The first Bharat Ratna award winner was Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, who was given in 1954. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour given for exceptional contribution towards the Science, Arts, Literature, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order.
India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, was introduced in 1954. C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C.V. Raman were the first three individuals who were awarded Bharat Ratna in 1954 together.
Test your knowledge with this informative MCQ quiz on the first Bharat Ratna award winners in different category! This MCQ quiz contains 25 important multiple-choice questions based on the first Bharat Ratna award, which will test knowledge in static GK topic as well as also enhance your knowledge.
These 25 questions are very important for those who are preparing for the competitive exams like SSC CGL, RRB, UPSC, IES, RRB JE, etc. So, are you ready to test your knowledge and score 25/25? Let’s start from the question number 1.
In which year was the Bharat Ratna award first given?
A. 1950
B. 1952
C. 1954
D. 1956
1954
The Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954 and the first awards were given that same year.
Who was the last Governor-General of independent India and a recipient of the first Bharat Ratna award?
A. Sardar Patel
B. Rajendra Prasad
C. C. Rajagopalachari
D. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Rajagopalachari
- C. Rajagopalachari was awarded the first Bharat Ratna award in 1954.
- He was the last and only Governor-General of India.
Who was the first scientist to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1954?
A. Homi Bhabha
B. C.V. Raman
C. Vikram Sarabhai
D. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
C.V. Raman
- Dr. C.V. Raman was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954 for his outstanding work in physics, particularly the discovery of the Raman Effect.
- He was also a Nobel Prize winner in Physics.
Who was the first woman recipient of the Bharat Ratna?
A. Indira Gandhi
B. Mother Teresa
C. Aruna Asaf Ali
D. M.S. Subbulakshmi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi was the first woman political leader to receive Bharat Ratna award in 1971. She was the first female Prime Minister of India.
Who was the first President of India to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1962?
A. Pranab Mukherjee
B. Rajendra Prasad
C. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
D. Jawaharlal Nehru
Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, received the Bharat Ratna in 1962.
Who was the first vice president of India that was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1954?
A. Rajendra Prasad
B. Govind Ballabh Pant
C. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
D. Zakir Hussain
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first vice president of India that was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1954.
- He was also second president of India.
Who was the first Prime Minister of India to receive the Bharat Ratna?
A. Lal Bahadur Shastri
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Indira Gandhi
D. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India that was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his leadership and contributions to the nation.
Who was the first Home Minister of India to actually receive the Bharat Ratna?
A. Govind Ballabh Pant
B. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
C. Lal Bahadur Shastri
D. Kailash Nath Katju
Govind Ballabh Pant
- Govind Ballabh Pant was the first Home Minister of India to receive the Bharat Ratna award.
- He was awarded the Bharat Ratna on January 26, 1957.
- G.B. Pant served as Home Minister from 1955 to 1961. He was also the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Home Minister of India serving from 1947 to 1950. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991.
Who was the first non-Indian citizen freedom fighter to be awarded the Bharat Ratna?
A. Nelson Mandela
B. Mother Teresa
C. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
D. Dalai Lama
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the first non-Indian citizen that was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1987. He was a prominent freedom fighter from Pakistan.
Who was the first philosopher to be awarded the Bharat Ratna?
A. Jiddu Krishnamurti
B. Swami Vivekananda
C. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
D. Bhagwan Das
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
C. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first philosopher and educator that received Bharat Ratna award in 1954.
Who was the first economist to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1999?
A. Manmohan Singh
B. Amartya Sen
C. C. D. Deshmukh
D. M. Visvesvaraya
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen received the Bharat Ratna in 1999 for his contributions to welfare economics.
Who was the first musician to be honored with the Bharat Ratna?
A. Bhimsen Joshi
B. Ravi Shankar
C. M.S. Subbulakshmi
D. Lata Mangeshkar
M.S. Subbulakshmi
Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi received the Bharat Ratna in 1998, becoming the first musician (classical singer) to be honored with this award.
Who was the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna?
A. Dhyan Chand
B. P.T. Usha
C. Sachin Tendulkar
D. Milkha Singh
Sachin Tendulkar
In 2014, Sachin Tendulkar at the age of 40, became the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna, recognizing his exceptional contribution to cricket. He was also became the youngest recipient of the Bharat Ratna.
Who is the oldest person to receive the Bharat Ratna?
A. Bhupen Hazarika
B. M. S. Subbulakshmi
C. Pandurang Vaman Kane
D. Dhondo Keshav Karve
Dhondo Keshav Karve
- The oldest person to receive the Bharat Ratna was Dhondo Keshav Karve.
- He was a social reformer and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1958, when he was 100 years old.
- He became the oldest recipient of Bharat Ratna in history.
Who was the first posthumous recipient of the Bharat Ratna?
A. Lal Bahadur Shastri
B. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
C. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
D. Aruna Asaf Ali
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second prime minister of India, was the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna to be awarded posthumously. He was honored with the award in 1966, following his death in the same year.
Who was the first industrialist and philanthropist to receive the Bharat Ratna?
A. Dhirubhai Ambani
B. Ratan Tata
C. J.R.D. Tata
D. Ghanshyam Das Birla
J.R.D. Tata
J.R.D. Tata was the first industrialist and philanthropist that was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his contributions to Indian industry and aviation.
Who was the first educationist to be honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1958?
A. S. Radhakrishnan
B. Dhondo Keshav Karve
C. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
D. Dr. Zakir Husain
Dhondo Keshav Karve
Dhondo Keshav Karve was the first educationist and social service to be honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1958. It was his 100th birthday when he received the honor.
Who was the first education minister in independent India that was given Bharat Ratna award?
A. C. Rajagopalachari
B. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
C. B.R. Ambedkar
D. M.C. Chagla
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first education minister of independent India that was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992 for his role in building the education system.
Who was the first civil engineer that was awarded Bharat Ratna?
A. M. Visvesvaraya
B. Vikram Sarabhai
C. Homi Bhabha
D. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
M. Visvesvaraya
- The first civil engineer to be awarded the Bharat Ratna was Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.
- He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1955.
- His birthday, 15 September, is observed as “Engineer’s Day” in India.
Who was the first physician to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1961?
A. Dr. Zakir Husain
B. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
C. Dr. C. N. R. Rao
D. Dr B. C. Roy
Dr B. C. Roy
- Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was the first medical doctor to be honored with the Bharat Ratna.
- He was also known as “The founder of modern medical education in India”.
- National Doctors’ Day in India is celebrated on July 1st, his birthday and death anniversary.
- He served as the second Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Who was the first playback singer to receive Bharat Ratna award?
A. Lata Mangeskar
B. Pt. Bhimsen Joshi
C. Udit Narayan
D. Asha Bhosle
Lata Mangeskar
The first playback singer to receive the Bharat Ratna award was Lata Mangeshkar. She was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001.
Who was the first classical sitar player to receive Bharat Ratna award?
A. Ali Akbar Khan
B. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
C. Pandit Ravi Shankar
D. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
Pandit Ravi Shankar
Pt. Ravi Shankar was the first classical sitar player to be awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1999.
Which Bharat Ratna awardee was the first film director to receive the honor?
A. Mukul Anand
B. Ram Gopal Varma
C. Satyajit Ray
D. George Miller
Satyajit Ray
The legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992, who was becoming the first film director to receive it.
Who was the first Bharat Ratna award known for playing the shehnai (classical instrument) player?
A. Zakir Hussain
B. Hariprasad Chaurasia
C. Ustad Bismillah Khan
D. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
Ustad Bismillah Khan
Ustad Bismillah Khan was the first classical instrument player that was awarded Bharat Ratna in 2001.
Who was the first Agriculture Minister of India to receive the Bharat Ratna for his role in the Green Revolution?
A. M. S. Swaminathan
B. C. Subramaniam
C. Jagjivan Ram
D. None of the above
C. Subramaniam
Chidambaram Subramaniam was the first Indian Agriculture Minister to be honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1998 for his role in the Green Revolution.
