Govt tweaks Bharat Ratna criteria; Sachin in focus

The Government in a significant move has reportedly made a change in the criteria for awarding Bharat Ratna. The move is likely to enable Sachin Tendulkar, Dhyan Chand and others to get the highest civilan award. As per the change, the Bharat Ratna will now be awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human Endeavour. Earlier, the award was confined to those who excelled in areas like Art, Literature, Science, and public service. Sources say that the change has been made through a notification by the Prime Minister's Office based on the recommendation of the home and sports ministries.