Who was the first person to receive the Bharat Ratna posthumously?
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Answer: Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966)
Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister, died in Tashkent on 11 January 1966 after signing the Tashkent Declaration ending the 1965 India-Pakistan War. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna the same year, making him the first posthumous recipient. The rules originally did not allow posthumous awards; an amendment in 1966 made this possible.