The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, has been conferred on some of the most distinguished personalities since its inception in 1954. This prestigious honor recognizes exceptional contributions in various fields such as arts, science, public service, and sports.
Here is a table summarizing the Bharat Ratna award winners, their respective years, and their fields of contribution:
| Year | Name | Field of Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Karpoori Thakur | Social Equity, Reservation Policy |
| 2024 | L. K. Advani | Politics, Ram Janmabhoomi Movement |
| 2024 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | Economic Reforms, Politics |
| 2024 | Charan Singh | Agrarian Reforms, Farmers’ Rights |
| 2024 | M. S. Swaminathan | Agriculture, Green Revolution |
| 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee | Politics, Presidency, Economic Policies |
| 2019 | Nanaji Deshmukh | Social Activism, Rural Development |
| 2019 | Bhupen Hazarika | Music, Cinema, Social Activism |
| 2015 | Madan Mohan Malaviya | Education, Independence Movement |
| 2015 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | Politics, Prime Ministerial Leadership |
| 2014 | C. N. R. Rao | Chemistry, Solid State and Materials Chemistry |
| 2014 | Sachin Tendulkar | Sports, Cricket |
| 2009 | Bhimsen Joshi | Music, Hindustani Classical |
| 2001 | Lata Mangeshkar | Music, Playback Singing |
| 2001 | Bismillah Khan | Music, Shehnai |
| 1999 | Jayaprakash Narayan | Politics, Total Revolution Movement |
| 1999 | Amartya Sen | Economics, Welfare Economics |
| 1999 | Gopinath Bordoloi | Politics, Assam Integration |
| 1999 | Ravi Shankar | Music, Sitar |
| 1998 | M. S. Subbulakshmi | Music, Carnatic |
| 1998 | Chidambaram Subramaniam | Agriculture, Green Revolution |
| 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda | Politics, Economic Planning |
| 1997 | Aruna Asaf Ali | Independence Movement, Local Governance |
| 1997 | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | Science, Aerospace, Presidency |
| 1992 | Abul Kalam Azad | Education, Independence Movement |
| 1992 | J. R. D. Tata | Industry, Philanthropy |
| 1992 | Satyajit Ray | Cinema |
| 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi | Politics, Technology |
| 1991 | Vallabhbhai Patel | Politics, National Integration |
| 1991 | Morarji Desai | Politics, Prime Ministerial Leadership |
| 1990 | B. R. Ambedkar | Law, Social Reform |
| 1990 | Nelson Mandela | Anti-Apartheid Movement |
| 1988 | M. G. Ramachandran | Politics, Tamil Nadu Development |
| 1987 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | Independence Movement, Social Reform |
| 1983 | Vinoba Bhave | Social Reform, Bhoodan Movement |
| 1976 | K. Kamaraj | Politics, Education, Industrial Development |
| 1975 | V. V. Giri | Labour Leadership, Presidency |
| 1971 | Indira Gandhi | Politics, Indo-Pakistani War |
| 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | Politics, Prime Ministerial Leadership |
| 1963 | Zakir Husain | Education, Presidency |
| 1963 | Pandurang Vaman Kane | Indology, Religious and Civil Law |
| 1962 | Rajendra Prasad | Politics, Presidency |
| 1961 | Bidhan Chandra Roy | Medicine, Politics |
| 1961 | Purushottam Das Tandon | Politics, Hindi Advocacy |
| 1958 | Dhondo Keshav Karve | Social Reform, Women’s Education |
| 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant | Politics, Home Ministry |
| 1955 | Bhagwan Das | Education, Philosophy |
| 1955 | M. Visvesvaraya | Engineering, Public Works |
| 1955 | Jawaharlal Nehru | Politics, Prime Ministerial Leadership |
| 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari | Politics, Governance |
| 1954 | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | Education, Presidency |
| 1954 | C. V. Raman | Physics, Raman Effect |
