Bharat Ratna to Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Krishna Advani was born on November 8, 1927 in Karachi, British India (now Pakistan). He belonged to a Sindhi Hindu family. Advani studied at St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi and later attended D.G. National College in Hyderabad, Sindh. After partition, his family migrated to Bombay where he completed his law degree from Government Law College.
Political Career
Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1941 at age 14. He served as secretary of the Karachi unit in 1947. After partition, he worked as a pracharak in various districts of Rajasthan until 1952. In 1980, Advani helped found the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Under his leadership, BJP emerged as a major political force based on Hindu nationalist ideology.
Advani served as BJP President from 1986-1991 and again from 1993-1998. He was Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha from 1991-1993. Advani served as Home Minister from 1998-2004 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2002-2004 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Contributions and Controversies
Advani is known for leading the Ram Rath Yatra in 1990 which brought the Ram Mandir issue to national prominence. While credited for BJP’s rise, he has also been criticized for his role in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. As Home Minister, Advani oversaw responses to national security threats and the 1999 Kargil War. He promoted infrastructure development and economic growth.
Later Political Years
After BJP lost the 2004 and 2009 general elections, Advani stepped back from senior party positions. He served as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha from 2009-2012. Advani won from the Gandhinagar constituency in the 2014 and 2019 elections before retiring from active politics in 2019 at age 92.
Awards and Recognition
Advani was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.
About the Bharat Ratna
The Bharat Ratna was established in 1954 to recognize exceptional service to the nation. The Prime Minister recommends recipients to the President of India. Up to three awards are given annually.
The original criteria was limited to arts, literature, science and public services. In 2011, the government expanded it to include “any field of human endeavor.”
First Recipients and Notable Names
The first recipients in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and C.V. Raman. Later recipients include Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Sachin Tendulkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Bhimsen Joshi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Karpuri Thakur among others. The award has been conferred posthumously as well.
Significance of the Award
The Bharat Ratna represents the highest esteem and recognition for exceptional service to the nation. It honours the ideals and values that India strives towards.
List of Awardees
| Year | Awardee | Contributions/Role |
| 1954 | Chakravarti Rajagopalachari | Last Governor-General of India, key figure in India’s independence movement |
| 1954 | Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan | Philosopher, India’s first Vice President and second President, known for contributions to education |
| 1954 | Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman | Nobel laureate physicist, renowned for work in light scattering |
| 1955 | Bhagwan Das | Freedom fighter, philosopher, founder of Kashi Vidyapith |
| 1955 | Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya | Eminent engineer, statesman, Diwan of Mysore, known for engineering contributions |
| 1955 | Jawaharlal Nehru | First Prime Minister of independent India, central figure in independence struggle |
| 1957 | Govind Ballabh Pant | Statesman, key architect of modern India, served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh |
| 1958 | Dhondo Keshav Karve | Social reformer, educator, known for promoting women’s education and widow remarriage |
| 1961 | Bidhan Chandra Roy | Physician, freedom fighter, Chief Minister of West Bengal |
| 1961 | Purushottam Das Tandon | Freedom fighter, prominent figure in the independence movement |
| 1962 | Rajendra Prasad | First President of India, crucial in drafting the Indian Constitution |
| 1963 | Zakir Husain | Scholar, third President of India, contributions to education |
| 1963 | Pandurang Vaman Kane | Indologist, Sanskrit scholar, known for historical research |
| 1966 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | Second Prime Minister of India, leadership during the Ind-Pak War of 1965 |
| 1971 | Indira Gandhi | First woman Prime Minister of India, shaped the nation’s political landscape |
| 1975 | Varahagiri Venkata Giri | Trade unionist, fourth President of India |
| 1976 | Kumaraswamy Kamaraj | Freedom fighter, key political figure, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu |
| 1980 | Mother Teresa | Missionary nun, Nobel Peace Prize winner, known for humanitarian work |
| 1983 | Vinoba Bhave | Advocate of nonviolence, disciple of Gandhi, known for Bhoodan Movement |
| 1987 | Abdul Ghaffar Khan | Freedom fighter, leader in the independence movement |
| 1988 | Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran | Actor, politician, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu |
| 1990 | Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar | Architect of the Indian Constitution, champion of social justice |
| 1990 | Nelson Mandela | First black President of South Africa |
| 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi | Youngest elected head of Government at 41 |
| 1991 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | Key figure in independence movement, integration of princely states |
| 1991 | Morarji Ranchhodji Desai | Independence activist, fourth Prime Minister of India |
| 1992 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad | Scholar, freedom fighter, first Minister of Education |
| 1992 | Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata | Industrialist, philanthropist, contributions to Indian industry |
| 1992 | Satyajit Ray | Filmmaker, one of the greatest directors in world cinema |
| 1997 | Gulzarilal Nanda | Economist, politician, served as interim Prime Minister twice |
| 1997 | Aruna Asaf Ali | Independence activist, first woman Mayor of Delhi |
| 1997 | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Renowned scientist, 11th President of India |
| 1998 | M.S. Subbulakshmi | Carnatic classical singer, first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna |
| 1998 | Chidambaram Subramaniam | Freedom fighter, politician, statesman |
| 1999 | Jayaprakash Narayan | Freedom fighter, political leader, crucial during the Emergency |
| 1999 | Amartya Sen | Nobel laureate economist, work on welfare economics |
| 1999 | Gopinath Bordoloi | Freedom fighter, first Chief Minister of Assam |
| 1999 | Ravi Shankar | Sitar virtuoso, major figure in popularisation of Indian classical music |
| 2001 | Lata Mangeshkar | Playback singer, “Nightingale of India” |
| 2001 | Bismillah Khan | Shehnai maestro, fine classical musician |
| 2009 | Bhimsen Joshi | Vocalist in Hindustani classical music |
| 2014 | C.N.R. Rao | Chemist, leading figure in scientific research |
| 2014 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket legend, one of the greatest batters |
| 2015 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | Statesman, former Prime Minister, oratorical skills |
| 2015 | Madan Mohan Malaviya | Educationist, founder of Banaras Hindu University |
| 2019 | Nanaji Deshmukh | Social activist, key figure in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh |
| Singer, lyricist, filmmaker, contributions to Indian art and culture | ||
| 2019 | Pranab Mukherjee | Veteran politician, 13th President of India |
| 2024 | Lal Krishna Advani | Former Minister of Home Affairs, pivotal in Bharatiya Janata Party’s growth, served as Deputy Prime Minister |
| 2024 | Karpoori Thakur | Former Chief Minister of Bihar, focused on upliftment of marginalised communities |
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Month: Current Affairs - February, 2024
Category: Awards, Honours & Persons in News