Bharat Ratna: Can Living Individuals Receive India's Highest Honor? Rules Explained
Education
N
News18•10-01-2026, 11:14
Bharat Ratna: Can Living Individuals Receive India's Highest Honor? Rules Explained
- •The Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, can be awarded to living individuals; the provision for posthumous honors was added in 1966.
- •JDU leader KC Tyagi recently demanded the Bharat Ratna for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, citing his contributions to Bihar's development and social reforms.
- •The award criteria were expanded in 2011 to include 'any field of human endeavor,' moving beyond art, literature, science, and public service.
- •So far, 53 personalities have received the Bharat Ratna, with most receiving it during their lifetime, including recent recipients like Lal Krishna Advani and Sachin Tendulkar.
- •The Prime Minister recommends recipients to the President; there is no formal nomination process, and a maximum of three awards are typically given annually.
Why It Matters: The Bharat Ratna can be awarded to living individuals, with the Prime Minister recommending recipients to the President.
✦
More like this
Loading more articles...
