The home ministry has sent a recommendation to the PMO to include sports as a category in Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. This is being done to facilitate awarding the ratna to Sachin Tendulkar. After the World Cup win, there has been a growing clamour for bestowing Sachin Tendulkar with the ‘Bharat Ratna’ but giving the country’s highest civillian honour to the batting icon would require tweaking of the criteria that has been laid down for the coveted award.

The ‘Bharat Ratna’ was started in 1954 and has so far been given to 41 eminent personalities, none of whom are sports-persons, the reason being the criteria for the coveted honour.

Sachin received the Padma Vibhushan award from President Pratibha Patil and the Indian Air Force (IAF) also honoured Sachin Tendulkar by conferring him with an honorary rank of Group Captain.