist awarded in 1999

16 Jayaprakash Narayan (Posthumous) (1902-1979) Independence Activist & Social Reformer awarded in 1999

17 Chidambaram Subramaniam (1910-2000) Independence Activist awarded in 1998

18 MS Subbulakshmi (1916-2005) Carnatic Classical Vocalist awarded in 1998

19 A P J Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) Aerospace & Defence Scientist awarded in 1997

20 Aruna Asaf Ali (Posthumous) (1909-1996) Independence Activist awarded in 1997

21 Gulzarilal Nanda (1898-1998) Independence Activist awarded in 1997

22 Satyajit Ray (1922-1992) Filmmaker awarded in 1992

23 JRD Tata (1904-1993) Industrialist awarded in 1992

24 Abdul Kalam Azad (Posthumous) (1888-1958) Independence Activist awarded in 1992

25 Morarji Desai (1896-1995) Independence Activist awarded in 1991

26 Sadar Vallabhbhai Patel (Posthumous) (1875-1950) Independence Activist awarded in 1991

27 Rajiv Gandhi (Posthumous) (1944-1991) Politician awarded in 1991

28 Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) Anti-apartheid Activist awarded in 1990

29 B R Ambedkar (Posthumous) (1891-1956) Social Reformer awarded in 1990

30 M G Ramachandran (Posthumous) (1917-1987) Actor & Politician awarded in 1988

31 Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988) Independence Activist awarded in 1987

32 Vinoba Bhave (Posthumous) (1895-1982) Independence Activist & Social Reformer awarded in 1983

33 Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Catholic Nun awarded in 1980

34 K Kamaraj (Posthumous) (1903-1975) Politician awarded in 1976

35 V V Giri (1894-1980) Independence Activist awarded in 1975

36 Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) Politician awarded awarded in 1971

37 Lal Bahadur Shastri (Posthumous) (1904-1966) Independence Activist awarded in 1966

38 Pandurang Vaman Kane 1880-1972) Indologist & Sanskrit Scholar awarded in 1963

39 Zakir Husain (1897-1969) Independence Activist & Philosopher awarded in 1963

40 Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963) Independence Activist & Scholar awarded in 1962

41 Purushottam Das Tandon (1882-1962) Independence Activist awarded in 1961

42 Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882-1962) Philanthropist, Politician, Social Worker awarded in 1961

43 Dhondo Keshav Karve (1858-1962) Social Reformer & Educator awarded in 1958

44 Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961) Independence Activist awarded in 1957

44 Jawahar Lal Nehru (1889 -1964) Independence Activist awarded in 1955

46 M Visvesvaraya (1861-1962) Civil Engineer, Statesman, & Diwan of Mysore awarded in 1955

47 Bhagwan Das (1869-1958) Independence Activist & Philosopher Uttar Pradesh awarded in 1955

48 CV Raman (1888-1970) Physicist awarded in 1954

49 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) Philosopher & Politician awarded in 1954

50 C Rajagopalachari (1878-1972) Statesman, Writer, Lawyer, & Independence Activist awarded in 1954