Wednesday 5 February 2014

About Bharat Ratna Award


‘Bharat Ratna’, the highest civilian Award of the country, was instituted in the year 1954.Until 2011 ,This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order".In December 2011, the Government of India modified the criteria to allow sportspersons to receive the award. The award may be conferred "for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour".There is no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens.The original specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal, 35 mm in diameter, with the sun and the legend "Bharat Ratna" (in Devanagari) above and a floral wreath below. The reverse was to carry the state emblem and motto. The award is attached to a 2-inch-wide (51 mm) white ribbon, and is designed to be worn around the recipient's neck.The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President.The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.The award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name.Use like ‘Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President’or ‘Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award’. There have been twelve posthumous awards, including the award to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992, which was later withdrawn due to a legal technicality.Bharat Ratna has been one award to a naturalised Indian citizen, Mother Teresa (1980), and to two non-Indians, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990). Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest person alive at the time of receiving the award (at the age of 40). Dhondo Keshav Karve is the eldest person alive at the time of receiving the award (age 100).