Bharat Ratna (Jewel of India or Gem of India in English) is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour.
Any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex is eligible for the award. However the recommendations for Bharat Ratna are to be made by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India.
The holders of the Bharat Ratna rank 7th in the Indian order of precedence; however, unlike knights they do not carry any special title nor any other honorifics.
Read more about Bharat Ratna: History, Specifications, List of Recipients