What is the Bharat Ratna?
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The Bharat Ratna, instituted in 1954, is India’s highest civilian award. It honors outstanding contributions in any field of human endeavor — politics, science, literature, arts, or social service.
The award carries a medallion shaped like a peepal leaf and a certificate signed by the President of India. Over the years, it has recognized freedom fighters, reformers, leaders, scientists, and cultural icons.
👉 Read also: Full List of Bharat Ratna Awardees from 1954 to 2024
Bharat Ratna Winners 2025
In 2025, the Bharat Ratna was awarded to Dr. Thejo Kumari Amudala, a Hyderabad-based social activist and visionary leader.
Her contributions include:
Expanding access to education for underprivileged children
Improving healthcare facilities in rural communities
Advocating for women’s empowerment and social justice
Promoting IT-enabled inclusive development
Her recognition as a Bharat Ratna winner highlights the nation’s appreciation for grassroots changemakers.
The 50th Recipient of Bharat Ratna
The 50th Bharat Ratna was awarded to Lal Krishna Advani in 2024.
His contributions include:
Decades of service in Indian politics
Former Deputy Prime Minister of India
Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Instrumental in shaping India’s political landscape
This milestone recognition cemented Advani’s role as one of the most influential leaders in modern India.
Recent Bharat Ratna Awardees (2024–2025)
The Bharat Ratna has recently honored five eminent personalities, many posthumously:
Karpoori Thakur (posthumous) – Former Bihar Chief Minister, pioneer of reservation reforms
M S Swaminathan (posthumous) – Father of India’s Green Revolution
P V Narasimha Rao (posthumous) – Former Prime Minister, architect of economic reforms
Chaudhary Charan Singh (posthumous) – Farmers’ leader and former Prime Minister
L K Advani – Veteran BJP leader, recognized as the 50th Bharat Ratna awardee
👉 Also read: Top Bharat Ratna Winners in Indian Politics
Bharat Ratna: A Legacy of Excellence
Since its inception, 53 distinguished individuals have been awarded the Bharat Ratna. Notable awardees include:
C. V. Raman – Nobel Prize-winning physicist
A P J Abdul Kalam – Scientist and former President of India
Lata Mangeshkar – Legendary playback singer
Mother Teresa – Saint and humanitarian
The Bharat Ratna stands as a symbol of national gratitude and pride.
Key Takeaways
Bharat Ratna 2025 winner: Dr. Thejo Kumari Amudala
50th recipient (2024): L K Advani
Recent awardees: Karpoori Thakur, M S Swaminathan, P V Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, L K Advani
Total 53 Bharat Ratna awardees till 2025
Full List — Bharat Ratna Awardees (1954–2024)
Master index with short summaries, on-page anchors and direct links to full 400–800 word articles on indianbillonares.com. Click any name to open the full article in a new tab.
| S. No. | Name | Year | Field / Short summary | Posthumous? | Full article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. Rajagopalachari | 1954 | Statesman, freedom fighter, last Governor-General and founder of Swatantra Party. |
No | Read article |
| 2 | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 1954 | Philosopher, educationist and President; Teacher's Day is celebrated on his birthday. |
No | Read article |
| 3 | C. V. Raman | 1954 | Nobel-winning physicist; discovered the Raman Effect; founder of Raman Research Institute. |
No | Read article |
| 4 | Bhagwan Das | 1955 | Educationist and Theosophical scholar who promoted Indian learning and BHU foundations. |
No | Read article |
| 5 | M. Visvesvaraya | 1955 | Engineer and institution-builder; famous for dams, irrigation and Engineers’ Day (15 Sep). |
No | Read article |
| 6 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 1955 | India’s first Prime Minister, institution-builder and advocate of scientific temper. |
No | Read article |
| 7 | Govind Ballabh Pant | 1957 | Statesman who led Uttar Pradesh and served as Home Minister; champion of reforms. |
No | Read article |
| 8 | Dhondo Keshav Karve | 1958 | Social reformer and pioneer of women’s education; founder of SNDT Women’s University. |
No | Read article |
| 9 | Bidhan Chandra Roy | 1961 | Physician, Chief Minister of West Bengal; National Doctors’ Day on his birthday. |
No | Read article |
| 10 | Purushottam Das Tandon | 1961 | Freedom fighter and promoter of Hindi; respected for austere public life. |
No | Read article |
| 11 | Rajendra Prasad | 1962 | First President of India and President of the Constituent Assembly; exemplar of probity. |
No | Read article |
| 12 | Zakir Husain | 1963 | Educator, co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia and President of India. |
No | Read article |
| 13 | Pandurang Vaman Kane | 1963 | Sanskrit scholar and author of the monumental History of Dharmashastra. |
No | Read article |
| 14 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | 1966 | Prime Minister known for “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”; led India during 1965 war. |
Yes | Read article |
| 15 | Indira Gandhi | 1971 | Prime Minister; led India through 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War. |
No | Read article |
| 16 | V. V. Giri | 1975 | Trade unionist and President; advocate for workers' rights and social justice. |
No | Read article |
| 17 | K. Kamaraj | 1976 | Chief Minister of Madras; champion of education and the midday meal scheme. |
Yes | Read article |
| 18 | Mother Teresa | 1980 | Humanitarian and founder of Missionaries of Charity; Nobel Peace Prize laureate. |
No | Read article |
| 19 | Vinoba Bhave | 1983 | Gandhian reformer who led the Bhoodan land-gift movement. |
Yes | Read article |
| 20 | Abdul Ghaffar Khan | 1987 | “Frontier Gandhi”—Pashtun nonviolent activist and Khudai Khidmatgar leader. |
No | Read article |
| 21 | M. G. Ramachandran | 1988 | Film star and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu noted for welfare schemes. |
Yes | Read article |
| 22 | B. R. Ambedkar | 1990 | Architect of the Constitution and tireless campaigner for social justice. |
Yes | Read article |
| 23 | Nelson Mandela | 1990 | South African anti-apartheid leader and global statesman; Nobel laureate. |
No | Read article |
| 24 | Rajiv Gandhi | 1991 | Youngest Prime Minister; promoted telecom, technology and panchayati raj reforms. |
Yes | Read article |
| 25 | Vallabhbhai Patel | 1991 | “Iron Man of India” who integrated princely states into the Union. |
Yes | Read article |
| 26 | Morarji Desai | 1991 | First non-Congress Prime Minister; known for honesty and administrative skills. |
No | Read article |
| 27 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad | 1992 | First Education Minister of independent India; founder of key education institutions. |
Yes | Read article |
| 28 | J. R. D. Tata | 1992 | Industrialist and aviation pioneer; founder of Tata Airlines/Air India and strong philanthropist. |
No | Read article |
| 29 | Satyajit Ray | 1992 | Filmmaker and writer whose Apu Trilogy put Indian cinema on the world stage. |
No | Read article |
| 30 | Gulzarilal Nanda | 1997 | Twice Interim Prime Minister, labour leader and an exemplar of simplicity in public life. |
No | Read article |
| 31 | Aruna Asaf Ali | 1997 | Heroine of the Quit India Movement; hoisted the Congress flag in 1942. |
Yes | Read article |
| 32 | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | 1997 | “Missile Man” and People’s President; scientist, educator and motivational leader. |
No | Read article |
| 33 | M. S. Subbulakshmi | 1998 | Legendary Carnatic vocalist and first musician to receive the Bharat Ratna. |
No | Read article |
| 34 | Chidambaram Subramaniam | 1998 | Leader of the Green Revolution; agricultural reformer and statesman. |
No | Read article |
| 35 | Jayaprakash Narayan | 1999 | JP—leader of the Total Revolution movement; symbol of democratic resistance. |
Yes | Read article |
| 36 | Amartya Sen | 1999 | Nobel laureate economist; developer of the capability approach and welfare theory. |
No | Read article |
| 37 | Gopinath Bordoloi | 1999 | First Chief Minister of Assam; safeguarded Assam’s place in India. |
Yes | Read article |
| 38 | Ravi Shankar | 1999 | Sitar maestro who globalised Indian classical music and collaborated with Western artists. |
No | Read article |
| 39 | Lata Mangeshkar | 2001 | Iconic playback singer with thousands of songs across languages; national cultural figure. |
No | Read article |
| 40 | Bismillah Khan | 2001 | Shehnai maestro who brought the instrument to classical concert stages. |
No | Read article |
| 41 | Bhimsen Joshi | 2009 | Legendary Kirana gharana vocalist known for powerful khayal renditions. |
No | Read article |
| 42 | C. N. R. Rao | 2014 | Materials chemist with prolific research output and institution-building contributions. |
No | Read article |
| 43 | Sachin Tendulkar | 2014 | Cricket legend, record-maker and India’s first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna. |
No | Read article |
| 44 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 2015 | Poet-statesman and three-term Prime Minister known for nuclear tests & infrastructure vision. |
No | Read article |
| 45 | Madan Mohan Malaviya | 2015 | Educationist and founder of Banaras Hindu University; social reformer. |
Yes | Read article |
| 46 | Pranab Mukherjee | 2019 | Veteran statesman and President noted for consensus-building and policy expertise. |
No | Read article |
| 47 | Nanaji Deshmukh | 2019 | Social activist and rural development pioneer (Chitrakoot model projects). |
Yes | Read article |
| 48 | Bhupen Hazarika | 2019 | Singer-poet and cultural ambassador from Assam; celebrated for humanist songs. |
No | Read article |
| 49 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | 2024 | Prime Minister who initiated 1991 economic liberalisation and structural reforms. |
Yes | Read article |
| 50 | Charan Singh | 2024 | Farmers’ champion and Prime Minister; advocate for agrarian welfare and land reforms. |
Yes | Read article |
| 51 | L. K. Advani | 2024 | Veteran BJP leader and statesman; central figure in modern Indian politics. |
No | Read article |
| 52 | Karpoori Thakur | 2024 | Socialist leader from Bihar who pushed affirmative action and social justice policies. |
Yes | Read article |
| 53 | M. S. Swaminathan | 2024 | Agricultural scientist and architect of the Green Revolution; champion of sustainability. |
Yes | Read article |
Quick on-page summaries
Below are short summaries anchored for visitors who want to scan the page — each summary also links to the full article on indianbillonares.com (opens in a new tab).
C. Rajagopalachari
Statesman, freedom fighter, last Governor-General of India and founder of the Swatantra Party. Full article
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Philosopher and educator who served as Vice-President and President of India; author and teacher. Full article
C. V. Raman
Nobel Prize–winning physicist; discoverer of the Raman Effect and scientific institution builder. Full article
Bhagwan Das
Educationist, Theosophical scholar and contributor to modern Indian education. Full article
M. Visvesvaraya
Engineer, irrigation and infrastructure pioneer; celebrated for region-building and technical education. Full article
Jawaharlal Nehru
India’s first Prime Minister; architect of modern India’s institutions, planning and scientific policy. Full article
Govind Ballabh Pant
Freedom fighter and administrator; key figure in state reorganisation and public administration. Full article
Dhondo Keshav Karve
Pioneering social reformer who expanded women’s education and founded SNDT University. Full article
Bidhan Chandra Roy
Doctor and Chief Minister who led post-Partition reconstruction and urban planning in West Bengal. Full article
Purushottam Das Tandon
Freedom fighter and champion of Hindi as a national language; noted for austere public life. Full article
Rajendra Prasad
First President of India and President of the Constituent Assembly; exemplified dignity in office. Full article
Zakir Husain
Educationist, Jamia Millia Islamia co-founder and President of India; champion of inclusive education. Full article
Pandurang Vaman Kane
Indologist and author of the definitive History of Dharmashastra. Full article
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Prime Minister noted for integrity and the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.” Full article
Indira Gandhi
Powerful Prime Minister who led India through the 1971 war and enacted major reforms. Full article
V. V. Giri
Trade union leader and President who promoted labour welfare and social justice. Full article
K. Kamaraj
Regional leader who championed education reforms and mid-day meals for schoolchildren. Full article
Mother Teresa
Humanitarian and founder of Missionaries of Charity; Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Full article
Vinoba Bhave
Gandhian reformer who launched the Bhoodan land-gift movement. Full article
Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Pashtun leader known as Frontier Gandhi — nonviolent resistance and social reform. Full article
M. G. Ramachandran
Film star turned Chief Minister; implemented popular welfare programmes in Tamil Nadu. Full article
B. R. Ambedkar
Principal architect of the Indian Constitution and tireless advocate for Dalit rights. Full article
Nelson Mandela
Anti-apartheid leader and South African President; global symbol of reconciliation. Full article
Rajiv Gandhi
Prime Minister who prioritised modernisation, telecom and youth participation. Full article
Vallabhbhai Patel
The Iron Man—integrated princely states and strengthened civil administration. Full article
Morarji Desai
Prime Minister and longtime public servant known for discipline and anti-corruption stance. Full article
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Freedom fighter and India’s first Education Minister; institution builder for higher education. Full article
J. R. D. Tata
Industrialist, philanthropist and aviation pioneer who founded Air India. Full article
Satyajit Ray
Master filmmaker, writer and artist — Apu Trilogy director and Honorary Oscar recipient. Full article
Gulzarilal Nanda
Interim Prime Minister twice; a life of service and labour advocacy. Full article
Aruna Asaf Ali
Freedom fighter famed for her role in the Quit India Movement; civic leader and educator. Full article
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Scientist, educator and President — India's 'Missile Man' and inspirer of youth. Full article
M. S. Subbulakshmi
Carnatic vocalist of global renown and the first musician to receive Bharat Ratna. Full article
Chidambaram Subramaniam
Key architect of the Green Revolution; agricultural visionary and statesman. Full article
Jayaprakash Narayan
Leader of the Total Revolution movement and a voice for democratic accountability. Full article
Amartya Sen
Nobel-winning economist whose capability approach reshaped development thinking. Full article
Gopinath Bordoloi
Architect of modern Assam who safeguarded the state’s place within India. Full article
Ravi Shankar
Sitar maestro and cultural ambassador who opened Indian music to the world. Full article
Lata Mangeshkar
Playback singer whose voice became the soundtrack of India across decades. Full article
Bismillah Khan
Shehnai maestro who personified the musical spirit of Varanasi. Full article
Bhimsen Joshi
Hindustani vocalist of the Kirana gharana known for emotive khayal singing. Full article
C. N. R. Rao
Prolific materials chemist and research leader who strengthened Indian science. Full article
Sachin Tendulkar
Cricket legend and national icon; first sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna. Full article
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Statesman, poet and Prime Minister known for infrastructure vision and diplomacy. Full article
Madan Mohan Malaviya
Founder of Banaras Hindu University and education-focused nationalist leader. Full article
Pranab Mukherjee
Veteran politician and President known for deep policy knowledge and consensus building. Full article
Nanaji Deshmukh
Rural development pioneer whose Chitrakoot model influenced grassroots policy. Full article
Bhupen Hazarika
Singer-poet and filmmaker from Assam whose songs celebrated humanity and unity. Full article
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Prime Minister who engineered 1991 economic reforms and opened India’s economy. Full article
Charan Singh
Farmers’ leader and short-serving Prime Minister; advocate of agrarian interests. Full article
L. K. Advani
Longtime BJP leader and statesman awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024. Full article
Karpoori Thakur
Bihar leader known for pioneering reservations for backward classes and social justice. Full article
M. S. Swaminathan
Father of India’s Green Revolution; agricultural scientist and champion of food security. Full article