Recipients of the Bharat Ratna

First President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist (1918–2013)

Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary (1910–1997)

Jawaharlal Nehru was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a principal leader of the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s. Upon India's independence in 1947, he served as the country's first prime minister for 16 years. Nehru promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology during the 1950s, powerfully influencing India's arc as a modern nation. In international affairs, he steered India clear of the two blocs of the Cold War. A well-regarded author, he wrote books such as Letters from a Father to His Daughter (1929), An Autobiography (1936) and The Discovery of India (1946), that have been read around the world.

Prime Minister of India (1966-1977; 1980-1984)

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and politician who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on the debates of the Constituent Assembly of India and the first draft of Sir Benegal Narsing Rau. Ambedkar served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. He later renounced Hinduism and converted to Buddhism, inspiring the Dalit Buddhist movement.

Indian filmmaker and writer (1921–1992)

Indian physicist (1888–1970)

Prime Minister of India (1984-1989)

Indian economist and philosopher (1933-)

Indian scientist and statesman (1931–2015)

President of India from 2012 to 2017

Indian sitar player (1920–2012)

Prime Minister of India (1996, 1988-2004)

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian academic, philosopher and statesman who served as the Vice President of India from 1952 to 1962 and President of India from 1962 to 1967. He was the ambassador of India to the Soviet Union from 1949 to 1952. He was also the vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from 1939 to 1948 and the vice-chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. Radhakrishnan is considered one of the most influential and distinguished 20th century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, he held the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta from 1921 to 1932 and Spalding Chair of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford from 1936 to 1952.

Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning eight decades gained her honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody" and "Voice of the Millennium".

Indian cricketer

First President of the Republic of India

Indian barrister, leader of the Indian National Congress and founding father of the Republic of India (1875-1950)

Prime Minister of India (1964-1966)

3rd President of India (1897-1969)

Prime Minister of India (1977-1979)

Indian politician and 4th president of India (1894-1980)

Prime Minister of India (1991-1996)

Indian politician and writer (1888–1958)

Prime Minister of India (1979-1980)

Indian politician (1898-1998)

India's highest civilian award

Pashtun independence activist against British rule in India

Indian politician and activist (1878–1972)

Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights (1895-1982)

Indian industrialist, philanthropist and aviator (1904–1993)

Indian chemist

Deputy Prime Minister of India (2002-2004)

Indian Carnatic classical vocalist (1916–2004)

Indian independence activist (1909-1996)

Indian shehnai player (1916–2006)

film actor, chief minister of Tamil Nadu (1917 – 1987)

Indian agronomist (1925–2023)

Indian engineer, scholar, statesman and the Diwan of Mysore

Indian independence activist and political leader

Indian playback singer, lyricist, musician, poet, actor and filmmaker (1926–2011)

former Chief Minister of West Bengal, India (1882–1962)

Indian Hindustani classical vocalist (1922–2011)

Indian Theosophist (1869-1958)

Indian educator and politician

Indian politician (1903-1975)

Indian politician and freedom fighter (1887–1961)

Indian Indologist and Sanskrit scholar (1880–1972)

Indian Independence Activist and 1st Chief Minister of Assam

Indian social reformer (1858–1962)

Indian freedom fighter (1882–1962)

Indian politician (1910-2000)

Indian activist (1916–2010)

Indian politician