SSC
In which year was the first Bharat Ratna awarded to C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman?
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Answer: Option C — 1954
Detailed Solution
The Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was instituted by the President of India on 2 January 1954. The first three recipients, in 1954, were:
- Rajagopalachari ("Rajaji"), the last Governor-General of India and a freedom fighter.
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher and then Vice-President of India (later the second President).
Dr C. V. Raman, physicist and winner of the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for the "Raman Effect".
Rules of the Bharat Ratna:
It is given for exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. Originally it was limited to art, literature, science and public service; in 2011, the rules were changed to include "any field", which made it possible to give it to sportspersons.
The Prime Minister recommends the names to the President.
A maximum of three awards can usually be given in a year, though five were announced in 2024.
It does not carry any money; the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a bronze medallion shaped like a peepal leaf.
It cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to a name.
At first, it could not be given posthumously. This rule was changed in 1955. The first posthumous recipient was Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966).
Some notable recipients:
- Mother Teresa (1980): the first naturalised Indian citizen.
- Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987): the first non-Indian.
- Nelson Mandela (1990): the second non-Indian.
- Sachin Tendulkar (2014): the first sportsperson and the youngest recipient (at 40).
2024: Karpoori Thakur, L. K. Advani, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh and M. S. Swaminathan.
Article 18 of the Constitution abolishes titles, but the Supreme Court held in 1995 (Balaji Raghavan case) that national awards are not titles.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1950 is the year the Constitution came into force.
- ✗1952 is the year of the first general elections.
- ✗1956 is not the year of the first Bharat Ratna awards.
Quick tip
Remember: Bharat Ratna instituted 2 January 1954; first recipients = Rajaji, Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman; first posthumous = Shastri (1966); first sportsperson = Sachin (2014).
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.