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Bharat Ratna Award
Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in India. This award is given in recognition of outstanding service rendered in any field.
Bharat Ratna is awarded to scientists, businessmen, writers and social workers in the fields of politics, arts, literature and science.
The Bharat Ratna Award was inaugurated on January 2, 1954 by the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. India’s first Governor General C. Rajagopalachari, former President Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and scientist Dr. CV Raman were first awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954.
Since then, this prestigious award has been given to various individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields. In 1954, this recognition was granted only to living persons.
In 1955, a clause was added that the Bharat Ratna could also be awarded to deceased persons.
It was announced that the award will be given posthumously to Ambedkar, who is known as a legal genius, and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MGR.
Official information about Bharat Ratna awardees is announced through publication in the Gazette of India.
This honor is conferred every year on 26th January during Republic Day.
How are the awards selected?
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Selection for the Bharat Ratna is different from selection for the Padma Awards. In this, the Prime Minister will recommend to the President that Innar be awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Any person irrespective of caste, profession, rank or gender will be considered eligible for this award. A maximum of 3 individuals can be awarded the Bharat Ratna in a given year. However, it is not necessary that this award should be given every year.
Only 48 people have been awarded the Bharat Ratna so far. This prestigious award was last given in 2019.
Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously) in social service category, Assam poet Bhupen Hazarika (posthumously) in art category and former president Pranab Mukherjee in public service category in 2019.
What do Bharat Ratna awardees get?
Bharat Ratna awardees will be presented with a certificate and a medal. No payment will be made.
Some facilities are provided to the awardees on behalf of the government departments. For example, Bharat Ratna awardees are given free travel by the Railways.
Bharat Ratna awardees will be invited to participate in important government events.
The government will put them in priority order. Next to the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Governor, former President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Lok Sabha Speaker, Union Minister, State Chief Ministers, former Prime Ministers, Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Bharat Ratna awardees are given priority and government honors. .
Similarly, the state governments will provide some special facilities to the Bharat Ratna awardees in their state.
According to Rule 18 (1) awardees shall not use the epithet Bharat Ratna before or after their name.
If deemed necessary, the expression “Bharat Ratna awardee or recipient of Bharat Ratna Award by the President” may be used.
What does the Bharat Ratna medal look like?
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A platinum metal sun is placed on top of the copper metal leaf. The edges of the leaf are also made of platinum.
The word ‘Bharat Ratna’ is written in silver in Hindi. On the reverse, under the Ashoka Chakra, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ is written in Hindi.
Important information related to Bharat Ratna:
- For the first time in 2013, it was decided to award the Bharat Ratna to those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sports.
- Following this, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2014.
- Bharat Ratna has also been awarded to non-Indians.
- Mother Teresa, who was born abroad and later became an Indian citizen, was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1980.
- Freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (who was born in pre-independence India and later moved to Pakistan) and former South African President Nelson Mandela have also been awarded the Bharat Ratna.
- 1956, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968-70, 1972-74, 1977-79, 1981, 1982, 1984-86, 1993-96, 2000, 2002-2008, 2010-13, 2020-2022 Bharat Ratna has not been awarded in years.
- The Bharat Ratna award has been suspended twice so far. It was then reissued.
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