21. Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran (1917- 1987) : 

He was an Indian film actor, director, producer, and politician who also served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu successively for three terms. He joined the Indian National Congress influenced by Gandhian ideals. He became a member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and rose rapidly through its ranks. In 1972, he left the DMK to form his own party the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK). In 1977 he became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu - the first film actor in India to become the chief minister of a state. He was posthumously honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1988. 

22. Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedakr (1891-1956) : 

He is popularly also known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, political leader, philosopher, revolutionary. He was architect of the Indian Constitution, first law minister of India, founded Depressed Classes Society of India. He was also a politician, economist, and scholar. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1990. 

23. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-) : 

He is a South African anti-apartheid activist, revolutionary and politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He served as president of the African National Congress (ANC) political party from 1990 to 1999. He has received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held in deep respect within South Africa as the "Father of the Nation". He became the second non-citizen recipient of Bharat Ratna in1990. 

24. Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (1896 -995) : 

He was a notable Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979. He holds international fame for his peace activism and made notable efforts to initiate peace between Pakistan and India. Desai has the credible distinction of being the only Indian national to be conferred with Pakistan's highest civilian award, Nishan-e- Pakistan in 1990. 

25. Rajiv Ratna Gandhi (1944-1991) : 

He was the sixth Prime Minister of India (1984-1989). He became the youngest Prime Minister of India. He led Congress to a major election victory in 1984 the largest majority ever seen in the Indian Parliament. He began dismantling the License Raj - government quotas, tariffs and permit regulations on economic activity. He sent Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987 due to which he was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna in 1991. 

26. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1885-1950) : 

He played a major role in consolidation of princely states into India for which he is known as the 'Iron Man of India'.He participated in Baradoli Satayagarh and was given the title of 'Sardar' by Gandhiji. He was the first home minister and deputy prime minister of independent India 

27. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (1904- 1993) : 

He was a French-born is known as the father of Indian civil aviation. He founded India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946. In 1954, he was awarded the French Legion of Honour. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1957. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1992 and was also awarded with the United Nations Population Award for initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India. 

28. Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad (1888-1958) : 

He is commonly known as Maulana Azad and was a scholar and senior political leader. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992. He was prominent muslim opponent of the demand for a separate Muslim state. He worked for religious harmony. He became the first Minister of Edu- cation in the Indian government and is cred- ited with the establishment of the Indian Insti- tutes of Technology and the foundation of the University Grants Commission. His birthday is celebrated as "National Education Day" across India. 

29. Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) : 

He was an Indian filmmaker who directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, graphic designer and film critic. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1992. 

30. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) : 

He is known as the Missile Man of India and is an Indian scientist and administrator who served as the 11th President of India. He advocated plans to develop India into a developed nation by 2020 in his book India 2020. Abdul Kalam's 79th birthday was recognised as World Students' Day by United Nations. He was honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1997. 

31. Aruna Asaf Ali (1909-1996) : 

She was independence activist remembered for hoisting the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement, 1942. She was awarded International Lenin Peace Prize for the year 1964 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1991. She was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in her lifetime in 1992, and finally the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 1997. 

32. Shri Gulzari Lal Nanda (1898-1995) : 

Independence activist participated in Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil dis-obedience Movement and Quit India Movement for which he was jailed. He was twice elected to Lok Sabha and joined Nehru cabinet. 

33. Chidambaram Subramaniam ( 1910 -2000) : 

He was an Indian statesman, Freedom fighter, state minister, central minister and governor. He was the man who ushered in an era of self-sufficiency in food production in India. He is best known as the architect of India's modern agricultural development policy, resulted in to Indian Green Revolution. He has received Bharat Ratnain 1998. 

34. M.S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004) : 

She was a renowned Karnatic vocalist was a leading exponent of classical and semi- classical songs in the Karnataka tradition. She was awarded Padma Bhushan  in 1954 and became the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award in 1974. She was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1975 Kalidas Samman in 1988 and Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in 1990. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1998. 

35. Prof. Amartya Sen (1933-) : 

He was born in 1933 and was the first Indian and first Asian to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for his contributions to welfare economics. He has made several key contributions to research in this field, such as to the axiomatic theory of social choice; the definitions of welfare and poverty indexes; and the empirical studies of famine. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1999. 

36. Gopinath Bordoloi (1890-1950) : 

He was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Assam, and also a leading Indian independence activist. Due to his unselfish dedication towards Assam and its people, the then Governor of Assam Jayram Das Doulatram conferred him with the title Lokapriya". He wrote several books like Annaskaktiyog, Shreeramachandra, and Budhhadeb while in jail. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1999. 

37. Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-1979) : 

He was widely known as 'Loknayak', was freedom fighter known for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution. In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna He was also awarded the Magsaysay award for Public Service in 1965. 

38. Ravi Shankar (1920 - 2012) : 

He often referred to by the title Pandit, was an Indian musician and composer who played the sitar. From 1986 to 1992 he served as a nominated member of Rajya Sabha He was awarded Bharat Ratna, in 1999, and received three Grammy Awards. He was posthumously awarded two Grammy awards in 2013. 

39. Lata Mangeshkar (1929-) : 

She is an Indian singer. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional languages. She is the second vocalist to have ever been awarded the Bharat Ratna. She was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world. 

40. Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) : 

He often referred to by the honorific title Ustad, was an Indian musician credited with popularising the shehnai. He was awarded with- Talar Mausiquee from Republic of Iran, (1992), Padma Vibhushan (1980), Padma Bhushan (1968), Padma Shri (1961), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1956) and Tansen Award by Govt. of Madhya Pradesh. He was awarded Bharat Ratna, in 2001, becoming the third classical musician after M. S. Subbulakshmi and Ravi Shankar to be accorded this distinction 

41. Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (1922 - 2011) : 

He was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana .He is renowned for the khayal form of singing. He was the most recent recipient of the Bharat Ratna, in 2008. 

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