Manish Tewari congratulates Tendulkar, C.N.R. Rao for getting Bharat Ratna

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Saturday congratulated cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Professor C.N.R. Rao for being awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award.

He said that a lot of people would not only feel inspired to emulate the examples set by these two enlightened gentlemen, but will also create a situation where young cricketers and scientists would aspire their to take their place.

"Bharat Ratna is a very unique honor conquered on those people who have performed exceptional for not only the country, but has also functioned in a manner that has really added to India's prestige globally," he told media here today.

"Therefore, Sachin Tendulkar, and the very eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao qualify exceptionally and eminently. It would lead to a lot of enthusiasm across the length and breadth of this country," he added.

Earlier in the day, the government announced that cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Professor C.N.R. Rao will be awarded the Bharat Ratna for their contributions to their respective fields.

The announcement was made through a press note issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Tendulkar, who retired today after playing his last and 200th Test, becomes the first sportsperson to get the country's highest civilian award.

The announcement of the award has been described by one and all as a timely and befitting tribute to the legendary player, who has contributed immensely to the game of cricket. They said that it was appropriate that after he bid farewell to the game of cricket, the government had taken the initiative to give him the award.

Meanwhile, Prof. C.N.R. Rao is an eminent scientist and a well-recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry.

He has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books.

Prof. Rao's contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships.

He has been honoured with several national and international awards.