Awards and Honours

About 7 min · General Awareness and Current Affairs · English

Time worked out from the lesson's 459 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.

This topic tests your awareness of prestigious national and international awards, their recipients, and the fields they recognize. Key areas are recent awardees (last 2–3 years), the highest civilian awards of India, and globally recognized honours like the Nobel Prize.

Key ideas

Civilian Awards Hierarchy: India's civilian honours follow a clear order—Bharat Ratna (highest), followed by Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. Bharat Ratna has no quota and is awarded for exceptional service in any field; maximum 3 can be given per year.
Padma Awards Categories: Padma awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day (25 January) and recognize contributions in art, literature, science, sports, social service, public affairs, and civil service. They can be awarded posthumously, and so can the Bharat Ratna (its statutes were amended in January 1966 to permit posthumous awards).
Nobel Prize Fields: Nobel Prizes are awarded in six categories—Physics, Chemistry, Medicine/Physiology, Literature, Peace, and Economics (added 1969). Indians and persons of Indian origin have won Nobles in multiple categories; knowing recent Indian connections matters.
Gallantry Awards: Param Vir Chakra (highest wartime), Ashok Chakra (highest peacetime), Maha Vir Chakra, and Kirti Chakra recognize military and civilian bravery. Knowing PVC and Ashok Chakra basics helps.
Sports Awards: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021) is India's highest sporting honour. Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award (coaches), and Dhyan Chand Award (lifetime achievement) are other key sports honours.

Watch out for

Confusing award names: Students mix up "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna" with its new name "Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna." Always use the current official name; the award was renamed in August 2021. Questions may test awareness of this change.
Assuming all Padma awards are equal: Many treat Padma Shri, Bhushan, and Vibhushan as interchangeable. Correct approach: Remember the strict hierarchy—Vibhushan > Bhushan > Shri. Questions may ask about "second highest" or "third highest" civilian awards.
Forgetting posthumous rules: Students wrongly assume Bharat Ratna cannot be awarded posthumously. Fact: Posthumous awards have been allowed since the January 1966 statute (Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first); M.G. Ramachandran, for example, received it posthumously in 1988.

Quick reference

Bharat Ratna: Highest civilian award; no field restriction; max 3/year; recent: Pranab Mukherjee (2019).
Padma Sequence: Vibhushan > Bhushan > Shri; announced on the eve of Republic Day (25 January).
Nobel Prize: 6 categories; Indian laureates include Tagore, Raman, Kailash Satyarthi, Abhijit Banerjee.
Khel Ratna: India's top sports award; renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021).
Param Vir Chakra: Highest wartime gallantry; 21 recipients total.

Check yourself: 3 questions

1. Which of the following is the highest civilian award in India?
2. The Nobel Prize is awarded in how many categories?
3. Padma Shri awardee Salim Ali was famous in which field?

This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 21 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.

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