President Ram Nath Kovind today awarded India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to ex-President Pranab Mukherjee, late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh and late music maestro Bhupen Hazarika. Mukherjee was President from 2012 to 2017, while Hazarika was awarded with India's highest award in cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke Award, in 1992. Deshmukh was also a former Rajya Sabha member.