Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will most likely be conferred with the Bharat Ratna later this week.
According to sources, President Pranab Mukherjee will be conferring the honour to the former prime minister on March 27.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan had, via a press communique, earlier in December stated that President Mukherjee will be conferring the Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya (posthumously) and to Vajpayee.
The Bharat Ratna is the country's highest civilian award.