Bharat Ratna
Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox award The Bharat Ratna (Template:IPA; Template:Lit) is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of "exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinction of race, occupation, position or gender. The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but the Government of India expanded the criteria to include "any field of human endeavor" in December 2011. The recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the president and a peepal leaf-shaped medallion. Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were: the former governor-general of the Union of India C. Rajagopalachari, the former president of the Republic of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan; and the Indian physicist C. V. Raman, who were honoured in 1954. Since then, the award has been bestowed upon 53 individuals, including 18 who were awarded posthumously. The original statutes did not provide for posthumous awards but were amended in January 1966 to permit them to honor former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the first individual to be honored posthumously. In 2014, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, then aged 40, became the youngest recipient, while social reformer Dhondo Keshav Karve was the oldest recipient when he was awarded on his 100th birthday. Though usually conferred on India-born citizens, the award has been conferred on one naturalized citizen, Mother Teresa, and on two non-Indians: Abdul Ghaffar Khan (born in British India and later a citizen of Pakistan) and Nelson Mandela, a citizen of South Africa.
The Bharat Ratna, along with other personal civil honours, was briefly suspended from July 1977 to January 1980, during the change in the national government; and for a second time from August 1992 to December 1995, when several public-interest litigations challenged the constitutional validity of the awards. In 1992, the government's decision to confer the award posthumously on Subhas Chandra Bose was opposed by those who had refused to accept the fact of his death, including some members of his extended family. Following a 1997 Supreme Court decision, the press communique announcing Bose's award was cancelled; it is the only time when the award was announced but not conferred.
History
On 2 January 1954, a press communique was released from the office of the secretary to the president announcing the creation of two civilian awards—Bharat Ratna (Jewel of India), the highest civilian award, and the three-tier Padma Vibhushan, classified into "Pehla Warg" (Class I), "Dusra Warg" (Class II), and "Tisra Warg" (Class III), which rank below the Bharat Ratna.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="award1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Law">Template:Cite web</ref> On 15 January 1955, the Padma Vibhushan was reclassified into three different awards; the Padma Vibhushan, the highest of the three, followed by the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri.<ref name="award2">Template:Cite journal</ref>
The award was briefly suspended twice in its history.Template:Sfn The first suspension occurred when Morarji Desai, who was sworn in as the fourth prime minister in 1977, withdrew all personal civil honours on 13 July 1977.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The suspension was rescinded on 25 January 1980, after Indira Gandhi became the prime minister.<ref name="award1980">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Sfn The award was suspended again in mid-1992, when two Public-Interest Litigations were filed, one in the Kerala High Court and another in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, challenging the "constitutional validity" of the awards.Template:Sfn The awards were reintroduced by the Supreme Court in December 1995, following the conclusion of the litigation.Template:Sfn<ref name="sci">Template:Cite web</ref>
There is no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens. It has been awarded to a naturalised Indian citizen, Mother Teresa in 1980, and to two non-Indians, Abdul Ghaffar Khan of Pakistan in 1987 and the former South African president Nelson Mandela in 1990.Template:Sfn Sachin Tendulkar, at the age of 40, became the youngest person and first sportsperson to receive the honour.<ref name="sachin">Template:Cite news</ref> Dhondo Keshav Karve was the oldest living recipient when he was awarded on his 100th birthday on 18 April 1958.<ref name=Karve>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>Template:Efn Template:As of, the award has been conferred upon 50 people with 15 posthumous declarations.<ref name="recp54-15"/>
Regulations
The Bharat Ratna is conferred "in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or gender.<ref name="scheme">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Law"/> The award was originally confined to the arts, literature, science, and public services, as per the 1954 regulations.<ref name="award1"/> In December 2011, the rules were amended to "any field of human endeavour".<ref name="Law"/><ref name="sports">Template:Cite news</ref> The 1954 statutes did not allow posthumous awards, but this was subsequently modified in the January 1966 statute, and Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first recipient to be honored posthumously in 1966.<ref name="award2"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Although there is no formal nomination process, recommendations for the award can only be made by the prime minister to the president.<ref name="Law"/> The recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the president and a medallion without any monetary grant. Usage of the title 'Bharat Ratna' as a prefix by the awardee is exempt from Article 18 (1) of the Constitution,Template:Efn as per the Supreme Court's precedent in Balaji Raghavan/S.P. Anand v. Union of India in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, recipients may either use the expression "Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President" or "Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award" to indicate that they have been honored with the award.<ref name="scheme"/> The holders of the Bharat Ratna rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
As with many official announcements, recipients are announced and registered in The Gazette of India, a publication released by the Department of Publication, Ministry of Urban Development used for official government notices; without publication in the Gazette, conferral of the award is not considered official. Recipients whose awards have been revoked or restored, both of which require the authority of the president, are registered in the Gazette. Recipients whose awards have been revoked are required to surrender their medals, and their names are struck from the register.<ref name="award1"/><ref name="award2"/>
Specifications
The original 1954 specifications of the award was a circle made of gold Template:Convert in diameter with a centered image of the sun on the obverse side. The text "Bharat Ratna", in Devanagari Script, is inscribed on the upper edge in silver gilt with a wreath set along on the lower edge. A platinum State Emblem of India was placed in the center of the reverse side with the national motto, "Satyameva Jayate" in Devanagari Script (Template:Langx; lit. "Truth alone triumphs"), inscribed in silver-gilt on the lower edge.<ref name="award1"/><ref name="Law"/>
A year later, the design was modified. The current medal is in the shape of a peepal leaf, approximately Template:Convert long, Template:Convert wide and Template:Convert thick and rimmed in platinum.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The embossed sun burst design, made of platinum, on the obverse side of the medal has a diameter of Template:Convert with rays spreading out from Template:Convert to Template:Convert from the center of the Sun. The words "Bharat Ratna" on the obverse side remained the same as the 1954 design as did the emblem of India and "Satyameva Jayate" on the reverse side. A Template:Convert white ribbon is attached to the medal so it can be worn around the neck.<ref name="award2"/>Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> In 1957, the silver-gilt decoration was changed to burnished bronze.<ref name="award1"/>Template:Sfn The medals are minted at Alipore Mint in Kolkata.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Entitlements
Bharat Ratna can not be used as a prefix or suffix, however recipients may identify themselves as "Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President" or "Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award". The award does not carry any monetary benefits, but the award includes the following entitlements:<ref name="award1"/><ref name="Law"/>
- The medallion and miniature
- A Sanad (certificate) signed by the president of India
- Treatment as a state guest by state governments when traveling within a state
- Indian missions abroad requested to facilitate recipients when requested
- Entitlement to a diplomatic passport
- Placed seventh in the Indian order of precedence
- Concessional fare on the flag carrier Air India<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Controversies and criticism
The Bharat Ratna has been mired in several controversies and award grants have been subject to multiple public interest litigations (PILs).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref name="Ind2D"/><ref name="SachinRTI"/><ref name="DCBR"/>
Subhas Chandra Bose (1992)
On 23 January 1992, a press release was published by the president's secretariat to confer the award posthumously on Subhas Chandra Bose. The decision was contested in a public interest litigation, with the petitioner objecting to the conferral of the award and its posthumous mention of Bose, saying that honoring a personality higher than the award is "ridiculous", and it was an act of "carelessness" to classify such a person with past and future recipients. It was also contested that the award cannot be conferred to Bose posthumously as the Government had not officially accepted his death on 18 August 1945.Template:Sfn The petitioner requested the whereabouts of Bose from 18 August 1945 to date, based on the information collected by the 1956 Shah Nawaz Committee and the 1970 Khosla Commission.<ref name="bosesci">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn Bose's family also declined to accept the award.<ref name="Crit"/>
The Supreme Court formed a special two-judge division bench to adjudicate the case. The Solicitor General noted that to confer the award per the appropriate regulations pertaining to the Bharat Ratna, the name of the recipient must be published in The Gazette of India and entered in the recipients register maintained under the direction of the president.<ref name="award1"/> It was noted that only an announcement had been made by press communique, but the government had not proceeded to confer the award by publishing the name in the Gazette and entering the name in the register with the president having not conferred a Sanad (certificate).<ref name="bosesci"/> On 4 August 1997, the Supreme Court delivered an order that since the award had not been officially conferred, it cannot be revoked and declared that the press communique be treated as cancelled with the court declining to pass any judgement on the posthumous mention of Bose and his death.<ref name="bosesci"/><ref name=brbose>Template:Cite news</ref>
Awards as "titles" (1992)
In 1992, two PILs were filed in the High Courts; one in the Kerala High Court on 13 February 1992 and another in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 24 August 1992. Both petitions questioned the civilian awards being "Titles" per an interpretation of Article 18 (1) of the Constitution.Template:Efn On 25 August 1992, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued a notice temporarily suspending all civilian awards.Template:Sfn A special five-judge division bench of the Supreme Court was formed, which restored the awards and delivered a judgement that the "Bharat Ratna and Padma awards are not titles under Article 18 of the Constitution" on 15 December 1995.<ref name="sci"/>
Rao and Tendulkar (2013)
Following the announcement, in November 2013, that C. N. R. Rao and Sachin Tendulkar were to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, multiple litigations were filed challenging the awards. The litigation against Tendulkar to the Election Commission indicated that the awarding him was a violation of the model code of conduct as Tendulkar was an Indian National Congress nominated member of Rajya Sabha and the decision to award him would influence the voters of five states where elections were underway at the time.<ref name="SachinRTI">Template:Cite news</ref> On 4 December 2013, the Election Commission rejected the petition stating that conferring the award on people from non-polling states did not amount to a violation of the code.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Another litigation was filed against then-prime minister Manmohan Singh, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and sports minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh for conferring of the award on Tendulkar, alleging an apparent "conspiracy to ignore" the famed Indian field hockey player Dhyan Chand.<ref name="DCBR">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The litigation filed against Rao declared that other Indian scientists, such as Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, had contributed more than Rao, his claim of publishing 1400 research papers was "physically impossible" and Rao had proven cases of plagiarism, hence the announcement should be annulled.<ref name="Ind2D">Template:Cite news</ref> The High Courts rejected all the petitions raised against Rao and Tendulkar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Criticism
In 1977, the decision by then-prime minister Indira Gandhi to posthumously honor former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K. Kamaraj was criticized to have been aimed at placating the voters before the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in 1977.<ref name="Crit">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1988, the decision by then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi (1984–89) to confer the award posthumously on former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M. G. Ramachandran was criticized to have been aimed to influence voters prior to the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in 1989.<ref name="Crit"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The decision was also criticized for awarding Ramachandran before prominent independence activists B. R. Ambedkar and Vallabhbhai Patel, who were bestowed the honor later in 1990 and 1991 respectively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later, then-prime minister V.P. Singh was criticized for posthumously honoring B. R. Ambedkar, apparently in a bid to please the Dalit voters.<ref name="Crit"/><ref name="outlook">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Sfn Later, Ravi Shankar was accused of lobbying for the award.<ref name="aticon"/>
The posthumous conferments of the award on the recipients who died before the Indian independence in 1947 or before the award was instituted in 1954, have been criticized by various authors and historians, stating that such conferments could lead to more demands to honor people like Maurya emperor Ashoka,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mughal emperor Akbar, Maratha emperor Shivaji, poet Rabindranath Tagore,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hindu spiritualist Swami Vivekananda,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> independence activist Bal Gangadhar Tilak,<ref name="Rediff"/> and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.<ref name="Rediff">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1991, then-prime minister P. V. Narasimha Rao was criticized for bestowing the award upon Sardar Patel in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950; and upon Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992, who purportedly died in 1945.<ref name="Rediff"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, the prime minister Narendra Modi's decision to award Madan Mohan Malaviya, who died in 1946, close to the local body elections in Uttar Pradesh was also met with criticism.<ref name="Rediff"/>
A few of the conferments have been criticized for honoring personalities only after they received global recognition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The award for Mother Teresa was announced in 1980, a year after she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.Template:Sfn Satyajit Ray received an Academy Honorary Award in 1992 followed by the Bharat Ratna the same year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1999, Amartya Sen was awarded the Bharat Ratna, a year after his 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Awarding of Bharat Ratna to L. K. Advani was also criticised. Editorials of Indian newspapers have observed that the BJP strategically uses the Bharat Ratna to integrate figures like L K Advani, balancing narratives around mandir (temple) and Mandal (social justice).
Popular demands
Though, as per the statutes for the Bharat Ratna, the recommendations for the award can only be made by the prime minister to the president, there have been several demands from various political parties publicly to honor their leaders.<ref name="scheme"/> In January 2008, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L. K. Advani wrote to then-prime minister Manmohan Singh recommending Singh's predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the award.<ref name="PM"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This was immediately followed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) lobbying for their leader, Jyoti Basu, former Chief Minister of West Bengal though Basu himself said that he would decline the honour, even if awarded.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="cmwb"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Similar demands were made by Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Shiromani Akali Dal for their respective leaders N. T. Rama Rao, Kanshi Ram, and Parkash Singh Badal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2015, regional political party Shiv Sena demanded the award for the independence activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar stating that he had been "deliberately neglected by previous governments" but his family clarified that they are not making such demand and that the freedom fighter is known for his contribution towards independence movement and did not need an award for recognition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Per the original statutes, sports-persons were not eligible for the award; however, a revision of the rules in December 2011 made eligible "any field of human endeavour".<ref name="sports"/> Subsequently, several sports-persons' names were discussed; amongst them were field-hockey player Dhyan Chand and former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand.<ref name="Crit"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2011, 82 members of parliament recommended Chand's name for the award to the Prime Minister's Office. In January 2012, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports forwarded his name again, this time along with 2008 Summer Olympics gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and mountaineer Tenzing Norgay while Bindra had already been recommended for the award in May 2013 by the National Rifle Association of India.<ref name="dc1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In July 2013, the ministry again recommended Dhyan Chand.<ref name="dc1"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, in November 2013, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar became the first sports-person to receive the honour and this garnered much criticism for the government.<ref name="sachin"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2012, a litigation was filed in the Karnataka High Court requesting the court to issue a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs to confer the Bharat Ratna upon Mahatma Gandhi. On 27 January 2014, a counsel appearing for the petitioner noted that after multiple representations from the petitioner, they were provided with the information under RTI that the recommendations to confer the award on Gandhi have been received multiple times in the past and were forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office. A Division bench consisting of the Chief Justice and another judge, dismissed the petition stating that the subject is not amenable to any adjudication process and the nominations and conferment process is stated to be informal and in the discretion of the highest authority in the Government.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=MGBR>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
List of recipients
| Template:Legend | Template:Legend | Template:Legend |
| Year | Image | Recipient | State / CountryTemplate:Efn | Life span | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | File:Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari.jpg | C. Rajagopalachari | Tamil Nadu | 1878–1972 | Rajagopalachari was an independence activist, who served as the last Governor-General of India from 1948 to 50).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Earlier, he served as the first governor of West Bengal in 1947–48.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He was the home minister in the first Nehru cabinet succeeding Sardar Vallabhai Patel in 1950.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He served as the chief minister of Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1939 and later as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu between 1952 and 1954.<ref name="TNCM">Template:Cite web</ref> He founded the Swatantra Party in 1959.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> |
| File:Photograph of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan presented to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1962.jpg | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | Tamil Nadu | 1888–1975 | Radhakrishnan served as the first Vice-President of India from 1952 to 1962 and as the second President of India from 1962 to 1967).<ref name="President">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="VP">Template:Cite web</ref> Since 1962, his birthday of 5 September is observed annually as Teachers' Day in India.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | |
| File:Sir CV Raman.JPG | C. V. Raman | Tamil Nadu | 1888–1970 | Raman was a physicist known for his work in the field of light scattering.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is known for the discovery of Raman scattering and Raman spectroscopy and was presented the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1955 | File:Bhagwan Das 1969 stamp of India (cropped).jpg | Bhagwan Das | Uttar Pradesh | 1869–1958 | Bhagwan Das was an independence activist, theosophist and educationist. He co-founded Kashi Vidyapith and worked with Madan Mohan Malaviya to establish the Banaras Hindu University.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| File:Vishveshvarayya in his 30's.jpg | M. Visvesvaraya | Karnataka | 1861–1962 | Visvesvaraya was a civil engineer and statesman. He served as the 19th Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His birthday, 15 September, is observed annually as Engineer's Day in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:Jawaharlal Nehru, 1947.jpg | Jawaharlal Nehru | Uttar Pradesh | 1889–1964 | Nehru was an independence activist and politician, who was the first and the longest-serving Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964.<ref name="PM">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 1957 | File:Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant.jpg | Govind Ballabh Pant | Uttar Pradesh | 1887–1961 | Pant was an independence activist and politician, who served as the premier of United Provinces (1937–39, 1946–50) and as the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1950 to 1954.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He served as Union Home Minister from 1955 to 1961.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 1958 | File:Dhondo Karve.jpg | Dhondo Keshav Karve | Maharashtra | 1858–1962 | Karve was a social reformer and educator, known for his work on education for women and remarriage of Hindu widows. He established the Widow Marriage Association (1883), Hindu Widows Home (1896), and started Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University in 1916.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 1961 | File:Photograph of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, 2nd Chief Minister of West Bengal.jpg | Bidhan Chandra Roy | West Bengal | 1882–1962 | Roy was a physician, politician and educationist. He served as the second Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1948 to 1962 and is known as the "Maker of Modern West Bengal".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His birthday on 1 July is observed annually as the National Doctors' Day in India.<ref name="cmwb">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| File:Purushottam Das Tandon 1982 stamp of India.jpg | Purushottam Das Tandon | Uttar Pradesh | 1882–1962 | Tandon was an independence activist and politician, who served as the speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1950.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He was actively involved in a campaign to get official language status to Hindi.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | |
| 1962 | File:Rajendra Prasad (Indian President), signed image for Walter Nash (NZ Prime Minister), 1958 (16017609534).jpg | Rajendra Prasad | Bihar | 1884–1963 | Prasad was an independence activist, lawyer and statesman, who was associated with Mahatma Gandhi in the Champaran Satyagraha in Bihar and non-cooperation movement.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Became the president of Constituent Assembly of India. He was later elected as the first President of India (1950–62).<ref name="President"/> |
| 1963 | File:President Zakir Husain 1998 stamp of India (cropped).jpg | Zakir Husain | Telangana | 1897–1969 | Husain was an independence activist and philosopher, who served as the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (1948–56) and the Governor of Bihar (1957–62).Template:Sfn Later, he was elected as second vice-president of India (1962–67) and went on to become the third President of India (1967–69).<ref name="President"/><ref name="VP"/> |
| File:Pandurang Vaman Kane 2022 stamp of India.jpg | Pandurang Vaman Kane | Maharashtra | 1880–1972 | Kane was an indologist and Sanskrit scholar, known for his five volume literary work, History of Dharmaśāstra: Ancient and Medieval Religious and Civil Law in India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1966 | File:Lal Bahadur Shastri (from stamp).jpg | Lal Bahadur ShastriTemplate:Hash | Uttar Pradesh | 1904–1966 | Shastri was an independence activist, known for his slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" ("Hail to the Soldier, hail to the Farmer").<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> He served as second Prime Minister of India (1964–66) and led the country during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.<ref name="PM"/><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> |
| 1971 | File:Indira Gandhi official portrait.png | Indira Gandhi | Uttar Pradesh | 1917–1984 | Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India during 1966–77 and 1980–84.<ref name="PM"/> She is known as the "Iron Lady of India", as she led India during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the concurrent Bangladesh Liberation War which led to the formation of Bangladesh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> |
| 1975 | File:President V. V. Giri.jpg | V. V. Giri | Odisha | 1894–1980 | Giri was an independence activist, who organized trade unions and facilitated their participation in the fight for independence. Post-independence, Giri held positions of Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Mysore state and other cabinet ministries.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He became the first acting president and was eventually elected as the fourth President of India, serving from 1969 to 1974.<ref name="President"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> |
| 1976 | File:K Kamaraj 1976 stamp of India (cropped).jpg | K. KamarajTemplate:Hash | Tamil Nadu | 1903–1975 | Kamaraj was an independence activist, freedom fighter, and politician who served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for over nine years, between 1954 and 1963.<ref name="tncm">Template:Cite web</ref> He was known as the "King Maker", as he was the president of the Indian National Congress, when electing Lal Bahadur Shastri the prime minister after Nehru's death and Indira Gandhi after Shastri's death, his followers idolized him as "Perunthalaivar" (Great Leader). He is the founder of the Indian political party Indian National Congress (Organisation).<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> |
| 1980 | File:Mother Teresa 1.jpg | Mother Teresa + | West Bengal (Template:TooltipSkopje, North Macedonia) |
1910–1997 | Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and founder of the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation, which manages homes for diseased people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work in 1979.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was beatified on 19 October 2003 by Pope John Paul II and canonised on 4 September 2016 by Pope Francis.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopediaTemplate:Tertiary source inline</ref> |
| 1983 | File:Vinobabhaveji (cropped).jpg | Vinoba BhaveTemplate:Hash | Maharashtra | 1895–1982 | Bhave was an independence activist, social reformer and an associate of Mahatma Gandhi, known for his Bhoodan movement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He was known by the honorific title "Acharya" ("teacher") and was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1958) for his humanitarian work.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1987 | File:Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.jpg | Abdul Ghaffar KhanTemplate:Asterisk | Pakistan | 1890–1988 | Khan was an independence activist, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and an advocate of Hindu–Muslim unity in the subcontinent.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He was known as "Frontier Gandhi" and was part of the Khilafat Movement in 1920 and founded the Khudai Khidmatgar ("Red Shirt movement") in 1929.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> |
| 1988 | File:MGR portrait, from 2017 Stamp.jpg | M. G. RamachandranTemplate:EfnTemplate:Hash | Tamil Nadu | 1917–1987 | M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.), the first actor to become the chief minister in the Republic of India, served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for over ten years, between 1977 and 1987.<ref name="tncm"/> Considered one of the greatest political leaders and actors of the state, his followers idolize him as "Puratchi Thalaivar" (Revolutionary Leader).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is the founder of the Indian political party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. |
| 1990 | File:Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.jpg | B. R. AmbedkarTemplate:Hash | Madhya Pradesh | 1891–1956 | Ambedkar was a social reformer, lawyer and a Dalit leader, who headed the committee drafting the Indian Constitution while also serving as the first Law Minister of India later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Ambedkar campaigned against the social discrimination of Dalits and the caste system in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was associated with the Dalit Buddhist movement after converting to Buddhism on 14 October 1956.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| File:Nelson Mandela 1994.jpg | Nelson MandelaTemplate:Asterisk | South Africa | 1918–2013 | Mandela was the leader of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa and later served as the President of South Africa (1994–99).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Often called as the "Gandhi of South Africa", Mandela's African National Congress movement was influenced by Gandhian philosophy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1991 | File:RajivGandhi.jpg | Rajiv GandhiTemplate:Hash | Uttar Pradesh | 1944–1991 | Rajiv Gandhi was a pilot turned politician, who served as the sixth Prime Minister of India serving from 1984 to 1989.<ref name="PM"/> |
| File:Sardar patel (cropped).jpg | Vallabhbhai PatelTemplate:Hash | Gujarat | 1875–1950 | Patel was an independence activist, who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India (1947–50) and home minister.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Patel was known as the "Iron Man of India" and by the title of "Sardar" ("Leader") Patel and was instrumental in the accession of the princely states into the Indian union.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:Morarji Desai During his visit to the United States of America .jpg | Morarji Desai | Gujarat | 1896–1995 | Desai was an independence activist and politician, who served as the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979 and was the first to be not from the Indian National Congress.<ref name="PM"/> He was also awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award given by the Government of Pakistan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Desai had earlier abolished the awards while he was in the office of Prime Minister for it being "worthless and politicised".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 1992 | File:Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.jpg | Abul Kalam AzadTemplate:EfnTemplate:Hash | West Bengal | 1888–1958 | Azad was an independence activist and politician, who served as the first education minister of India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His birthday on 11 November is observed annually as the National Education Day in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| File:J.R.D. Tata (1955).jpg | J. R. D. Tata | Maharashtra | 1904–1993 | Tata was an industrialist, philanthropist, and aviation pioneer, who served as the chairman of the business conglomerate Tata Group. He is the founder of various educational and research institutes and businesses.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> | |
| File:Satyajit Ray in New York (cropped).jpg | Satyajit Ray | West Bengal | 1922–1992 | Ray was a film director. He directed his first film Pather Panchali in 1955 and is credited with bringing world recognition to Indian cinema.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1984, Ray was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema and in 1991, he received Academy Honorary Award.<ref name="dadasahebdff">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 1997 | File:Gulzarilal Nanda 1.jpg | Gulzarilal Nanda | Punjab | 1898–1998 | Nanda was an independence activist and politician, who served as the interim Prime Minister of India in 1964 and 1966 and as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.<ref name="PM"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| File:Aruna Asaf Ali 1998 stamp of India (cropped).jpg | Aruna Asaf AliTemplate:Hash | West Bengal | 1909–1996 | Ali was an independence activist, known for hoisting the tricolor flag of India in Bombay during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Post Independence, she was elected as Delhi's first mayor in 1958.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.jpg | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | Tamil Nadu | 1931–2015 | Kalam was an aerospace and defence scientist, who later served as the eleventh President of India from 2002 until 2007.<ref name="President"/> He was involved in the development of India's first satellite launch vehicle SLV III and the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program, while working for various space and defence research agencies and has served as the scientific advisor to the defence minister, Secretary for defence research and director of Defence Research and Development Organisation.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | |
| 1998 | File:M. S. Subbulakshmi (03).jpg | M. S. Subbulakshmi | Tamil Nadu | 1916–2004 | Subbulakshmi was a Carnatic classical vocalist, known for her songs, religious chantings and compositions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award for her public service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| File:Chidambaram Subramaniam.jpg | C. Subramaniam | Tamil Nadu | 1910–2000 | Subramaniam was an independence activist and politician, who served as the minister of agriculture from 1964 to 1966 and later as minister of finance and defence. He is known for his contribution towards the Green Revolution in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 1999 | File:Jawaharlal Nehru with Jayaprakash Narayan (cropped).jpg | Jayaprakash NarayanTemplate:Hash | Bihar | 1902–1979 | Narayan was an independence activist and social reformer. He was commonly referred as "Loknayak" ("People's Leader") and is known for the Total Revolution Movement initiated during the mid-1970s against the then government of India.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| File:Amartya Sen 2012.jpg | Amartya Sen | West Bengal | b. 1933 | Sen is an economist and the winner of the Nobel memorial prize in economic sciences in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| File:Gopinath Bordoloi.jpg | Gopinath BordoloiTemplate:Hash | Assam | 1890–1950 | Bordoloi was an independence activist and politician, who served as the first chief minister of Assam (1946–50).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His was instrumental in uniting Assam with India when parts of it wanted to accede to Pakistan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:Ravi Shankar.jpg | Ravi Shankar | Uttar Pradesh | 1920–2012 | Ravi Shankar was a musician and sitar player. He has won four Grammy Awards and is often considered "the world's best-known exponent of Hindustani classical music".<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | |
| 2001 | File:Lata Mangeshkar.jpg | Lata Mangeshkar | Maharashtra | 1929–2022 | Mangeshkar was a playback singer, known as the "nightingale of India".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She started her career in the 1940s and has sung songs in over 36 languages.Template:Sfn In 1989, Mangeshkar was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema.<ref name="dadasahebdff"/> |
| File:Bismillah at Concert1 (edited).jpg | Bismillah Khan | Bihar | 1916–2006 | Khan was a Hindustani classical shehnai player, who played the instrument for more than eight decades and is credited to have brought the instrument to the centre stage of Indian music.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 2009 | File:Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (cropped).jpg | Bhimsen Joshi | Karnataka | 1922–2011 | Joshi was a Hindustani classical vocalist, who was a disciple of Kirana gharana and is widely known for the Khyal genre of singing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2014 | File:Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao 03650.JPG | C. N. R. Rao | Karnataka | b. 1934 | Rao is a chemist and a scientist specializing in solid state chemistry. He has honorary doctorates from 86 universities and has authored around 1,800 research publications and 56 books.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| File:Sachin-Tendulkar (cropped).jpg | Sachin Tendulkar | Maharashtra | b. 1973 | Tendulkar is a cricketer, who is regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Having debuted in 1989, Tendulkar played 664 international cricket matches, scoring more than 34,000 in a career spanning over two decades and holds various cricket records.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 2015 | File:Atal Bihari Vajpayee (crop 2).jpg | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | Madhya Pradesh | 1924–2018 | Vajpayee was a politician, who served as the Prime Minister of India three times in 1996, 1998 and from 1999 to 2004.<ref name="PM"/> He was a parliamentarian for over four decades and was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha, twice to the Rajya Sabha, also serving as the minister of external affairs during 1977–79.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Madan Mohan MalaviyaTemplate:Hash | Uttar Pradesh | 1861–1946 | Malaviya was a scholar and educational reformer, who founded the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (1906) and Banaras Hindu University, while serving as the university's vice-chancellor from 1919 until 1938.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was the President of Indian National Congress for four terms and was the chairman of Hindustan Times from 1924 to 1946.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 2019 | File:Pranab Mukherjee Portrait (cropped).jpg | Pranab Mukherjee | West Bengal | 1935–2020 | Mukherjee was a politician who served as the 13th President of India from 2012 until 2017.<ref name="President"/> In a career spanning five decades, Mukherjee had been a leader of the Indian National Congress and had occupied several ministerial portfolios in the Government of India. Prior to his election as President, he was finance minister from 2009 to 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| File:Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Assam, India.jpg | Bhupen HazarikaTemplate:Hash | Assam | 1926–2011 | Hazarika was a playback singer, lyricist, musician, poet and film-maker, widely known as Sudhakantha.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His songs, written and sung mainly in the Assamese language by himself, are themed around universal justice and peace and have been translated and sung in many languages.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:Nanaji Deshmukh 2017 stamp of India.jpg | Nanaji DeshmukhTemplate:Hash | Maharashtra | 1916–2010 | Deshmukh was a social activist and politician, who worked in the fields of education, health, and rural self-reliance. He was a leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 2024 | File:Karpoori Thakur 1991 stamp of India.jpg | Karpoori ThakurTemplate:Hash | Bihar | 1924–1988 | Thakur was a politician, who served two terms as the 11th Chief Minister of Bihar, from 1970 to 1971, and from 1977 to 1979. In 1978, he introduced the reservation policy in state government jobs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| File:Lkadvani.jpg | L. K. Advani | Delhi | b. 1927 | Advani is a politician who served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is one of the co-founders of Bharatiya Janata Party and is credited with scripting the rise of the BJP as a major political force through the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is popularly known as "Loh Purush" (Iron Man).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| File:P. V. Narasimha Rao.JPG | P. V. Narasimha RaoTemplate:Hash | Telangana | 1921–2004 | Narasimha Rao, was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the 9th prime minister from 1991 to 1996.<ref name="PM"/> He was the first Prime Minister from South India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to India's economy.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | |
| File:Prime minister Charan Singh.jpg | Charan SinghTemplate:Hash | Uttar Pradesh | 1902–1987 | Charan Singh was an Indian politician and an independence activist who served as the 5th prime minister from 1979 to 1980.<ref name="PM"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is known as the "Champion of India's peasants".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He is credited for bringing radical land reform measures and bringing uniformity in the farm sector. These reforms were implemented through the Debt Redemption Bill, the Land Holding Act, and the Zamindari Abolition Act.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was the founder of the political party Lokdal in 1980.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | |
| File:Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan - Kolkata 2013-01-07 2674.JPG | M. S. SwaminathanTemplate:Hash | Tamil Nadu | 1925–2023 | Swaminathan was an Indian agronomist, geneticist and administrator, who was a global leader of the green revolution.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He was one of the major architects of green revolution in India known for his leadership and role in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
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See also
Explanatory notes
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
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- Sabharwal, D.P. Wing Commander (2008). Bharat Ratnas. Rupa Publications. Template:ISBN