Bharat Ratna

The revised form of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar was introduced in 2018. Earlier, the honour was known through forms such as the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement. Although 2020 may be associated with later award ceremonies, it was not the year the revised award began. Exam tip: Distinguish between the year an award is renamed or introduced and the year it is presented.

C. Rajagopalachari was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. He was one of the three recipients in the first year of India’s highest civilian award. Although 1955 was also an early award year, it was not the year of his award. Exam tip: Remember that the Bharat Ratna began in 1954 and learn its first recipients.

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. He was among the first recipients of the award; C. Rajagopalachari and Dr C. V. Raman were also honoured that year. Although 1955 is a nearby year, it was not the year of Radhakrishnan’s award. Exam tip: remember him with Bharat Ratna (1954), President of India, and Teachers’ Day on 5 September.

C. V. Raman received the Bharat Ratna in 1954. The Bharat Ratna itself was instituted in 1954, so earlier years such as 1947, 1950, and 1952 cannot be correct. Exam tip: Remember C. V. Raman as one of the first Bharat Ratna awardees.

Bhagwan Das was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955. He was a noted philosopher, scholar, and public figure. Although 1954 was the first year of the Bharat Ratna awards, it is not the year Bhagwan Das received it. Exam tip: Memorise early Bharat Ratna award years along with their prominent recipients.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya received the Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his outstanding contributions to engineering and nation-building. Although 1954 was the first year of the Bharat Ratna, he was not among that year’s awardees. Exam tip: remember Visvesvaraya with Bharat Ratna 1955 and Engineers’ Day on 15 September.

Jawaharlal Nehru was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955. He was the first Prime Minister of independent India. The closest distractor is 1954, as the Bharat Ratna was instituted that year and its first awardees included C. Rajagopalachari, Dr S. Radhakrishnan, and Dr C. V. Raman. Exam tip: remember Nehru—Bharat Ratna, 1955.

Govind Ballabh Pant was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1957. He was a freedom fighter, a leading political figure in Uttar Pradesh, and India’s Home Minister. Although 1958 is a nearby year, it was not the year of his Bharat Ratna award. Exam tip: Remember Bharat Ratna award years along with each recipient’s major public role.

Dhondo Keshav Karve was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1958. He is noted for his work in women’s education, widow remarriage and social reform. 1957 is a close distractor, but it was not the year of his Bharat Ratna award. Exam tip: remember Karve with 1958 and women’s education.

Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1961. He was a renowned physician and the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Choosing 1962 would be incorrect because it was the year of his death, not the award year. Exam tip: Remember 1961 for his Bharat Ratna and his association with National Doctors' Day.

Purushottam Das Tandon was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1961. He was associated with the freedom movement and was a strong advocate of Hindi. Although 1962 is a nearby year, it was not the year of his Bharat Ratna award. Exam tip: Remember Bharat Ratna award years by linking each recipient with their major contribution.

Dr Rajendra Prasad was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1962. He was the first President of independent India. The year 1961 is incorrect because that year the award went to Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy and Purushottam Das Tandon. Exam tip: Remember the link: Dr Rajendra Prasad—first President—Bharat Ratna 1962.

Dr Zakir Husain was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1963. He was a noted educationist and later became the President of India. The year 1962 is incorrect because the Bharat Ratna that year was awarded to Dr Rajendra Prasad. Exam tip: Memorise Bharat Ratna awardees together with their award years.

Pandurang Vaman Kane was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1963. He was a renowned scholar of Indian Dharmashastra, law and Sanskrit literature, best known for his work, History of Dharmasastra. Although 1962 is a nearby year, it was not the year of his Bharat Ratna award. Exam tip: Remember Kane with the year 1963 and Dharmashastra studies.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1966. He died on 11 January 1966, and India’s highest civilian award was conferred on him in the same year. The year 1965 is important for the Indo-Pak War, but it was not the year of this Bharat Ratna award. Exam tip: Remember 1966 along with Shastri’s slogan, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.”

Indira Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1971. The honour recognised her public service, including India’s leadership during the Bangladesh Liberation War period. 1966 was the year she first became Prime Minister, not the year of the award. Exam tip: Remember the pair—Indira Gandhi: Prime Minister in 1966, Bharat Ratna in 1971.

V. V. Giri was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1975. He was the fourth President of India and was closely associated with the labour movement. 1971 was not his Bharat Ratna award year. Exam tip: Remember Bharat Ratna years by linking recipients with their major office or contribution.

K. Kamaraj was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1976. He is especially remembered as a major Tamil Nadu leader who contributed to the expansion of education. Although he died in 1975, the award was conferred in 1976, making 1975 a close but incorrect option. Exam tip: For posthumous awards, remember the award year separately from the year of death.

Vinoba Bhave was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1983. He was the leading figure of the Bhoodan Movement and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. The year 1980 is the year of his death, not the year of the award. Exam tip: Remember Vinoba Bhave with the Bhoodan Movement and the 1983 Bharat Ratna.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1987. Also known as the ‘Frontier Gandhi’, he was the first non-Indian citizen to receive this honour. The year 1988 is associated with M. G. Ramachandran, not Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Exam tip: Memorise Bharat Ratna recipients together with their award years.

M. G. Ramachandran was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1988. He was a popular Tamil film actor and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Although he died in 1987, the award was conferred in the following year. Exam tip: Learn the award year along with the names of major posthumous Bharat Ratna recipients.

Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990. The honour recognised his central role in framing the Indian Constitution and his contribution to social justice and equality. Although 1991 is a nearby year, it was not the year of Ambedkar’s Bharat Ratna award. Exam tip: For Bharat Ratna questions, memorise the recipient along with the year of the award.

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990, in recognition of his struggle against apartheid and his contribution to human rights. 1991 is incorrect because Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Morarji Desai received the award that year. Exam tip: associate Mandela with the 1990 Bharat Ratna and the anti-apartheid movement.

Rajiv Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991. Although 1992 is a nearby year, the award was conferred on him in 1991. Exam tip: Memorise Bharat Ratna recipients along with their award years.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991. He played a central role in integrating the princely states into India after Independence. The nearby option 1990 is incorrect because that year’s Bharat Ratna recipients included Dr B. R. Ambedkar and Nelson Mandela. Exam tip: Remember Patel with princely-state integration and Bharat Ratna 1991.