Sachin Tendulkar can now be awarded Bharat Ratna
Many people including singer Lata Mangeshkar and Anna Hazare had demanded Bharat Ratna award for Sachin Tendulkar © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
New Delhi: Dec 16, 2011
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand can now be given India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, as the government of India has made a necessary change in the eligibility criteria for a person to get the award.
The Bharat Ratna will now be awarded in recognition of exceptional services or performance of the highest order “in any field of human endeavour” covering almost every field which was not in the purview, the Times of India reported.
The award was earlier restricted to fields such as arts, literature, science and public service, as the government found it difficult to consider those outside these fields including sports.
With this development, India’s legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand can also be bestowed with the award.