The Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954. It is given for exceptional service in any field of human endeavour.
The first Bharat Ratna recipients in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman.
Bharat Ratna and Padma awards cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name. At most three Bharat Ratnas are given in a year.
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966) was the first posthumous recipient. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) was the first non-Indian citizen to receive it.
Padma Vibhushan comes first, then Padma Bhushan, then Padma Shri. All three were instituted in 1954.
The Padma awards and the Bharat Ratna are usually announced on the eve of Republic Day, 25 January.
Param Vir Chakra is the highest wartime award and Ashoka Chakra the highest peacetime award. Major Somnath Sharma received the first Param Vir Chakra.
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. It is India's highest sporting honour.
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