The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred "in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but the government expanded the criteria to include "any field of human endeavour" in December 2011. The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year. Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal-leaf–shaped medallion; there is no monetary grant associated with the award. Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service of a high order...without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex." The award criteria include "service in any field including service rendered by Government servants" including doctors and scientists, but exclude those working with the public sector undertakings. As of 2019, the award has been bestowed on 1254 individuals, including twenty-one posthumous and ninety-six non-citizen recipients.
Sunil Dutt, born as Balraj Dutt, was an Indian movie actor, producer, director and politician. He was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government (2004–2005). His son is actor Sanjay Dutt and his daughter Priya Dutt is a former Member of Parliament.
Amitav Ghosh is an Indian writer and the winner of the 54th Jnanpith award, best known for his work in English fiction.
Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, MC, popularly known as Sam Bahadur, was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal. His military career spanned four decades and five wars, beginning with service in the British Indian Army in World War II.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee was an Indian film director, editor and writer known for a number of films, including Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Majhli Didi, Chaitali, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Namak Haraam and Chemmeen.
Jack Farj RafaelJacob, was an Indian Army officer. He was best known for the role he played in the creation of Bangladesh in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. Jacob, then a major general, served as the chief of staff of the Indian Army's Eastern Command. During his 36-year long career in the army, Jacob fought in World War II and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He later served as the governor of the Indian states of Goa and Punjab.
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Arora, PVSM was an Indian Army Officer who was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Eastern Command during the third war with Pakistan in 1971.
Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan, PVSM, DSC was a former Indian Navy Admiral. He was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. He is credited with using a very innovative strategy, while commanding the Eastern Navy which had the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, in the Bay of Bengal. He is believed to have tricked the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi, which was on a search and destroy mission, into entering Visakhapatnam; where it was eliminated.
Hirendranath Mukhopadhyay, also known as Hiren Mukerjee, was an Indian politician, lawyer and academic. He was a member of the Communist Party of India having joined in 1936 when it was still illegal. He was elected to the Lok Sabha the lower house of the Indian Parliament from the Calcutta North East constituency in 1951, 1957, 1962, 1967 and 1971.
Pratul Chandra Gupta (1910-1990) was an Indian historian, writer and the author of Nana Sahib and the Rising at Cawnpore, a historical account of the Siege of Cawnpore. Considered by many as an authority on Maratha history, he translated The Maharashta Purana, an 18th-century Bengali text written by Gangaram into English, Edward C. Dimock, a known Indologist, being his co-translator. One of his books, INA in Military Operation, was commissioned by Jawaharlal Nehru but the book could not be published, reportedly due to political objections. The Last Peshwa and the English Commissioners, 1818-1851 and Shah Alam II and His Court are some of his other notable works. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1975, for his contributions to Literature.
Subodh Chandra Sengupta (1903–1998) was an Indian scholar, academic and critic of English literature, known for his scholarship on Shakespearean works. His books on William Shakespeare, which included Aspects of Shakespearian Tragedy, Shakespearian Comedy and Shakespeare's Historical Plays are reported to be critically acclaimed. He was a professor at the Department of English Language and Literature at Jadavpur University, Calcutta as well as a professor of English literature at Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, an autonomous college under the University of Calcutta. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1983, for his contributions to literature and education.
Abu Asad Mohammed Obaidul Ghani (1903–1973), also referred to as A.M.O. Ghani, was an Indian politician, belonging to the Communist Party of India.
Professor Jyotibhushan Bhattacharya was an Indian politician and scholar. He served as general secretary of the Workers Party of India. He served as a Minister in both of the United Front governments in West Bengal.
Veni Shankar Jha was an Indian educationist. He served as the director of public instruction of the Central Provinces and Berar and was the vice chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from July 3, 1956 to April 6, 1960. The Government of India awarded him Padma Bhushan, the third highest Indian civilian award, in 1971.
