Bharat Ratna & Padma Awards
The Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards constitute the highest civilian honours of the Republic of India, instituted on 2 January 1954 by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The Bharat Ratna recognizes exceptional service of the highest order in any field of human endeavor, with the first three awards conferred upon C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and Dr. C. V. Raman in 1954. Foreign recipients include Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990). The Padma Awards are classified in descending order of precedence: Padma Vibhushan (exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of high order), and Padma Shri (distinguished service). Under Article 18(1) of the Indian Constitution, these awards cannot be used as titles or prefixes to the recipient's name, as reaffirmed in the Balaji Raghavan Supreme Court ruling of 1995.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- The Bharat Ratna was instituted on 2 January 1954, with C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, and Dr. C. V. Raman as inaugural recipients.
- Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990) are the only two non-Indian foreign nationals awarded the Bharat Ratna.
- The three tiers of Padma Awards in descending order are Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
- In the 1995 Balaji Raghavan case, the Supreme Court ruled that Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are national honours, not titles under Article 18.
- Sachin Tendulkar became the youngest person and first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna in 2014 at age 40.