After a gap of four years, India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna will be conferred this year. Former President Pranab Mukherjee, Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Nanaji Deshmukh and singer Bhupen Hazarika will be conferred the country’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna. In an official statement, the government said Deshmukh and Hazarika were selected for the award posthumously.
Previously, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and founder of Banaras Hindu University Madan Mohan Malviya were given the award by the Narendra Modi government in 2015. With these three recipients, 48 eminent people have been conferred the award so far.