Former President Pranab Mukherjee received Bharat Ratna award from President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday. Legendary late Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika and Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader late Nanaji Deshmukh were conferred Bharat Ratna posthumously. While Hazarika’s son Tej Hazarika received the honour on his behalf, Chairman of Deendayal Research Institute, Virendrajeet Singh received Bharat Ratna on behalf of Nanaji Deshmukh.

With these three recipients, 48 eminent people have been conferred the Bharat Ratna so far.

Mukherjee (83), who was also known as the quintessential ‘Man Friday’ of the Congress, joins the elite club of former presidents Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Rajendra Prasad, Zakir Hussain and V V Giri, who were also awarded the nation’s highest civilian honour.

Legendary Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika was a versatile lyricist, composer and singer. Hazarika composed music in acclaimed Bollywood movies Rudaali, Darmiyaan, Gaja Gamini, Daman and many Assamese hits, including the award-winning film ‘Sameli Memsaab’.

Social activist and senior RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh was one of the founders of the erstwhile Bhartiya Jana Sangh, which later evolved into Bhartiya Janata Party. He was considered to be one of the architects of the Jai Prakash Narayan’s movement against the Emergency in 1975 and among the key persons in the formation of the Janata Party government in 1977.

The Bharat Ratna has been conferred after a gap of four years. 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. The government had announced the names of three Bharat Ratna awardees in January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated Bharat Ratna Awardees.

Vice President M Venkaikah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, several Union Cabinet Ministers, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were among those present at the function.

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian Award of the country. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/ performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President of India. Although no formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna are necessary, the recommendations have been received for Bharat Ratna to Late Major Dhyan Chand from several quarters. These recommendations have been forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office.