The government has announced its decision to confer the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya.

Confirmation of this came from the Rashtrapati Bhavan's Twitter account which posted: "PresidentMukherjee has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee."

The announcement about conferring India's highest civilian honour on Vajpayee comes on the eve of the veteran BJP leader's birthday, which falls on December 25. The day is also being celebrated by the central government, led by his party, as 'good governance day'.

Vajpayee is the first leader from the country's political right to be conferred the honour.