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Bharat Ratna Winners List and Their Contributions
The highest civilian award of the Republic of India is Bharat Ratna (Jewel of India). The Government of India started it in 1954. It is given to people who do great work for India. This work can be in any field, from science to politics, sports, art, or special service. The President of India gives India's top civilian award.
This award is not given every year, but only when someone truly deserves it. Till now, only 53 people have received this award. To know about the Bharat Ratna Winners and their contributions, read this blog by Vivek International Public School, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, till the end.
Famous Bharat Ratna Winners and Their Contributions
First of all, we will look at the most famous Bharat Ratna Winners and their contributions. And then we will cover the other people who have received this highest civilian award. So, here are the famous Bharat Ratna award winners and their contributions:Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1954)
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in a small town in Tamil Nadu. He loved books from a young age and grew up to become one of India’s greatest teachers and philosophers. He taught in many famous universities in India and abroad, including Oxford University in England. He wrote many books that explained Indian philosophy to the whole world. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1954 for his great work in education and philosophy. Later, he served as the Vice President and then the President of India. Even as President, he asked people not to celebrate his birthday alone. Instead, he requested that it be celebrated as Teacher’s Day, to honor all teachers. Read Also: The Story Behind the Indian National FlagDr. C.V. Raman (1954)
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was a brilliant scientist from India. One day, while looking at the deep blue color of the sea, he wondered why it looked blue. This question led him to discover something called the “Raman Effect," which explains how light changes colors when it passes through different substances. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1954 for his discovery in physics, which was so important that he had already won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. Dr. C.V. Raman was the first person in Asia to win a Nobel Prize in Science. We celebrate National Science Day on February 28 to remember his discovery and contribution to the field of physics.Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1990)
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is called the “Father of the Indian Constitution.” He was born into a poor family and faced a lot of unfair treatment because of his caste. But he did not give up. He studied very hard and became the most educated man in India, with degrees from top universities in America and England. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1990, many years after his death, for leading the team that wrote India’s Constitution and for his lifelong fight for equal rights. He fought his whole life for equality, especially for people who were treated badly because of their caste. His work helped build a fairer India for everyone. Read Also: National Symbols of India: History & SignificanceMother Teresa (1980)
Mother Teresa was born in a country far from India, but she made India her home. As a young nun, she came to Kolkata and was shocked to see so many poor, sick, and dying people with nobody to care for them. She decided to dedicate her whole life to helping them. She started an organization called the Missionaries of Charity, which built homes for the poor, hospitals for the sick, and shelters for orphaned children. She received the Bharat Ratna in 1980 for her selfless service to India’s poorest and sickest people. Her kindness was recognized all over the world, and she even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (1997)
Dr. Kalam grew up in a poor family in Tamil Nadu, selling newspapers to help pay for his studies. Despite these struggles, his hard work and curiosity about science took him very far. He became a scientist and played a big role in developing India’s missile and space programs. People started calling him the “Missile Man of India” because of his work on projects like the Agni and Prithvi missiles. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1997 for his outstanding contribution to India's defence technology and space research, especially for helping Indians become stronger in missiles and rocket science. Later, he served as the President of India from 2002 to 2007.Lata Mangeshkar (2001)
Lata Mangeshkar started singing when she was just a young girl to support her family after her father passed away. Over the years, her voice became one of the most loved sounds in India. She sang more than 25,000 songs in many different Indian languages over a career spanning seven decades. She received the Bharat Ratna in 2001 for her huge contribution to Indian music and cinema over so many decades. People affectionately called her the “Nightingale of India” because of her sweet and pure voice. Her songs touched the hearts of old generations of Indians.Sachin Tendulkar (2014)
Sachin Tendulkar made his debut for the Indian cricket team at only 16 years. Over the next 24 years, he became the greatest batsman the sport has ever seen. He scored more runs and more centuries in International cricket than any other player in history. He received the Bharat Ratna in 2014, right after he retired from cricket. This award was given to him for his amazing achievements in sport and for inspiring millions of Indians through cricket. He is the youngest person receive the Bharat Ratna award, given to him at the age of 40. Fans across the world call him the “God of Cricket.”Atal Bihari Vajpayee (2015)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was known as a powerful speaker and a wise man. He served as the Prime Minister of India for at least 15 years. During his time as Prime Minister, he worked hard to build peace with neighboring countries and improve India’s relationships around the world. He also focused on building better roads and highways across India. He received the Bharat Ratna in 2015 for his long and important service to the nation as a leader and statesman. He was respected by all political parties because of his honest and thoughtful way of working. Read Also: Glory and Honor: National Awards of IndiaPandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (2015)
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya strongly believed that education was the key to India’s progress. He worked tirelessly to raise money and support to build the Banaras Hindu University, which became one of India’s largest and most respected universities. He was also a freedom fighter and served as the president of the Indian National Congress four times. He received the Bharat Ratna in 2015, many years after his death. This award was given to him for his role in the freedom struggle and for his great work in building institutions for education in India.M.S. Swaminathan (2024)
Dr. Swaminathan was an agricultural scientist who changed the story of hunger in India. In the 1960s, India did not grow enough food to feed its people. Dr. Swaminathan worked to introduce new and stronger types of wheat and rice seeds that could grow much more food than before. This huge change is known as the “Green Revolution.” He received the Bharat Ratna in 2024, after his death, for leading the Green Revolution and helping Indians become able to feed their own people instead of depending on other countries. He is proudly called the “Father of the Green Revolution” in India.Other Bharat Ratna Winners (Bharat Ratna Award List)
Besides the winners described above, many other great people have received the Bharat Ratna. Here is a list of other Bharat Ratna award winners year-wise:| Bharat Ratna Winners List | ||
| Year | Bharat Ratna Award Winners | Field / Contribution |
| 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari | Freedom fighter, statesman, writer |
| 1955 | Bhagwan Das | Philosopher, educator |
| 1955 | Sir M. Visvesvaraya | Engineer, statesman |
| 1955 | Jawaharlal Nehru | First Prime Minister of India |
| 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant | Freedom fighter, politician |
| 1958 | Dhondo Keshav Karve | Social reformer, education for women |
| 1961 | Purushottam Das Tandon | Freedom fighter, lawyer |
| 1961 | Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy | Physician, former Chief Minister of West Bengal |
| 1962 | Rajendra Prasad | Freedom fighter, first President of India |
| 1963 | Dr. Zakir Hussain | Educator, third President of India |
| 1963 | Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane | Indologist, Sanskrit scholar |
| 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri (posthumous) | Second Prime Minister of India |
| 1971 | Indira Gandhi | Prime Minister of India |
| 1975 | V.V. Giri | Trade unionist, former President of India |
| 1976 | K. Kamaraj (posthumous) | Freedom fighter, politician |
| 1983 | Vinoba Bhave (posthumous) | Social reformer, follower of Gandhi |
| 1987 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | Freedom fighter (first non-Indian citizen to receive it) |
| 1988 | M.G. Ramachandran (posthumous) | Actor, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu |
| 1990 | Nelson Mandela | Leader of South Africa's freedom struggle |
| 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi (posthumous) | Former Prime Minister of India |
| 1991 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (posthumous) | Freedom fighter, unified India's states |
| 1991 | Morarji Desai | Former Prime Minister of India |
| 1992 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (posthumous) | Freedom fighter, first Education Minister |
| 1992 | J.R.D. Tata | Industrialist, aviation pioneer |
| 1992 | Satyajit Ray | Film director |
| 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda (posthumous) | Former acting Prime Minister |
| 1997 | Aruna Asaf Ali (posthumous) | Freedom fighter |
| 1998 | M.S. Subbulakshmi | Carnatic classical singer |
| 1998 | C. Subramaniam | Politician, helped in India's food growth |
| 1999 | Jayaprakash Narayan (posthumous) | Freedom fighter, social reformer |
| 1999 | Amartya Sen | Economist, Nobel Prize winner |
| 1999 | Gopinath Bordoloi (posthumous) | Freedom fighter, first Chief Minister of Assam |
| 1999 | Ravi Shankar | Sitar player, musician |
| 2001 | Bismillah Khan | Shehnai player, musician |
| 2009 | Bhimsen Joshi | Classical singer |
| 2014 | C.N.R. Rao | Scientist, chemist |
| 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee | Former President of India |
| 2019 | Bhupen Hazarika (posthumous) | Singer, poet, filmmaker from Assam |
| 2019 | Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumous) | Social worker, rural development |
| 2024 | Karpoori Thakur (posthumous) | Leader, worked for poor and backward classes |
| 2024 | L.K. Advani | Senior political leader |
| 2024 | P.V. Narasimha Rao (posthumous) | Former Prime Minister, economic reforms |
| 2024 | Chaudhary Charan Singh (posthumous) | Former Prime Minister, worked for farmers |
