The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C.V. Raman. Rajagopalachari was a freedom fighter and last Governor-General of India, Radhakrishnan was a philosopher and later President, and Raman was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
Their selection represented excellence in politics, education, and science. The award was created to honor such towering figures in India's development and legacy in various fields