Bharat Ratna announced for Sachin Tendulkar

[GOKULAKRISHNAN K.R]

 In a fitting finale to what has been a glorious career, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was today chosen for the prestigious Bharat Ratna, the country`s highest civilian award, making him the first sportsperson to be bestowed with the honour.

Tendulkar (40) also became the youngest recipient of the award till date, surpassing late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's record who was 47 when he received the honour.

The 40-year-old icon, who called time on his glittering international career today, was chosen for the top award soon after his farewell Test against the West Indies ended in Mumbai.

A brief statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said the President has awarded the Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar, who retired from the International cricket today.

Tendulkar bows out as the most successful batsman in international cricket with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests. In his ODI career, which he ended last year, Tendulkar amassed 18,426 runs in 463 matches.

The Mumbaikar is the only batsman in international cricket to score 100 centuries. He was the first batsman to get a double hundred in one-dayers.

The award is a perfect send off gift to Tendulkar whose career spanned 24 years making him an inspiration for an entire generation of cricketers.

There have been continuous demands for him to be conferred the honour for a long time and the eligibility criteria of the award was revised last year to accommodate sportspersons as well.

Tendulkar, who became the first active sportsperson to become a Rajya Sabha member last year, is being given the honour along with Professor C N R Rao, the man behind India`s maiden Mars mission.

The Bharat Ratna is being conferred after a gap of years with classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi being the last recipient.

The following is the list of the  “Bharata Ratna”-Award- Recipients  from the year  1954 to the year 2013:-
Recipients of 1954 (6):

1. Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975)-

The Second President and the  First Vice President of India, A Philosopher belonging to Tamil Nadu whose birthday is commemorated as “Teachers’ Day”.

2. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari /Rajaji(1878–1972)- The last Governor General of British India who was also an Indian  Freedom Fighter, belonging to Tamilnadu

3.Sir C. V. Raman ( 1888–1970)- Nobel-prize winning Physicist belonging to  Tamil Nadu

Recipients of 1955 (1):-
4. Dr.Bhagwan Das (1869–1958)- A Man of Literature and an  Indian  Freedom Fighter  belonging to Uttar Pradesh

5.Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya (1861–1962)- An Indian  Civil Engineer and Dam Architect,  A Diwan of  Princely state of Mysore Karnataka

 6. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)- The First Prime Minister of India and an Indian  Freedom Fighter and  Writer belonging to Uttar Pradesh

Recipient of 1956: 
None

Recipient of 1957 (1):
7. Mr. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887–1961)- An Indian Freedom Fighter and Home Minister of Indian Union belonging to Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand

Recipient of 1958 (1):
8. Dhondo Keshav Karve (1858–1962) –An Educationist and a Social Reformer belonging to Maharashtra- Awarded Bharata Ratna in his birth centenary year 1958

Recipient of1959 &1960: 
None

Recipients of 1961 (2):
9. Dr. B. C. Roy (1882–1962)_ A Physician, Politician and Former Chief Minister of West Bengal belonging to West Bengal

10.Mr.Purushottam Das Tandon (1882–1962)- An Indian- Freedom Fighter and an   Educationist belonging to Uttar Pradesh

Recipients of 1962:
None

Recipients of 1963 (3):
11. Dr.(Babu) Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963)- The first President of India, a Freedom Fighter and a Jurist belonging to Bihar

12. Dr. Zakir Hussain (1897–1969)-Former President of India and a Scholar  belonging to Andhra Pradesh

13. Mr.Pandurang Vaman Kane (1880–1972)- Ideologist and Sanskrit scholar   belonging to Maharashtra

Recipient of 1964 &1965: 
None

 Recipient of 1966 (1):

14. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966)--The Second Prime Minister of India a Freedom Fighter belonging to Uttar Pradesh- Awarded Posthumously

Recipients From 1967 To 1970: 
None
Recipient of 1971 (1):

15.Mrs. Indira Gandhi –(1917–1984)- Former and the first and the only Lady Prime Minister of India/Daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, belonging to Uttar Pradesh

Recipients From 1972 To 1974: 
None

Recipient of 1975 (1):

16.Mr.V. V. Giri (1894–1980)- Former President- Trade Unionist belonging to Orissa

Recipient of 1976 (1):

17.Mr.K. Kamaraj (1903–1975)--A Freedom Fighter-Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu belonging to Tamil Nadu-Awarded Posthumously 

Recipient From 1977 To 1979:None 
 The ‘Bharat  Ratna” award  had been  kept suspended by the Government of  India,from  13th July 1977 to 26th January 1980.

Recipient of 1980 (1):
18 .Mother Teresa (1910–1997)- A Nobel Laureate (For Peace, 1979) A foreigner belonging to the Republic of Macedonia-  dedicated to the Sick people of India especially for those who were affected by Leprosy

Recipient of 1981&1982: 
None

Recipient of 1983 (1):
19.Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895–1982)-- A Social  Reformer and a Freedom Fighter belonging to Maharashtra-Awarded Posthumously

Recipient From 1984 To 1986:- None

Recipient of 1987 (1):
20.Mr.Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as "Frontier Gandhi", (1890–1988)-

The first non-citizen awarded Bharata Ratna- A Freedom Fighter belonging to Pakistan

Recipient of 1988 (1):
21.Mr. M. G. Ramachandran (1917–1987)- -Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu- Popular Cinema Actor belonging to Tamil Nadu- Awarded Posthumously 

Recipient of 1989:
None

Recipients of 1990 (2):
22.Dr.B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956)- An Architect who  played a key role in the formation of the Indian Constitution, a Social Reformer, Economist and Scholar belonging to Maharashtra-

Awarded Posthumously-

23. Dr.Nelson Mandela-Born in 1918-The Second non-citizen and the first non-Indian awarded Bharat  Ratna- A Leader of Anti-Apartheid movement belonging to South Africa

Recipients of 1991 (3):

24.Mr.Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991)- - Former Prime Minister of India/Son of Mrs.Indira Gandhi/Grand-son of  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru- belonging to New Delhi -Awarded Posthumously

25.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950)- An Indian  Freedom  Fighter and the First Home Minister of India belonging to Gujarat-Awarded Posthumously-

26. Mr.Morarji Desai (1896–1995)- A Former Prime Minister of India  and an Indian  Freedom 
Fighter belonging to Gujarat. He was the First Ever Non-Congress Prime Minister of India.

Recipients of 1992 (3):

27. Mr. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) – AFreedom Fighter and the First Education Minister of India belonging to WestBengal-Awarded Posthumously

28. Mr.J. R. D. Tata (1904–1993)- An Industrialist and a philanthropist  belonging to Maharashtra

29.Mr.Satyajit Ray (1922–1992)- A popular Bengali -Film Director-An Oscar Award-winner belonging to West Bengal

Recipient From 1993 To 1996: 
None

Recipients of 1997 (3):

30. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam- Born in 1931- A Former President of India- Atomic Scientist belonging to Tamil Nadu

31.Mr.Gulzarilal Nanda (1898–1998)-An Indian  Freedom Fighter and a former(Acting) Prime Minister of India belonging to Punjab

32. Ms,.Aruna Asaf Ali (1908–1996) An Indian  Freedom Fighter belonging to West Bengal-Awarded Posthumously

Recipients of 1998 (2):

33 .Mrs.M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916–2004)- A Carnatic music vocalist  belonging to Tamil Nadu

34.Mr.Chidambaram Subramaniam/C.S. (1910–2000)- An Indian  Freedom Fighter and former Indian Union Minister of Agriculture - belonging  to Tamil Nadu

35. Mr.Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979)- A Freedom -Fighter and a Social Reformer belonging to Bihar- Awarded Posthumously

Recipients of 1999 (3):

36 .Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) -A Classical-Sitarist  belonging to Uttar Pradesh.

37. Dr.Amartya Sen- Born in 1933- An Indian Economist  and a Nobel Laureate ( For Economics, 1998),-belonging to West Bengal

38.  Mr.Gopinath Bordoloi (1890–1950)-- An Indian freedom  fighter belonging to Assam- Awarded Posthumously

Recipient of 2000:
None

Recipients of 2001 (2):

39. Ms.Lata Mangeshkar- Born in 1929- A Hindi -Cinema-Play back Singer belonging  to Maharashtra

40. Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006)- A Classical Shehnai- Maestro belonging to Bihar

Recipient From 2002 To 2007:
None

Recipient of 2008 (1):

 
41. Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (1922-2011)  A Hindustani classical vocalist belonging to Karnataka.

 

Recipients From 2009 To 2012: 
None

For the Year 2013: 

42. Sachin Tendulkar- (born in the year 1973)-Cricketer/Sports Person-for his achievements unreachable/and records unbreakable in the field of cricket, bringing glory to India

43. Dr.C.N.R.Rao- Indian Chemist- the man behind India's maiden 'Mars'-Mission 

 


Note: 
On the last day of his career in cricket on 16th November 2013, after his last and the 200th test cricket match, held at his home pitch, Mumbai, against West Indies, the Government of India has announced Bharat Ratna to the Indian 'God of Cricket' Sachin Tendulkar as a fitting farewell gift 
and to Dr C.N.R.Rao for his services in India's-"Mars-Mission".