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Is it necessary to publish the name of the “Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award” in the Gazette of India?
Yes, As all of the official announcements are confirmed by the publishing in Gazette of India. Like this the name of the recipients of the Bharat Ratan are also necessarily announced and registered in The Gazette of India.
What is Gazette?
Gazette is an official publication, official journal, official newspaper, official monitor, official bulletin or the periodical publication to give authenticity the order passed by the government. Which can be treated as an authorised document for public publication or legal notices.
Who is authorised to publish the Gazette?
The Department of Publication under Ministry of Urban Development are authorised to publish and used for all the official or government notices.
Can any order can be considered as official without publish in the Gazette?
No, without publication in the Gazette the governmental order can be treated as an official, like wise the conferral of the award is not considered an official if not publishing in the Gazette of India.
Whether the name of the Bharat Ratan recipients can be revoked or restored if yes, who is the authorised person to do so?
Yes, the Bharat Ratan awards have been revoked or restored. In both the cases the President of India is the authorised person to do so and it is necessary to be registered in the Gazette. If the name of the recipients of the award have been revoked are required to surrender their medals and their name must be struck from the register also.
Can Bharat Ratna be used as title?
No, because Bharat Ratna is not a title as per the Article 18 of constitution of India. But the clause 1 of article 18 covers exceptions like academic or military titles like Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, Doctor, Major etc.
Nominated recipients who refused to accept the honour
In the history of Bharat Ratan from the date it was introduced, there are two nominated recipients who refused to accept the award.
01) In the year 1968 H. N. Kunzru (an Indian freedom fighter and public figure) was nominated for this highest award, but he declined to accept the honour and cited his opposition for such type of honours in a Republic and for that he became the first who raised his voice during the debates of the Constituent Assembly.
02) In the year 1954 when the concept of Bharat Ratan award was introduced the name of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Prominent independence movement leader and India’s first Minister of Education) was nominated as the recipient of the award but he declined the accept the honour, arguing that those who were in selection committees for national honours should not themselves receive them. Later he became the posthumous recipient Bharat Ratna in 1992.
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