Bharat Ratna Award Winners in Karnataka: Complete List (1954–Present)

Table of Contents

• List of Bharat Ratna Award Recipients in Karnataka & their Contribution
• What is the Bharat Ratna Award?
• Bharat Ratna Award Winners: The Selection Process
• Benefits of the Bharat Ratna Award
• Facts about the Bharat Ratna Award
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Karnataka has given India several distinguished Bharat Ratna awardees, including:

• Sir M. Visvesvaraya for his contributions to engineering
• Pandit Bhimsen Joshi for his excellence in music
• C.N.R. Rao was recognised for his scientific achievements. 

Their remarkable work highlights the state’s lasting influence on India’s cultural, scientific, and technological progress.

According to the sources, the history of the Bharat Ratna Award goes back to the 1950s. 

On January 2, 1954, our first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, established this prestigious award.

The Bharat Ratna, known as India's top civilian honour, was established on January 2, 1954. It is given for contributions or achievements across various domains, including:

• Arts
• Science
• Literature
• Sociology
• Economics
• Psychology
• Public Service
• Political Science.

Here is a detailed overview of Bharat Ratna Award Winners in Karnataka:

List of Bharat Ratna Award Recipients in Karnataka & their Contribution

Here is a list of Bharat Ratna Award winners in Karnataka, along with their achievements.

Bharat Ratna Award Winners in Karnataka: Sir M. Visvesvaraya

Sir M. Visvesvaraya, or Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, was a great Indian Engineer and a versatile personality. 

Sir M. Visvesvaraya not only designed and built large dams and water supply schemes, which were his forte (speciality). He also contributed to industrial development by planning a steel plant, the railway system of Mysore, effective technical education for posterity (succeeding generations), and even a reputed financial institution, namely the Mysore Bank.  

Key Information about Sir M. Visvesvaraya:

Personal Life & Legacy:

Sir M. Vishweshwarayia was a man of principles and values. He was a very honest person who gave his best towards his profession and country. He valued cleanliness and was impeccably dressed even when he was well into his 90s. This outstanding Indian engineer lived a long and productive life, passing away on April 14, 1962, at the ripe age of 101 years. 

His alma mater, the College of Engineering, Pune, erected a statue in his honour. The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore bears his name. After a long and productive life, this outstanding Indian engineer passed away on April 14, 1962, at the age of 101.

Major Works:

Most people remember Sir M. Vishweshwarayia for his instrumental role in the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara Lake and dam in 1924. This dam not only became the main source of water irrigation for the nearby areas but was also the main source of drinking water for several cities.

Awards and Honours:

• Sir M. Vishweshwarayia is a recipient of the Indian Republic's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955
• For his contributions to the public good, King George V honoured him as a Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE)
• Every year, his birthday, Sep 15, is celebrated as the Engineer's Day in India in his memory
• His alma mater, the College of Engineering, Pune, erected a statue in his honour
• The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore bears his name.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi: Bharat Ratna Winner from Karnataka (2008)

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was a legendary Indian classical vocalist and one of the greatest artists of his generation. He had such a distinguished and powerful voice, fine musical sensibility, and an unwavering grasp of the fundamentals that he was the supreme Hindustani vocalist, practising a subtle fusion of intelligence and passion that imbued life and excitement in his music.

Key Information about Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi:

Personal Life & Legacy:

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born in Gadag district of the Southern State of

Karnataka, India. He is acknowledged as one of the most eminent Hindustani vocalists. At a very early age, Shri Bhimsen Joshi was fascinated with music and musical instruments. 

Major Works:

At the age of eleven, Bhimsen Joshi decided to develop his talent into that of a musician.

Bhimsen Joshi performed in several films as a playback singer.  He gave his first live performance in 1941, and his first album was released in the year 1942. 

Bhimsen Joshi was not only a classical singer but also a devotional and patriotic singer.

Awards and Honours:

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi is noted for his extraordinarily rich and sonorous voice and for the warmth and sensitivity of his rendering. Shri Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Hindustani Vocal Music due to his eminence in the field of music and his contributions to its enrichment.

Throughout his life, Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi has received numerous awards and honours. Here are a few of them:

* Source 

Bharat Ratna Award Winners in Karnataka: C. N. R. Rao

Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao is one of the world's foremost solid-state and materials chemists. He has contributed to the development of the field over five decades.

His main research interests are in solid-state and materials chemistry. He is an author of over 1774 research papers and 54 books.

Key Information about Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao:

Personal Life & Legacy:

Professor Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao, also called C.N.R. Rao, was born in Bangalore. Since his childhood, he has had an immense passion for chemistry. He obtained his master's degree in chemistry. 

Major Works:

Rao is currently the National Research Professor, Linus Pauling Research Professor and Honorary President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, which he founded in 1989. He was one of the earliest to synthesise two-dimensional oxide materials such as La₂CuO₄. His work has led to a systematic study of compositionally controlled metal-insulator transitions.

Awards and Honours:

Prof. C.N.R. Rao is a part of many of the major science academies throughout the world, including the Royal Society, London; the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A.; the Academy of Sciences of France and Russia; and more. He has received honoris causa doctorate degrees from 84 universities along with numerous awards. Listed below are a few of them:

* Source

What is the Bharat Ratna Award?

The Bharat Ratna is India's top civilian honour. Started on January 2, 1954, it rewards outstanding service or achievement in any area, regardless of a person's race, job, status, or gender. 

Initially, the Indian government gave this prestigious award for contributions in Arts, Literature, Science, and Public Service. 

According to the sources, the total number of Bharat Ratna awardees has reached 53. Five were awarded in 2024, which is the highest number in a single year so far, exceeding the convention of a maximum of three awards per year.

The Government of India conferred the Bharat Ratna upon five eminent personalities, the highest number in a single year. 

The five recipients who received this honour in a single year include:

The Bharat Ratna award winners from Karnataka are Sir M. Visvesvaraya (1955), Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (2008), and C.N.R. Rao (2014). 

Here is a glimpse into the history and establishment of the Bharat Ratna Award:

The Bharat Ratna award is the Indian Honour and the highest civilian award. This prestigious award is honoured for any person, regardless of race, occupation, position, or sex.

Here is a detailed description of India's highest civilian honour.

Bharat Ratna, which refers to 'Jewel of India' or 'Gem of India' in English, is the Republic of India's highest civilian award.

According to the original specifications of the award, it is attached to a 2-inch-wide (51 mm) white ribbon and is designed to be worn around the recipient's neck. The award includes a Certificate (Sanad) and a medallion that is in the shape of a peepal leaf.

The following is a description of the Bharat Ratna award, which is India's top civilian honour:

A Sanad (certificate):

The Sanad, or certificate, is autographed by the President and officially confers the award.

Medallion: 

Manufacturing: The medal is exclusively crafted at the Kolkata Mint

Medal shape and material: The main body is made of pure copper, shaped like a peepal leaf, which is about 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide and 3.1 mm thick

Decorative elements: On its obverse is embossed a replica of the sun, 1.6 cm in diameter

Inscriptions: The medal includes the inscription "Bharat Ratna" on the front and "Satyameva Jayate" on the back. The words are inscribed in Devanagari script using burnished bronze. 

Overall, the emblem, sun, and rim are made of platinum. The inscriptions are in burnished bronze.

Bharat Ratna Award Winners:

The Prime Minister of India primarily drives the discreet nomination and selection process for the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. The process is as follows:-

Recommendations: 

Unlike many other awards, there is no open nomination process for the Bharat Ratna. The Prime Minister typically makes recommendations for potential recipients.

Prime Minister's Proposal:

The Prime Minister sends a proposal to the President of India suggesting the names of individuals deemed worthy of this prestigious honour

Presidential Approval: 

The President of India, based on the Prime Minister's recommendations, approves the conferment of the award. The President's approval is the final step in the selection process.

Official Announcement: 

Once the President approves the recommendations, the names of the recipients are officially announced and published in The Gazette of India. This publication formalises the conferment of the Bharat Ratna.

Bharat Ratna Award: The Benefits

Bharat Ratna awardees are placed at Position 7A in the Table of Precedence, alongside top dignitaries like Governors, Former Presidents, and the Deputy Prime Minister, ensuring high-level recognition during official events.

Some of the benefits of this award include:

• The Government of India also sponsors free air travel in the executive class across domestic routes

• In India, Bharat Ratna recipients are revered. People across the country revere Bharat Ratna recipients

• Bharat Ratna recipients are often associated with public institutions. They hold a permanent place of respect in Indian history and society

• Awardees receive a diplomatic passport, which includes access to:
  • VIP lounges at airports
  • Access to separate immigration counters,  and 
  • Other privileges are reserved for top government officials.

• The Recipients receive the same treatment as senior government dignitaries receive during official travels, including:
  • Protocol services and 
  • The recipients also have access to government guest houses.

Interesting Facts About the Bharat Ratna Award

In 1980, the Bharat Ratna was awarded to one naturalised Indian citizen, Mother Teresa, who was a Catholic nun, a member of a religious congregation and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. The Bharat Ratna Award was also presented to two non-Indians, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in 1987 and Nelson Mandela in 1990. 

The awarding of this honour has frequently been challenged in litigation regarding its constitutional basis. 

Here are some more fascinating facts about the prestigious award, the Bharat Ratna Award.

• There is no need for formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna

• There is no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens

• The Bharat Ratna award does not carry any monetary grant, such as a cash prize, salary, or special privileges

• The recommendations for an award of the "Bharat Ratna" are made by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India

• According to the sources, the maximum number of Bharat Ratna awards to be given in a year is restricted to three

• The youngest recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award is Sachin Tendulkar, an Indian cricketer. He received the honour in 2014 at the age of 40

• The eldest recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award is Dhondo Keshav Karve, an Indian social reformer. He received the honour in 1958 at the age of 100

• There have been twelve posthumous awards, including the award to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992, which was later withdrawn due to a legal technicality
• This award does not confer any pre- or post-nominal titles or letters. Thus, recipients are constitutionally prohibited from using the award name as a title or post-nominal.
• The original statutes from January 1954 did not make allowances for posthumous awards. However, this provision was added in the statute of January 1966. There are twelve posthumous honours in total.
• Out of the 53 individuals who have received this esteemed recognition, six of them have served as Presidents of India.

Conclusion

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award, followed by the three levels of India's Padma Awards.

This prestigious award is conferred every year on the recommendations made by the Prime Minister to the President. The significance of awards can be understood through the insights provided by notable works in sociology, psychology, political science, and economics, each offering a distinct perspective on their multifaceted impact.

Stay tuned with JAIN PU College to discover more about the distinguished Bharat Ratna Award winners from Karnataka, as well as the state's famous literary authors, poets, and Karnataka Ratna Award winners.