BHARAT RATNA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Awards & Personility in News)

Context: Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur will be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously.

Bharat Ratna

• Establishment: Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, was instituted in the year 1954.
• Eligibility Criteria: Any person, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex, is eligible for these awards.
• Recognition for Exceptional Service: The award is granted in recognition of exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavor.
• Recommendations: Recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made directly by the Prime Minister to the President, and no formal recommendations are necessary.
• Annual Award Limit: The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• Conferment Process: On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
• Monetary Grant: The award does not carry any monetary grant.
• Usage Restrictions: In accordance with Article 18(1) of the Constitution, the award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name.

Karpoori Thakur

• About: He was an Indian politician who served two terms as the 11th Chief Minister of Bihar.
• Popularly known as: Jan Nayak
• Early Life: Karpoori Thakur was born to Gokul Thakur and Ramdulari Devi at Pitaunjhia (now Karpuri Gram) village in Samastipur District of Bihar.
• Influenced by: Mahatma Gandhi and Satyanarayan Sinha.