Sachin Tendulkar gets Bharat Ratna Award

Sachin Tendulkar is the first sportsperson and the youngest recipient of the award till date, surpassing late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's record.

Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist professor CNR Rao Tuesday have been conferred with the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function here today.

President Pranab Mukherjee presents Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar. (IANS)

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Sachin Tendulkar is the first sportsperson and the youngest recipient of the award till date, surpassing late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's record.
He will also become the ninth person from Maharashtra to join the exclusive club of 43 Bharat Ratna awardees till date, which includes presidents, prime ministers, Nobel laureates, scientists and artistes.

While Rajiv Gandhi held the record for being the youngest Bharat Ratna awardee, posthumously at the age of 47, Sachin, now 40, has pulled down the record even further.

Professor Rao is an eminent scientist and a well-recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry. He has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books.

Professor Rao's contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships.

He has been honoured with several national and international awards. 

"During the last 24 years, since the young age of 16 years, Shri Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for our country.  He has been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports. His achievements in cricket are unparalleled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary.  That he has been honoured with several awards is testimony to his extraordinary brilliance as a sportsman," said the release.

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