Study Guides/General Knowledge/Highest Civilian Award in India
Study Guide · General Knowledge

What is the Highest Civilian Award in India?

India honors its exceptional citizens with prestigious awards. While military personnel receive gallantry awards like the Param Vir Chakra, civilians receive civilian awards.

Question (Click to Flip)

Which is the highest civilian award in India?

Answer

The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in India.

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Key Facts

Award Name: Bharat Ratna.

Instituted in: 1954.

Medal Shape: A Peepal tree leaf.

Youngest Winner: Sachin Tendulkar.

Foreign Winners: Mother Teresa (naturalized citizen), Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Nelson Mandela.

The Highest Civilian Award

The highest civilian award in the Republic of India is the Bharat Ratna (which translates to 'Jewel of India').

  • Established: It was instituted in the year 1954.
  • Eligibility: It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavor. (Race, occupation, position, or sex does not matter).
  • The Medal: The award is not a gold medal; it is uniquely shaped like a Peepal leaf made of bronze, with the sunburst in the center and the words 'Bharat Ratna' written in Devanagari script below it.

Other Civilian Awards (The Hierarchy)

The hierarchy of the civilian awards, from highest to lowest, is:

  1. Bharat Ratna (Highest)
  2. Padma Vibhushan
  3. Padma Bhushan
  4. Padma Shri

Famous Firsts

  • The very first recipients in 1954 were: C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and scientist C.V. Raman.
  • The first sportsperson (and the youngest person) to ever receive it was Sachin Tendulkar in 2014.

Questions and Answers

Which is the highest civilian award in India?+

The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in India.

What does the Bharat Ratna medal look like?+

The Bharat Ratna is designed in the shape of a Peepal leaf, made of bronze, with a sunburst design and the words 'Bharat Ratna' written in Devanagari script.

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