Indian Literature — RRB NTPC Study Notes

Overview

Indian Literature is a moderate-scoring General Awareness topic in RRB NTPC, typically yielding 1–3 questions per paper. These questions test factual recall of prominent authors, their landmark works, the languages they wrote in, and major literary awards like the Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi Awards. The topic spans classical, medieval, and modern literature across India's many languages—Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, and others.

Exam questions are straightforward: "Who wrote Gitanjali?", "Which writer won the first Jnanpith Award?", "Devdas is a novel by whom?" Students must memorise a curated list of about 30–40 major authors, their signature works, and award histories. There is little room for reasoning; it's pure factual knowledge. Prioritise Nobel laureates, Jnanpith winners, and writers from your own state, as RRB sometimes includes region-specific questions. Since the syllabus mentions "Major Indian writers, works, languages and literary awards," focus on household names and canonical texts rather than obscure poets or regional figures.

Mastering this topic requires systematic list-making and regular revision. A single pass is insufficient—create flashcards or tables pairing authors with works and awards, then review weekly. This topic overlaps slightly with Art and Culture, so cross-reference festivals, folk traditions, and historical periods tied to literary movements.

Key Concepts

• **Indian literature is multilingual**: India has 22 scheduled languages and rich literary traditions in each. Examinations focus on major languages—Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, and Sanskrit.
• **Classical vs. modern**: Classical works include Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sangam poetry (Tamil), and Kalidasa's plays (Sanskrit). Modern literature (19th century onward) includes novels, short stories, and poetry in regional languages and English.
• **Jnanpith Award** is India's highest literary honour, given annually since 1965 for outstanding contribution to Indian literature. Winners include Rabindranath Tagore (honorary), G. Sankara Kurup (first, 1965), and Amitav Ghosh (2018).
• **Sahitya Akademi Award** is a yearly award for the best book in each of the 24 languages recognised by the Akademi. Instituted in 1954, it is more common than the Jnanpith and easier to test in exams.
• **Nobel Prize in Literature** has been won by only one Indian—Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 for "Gitanjali" (Song Offerings), a collection of poems originally in Bengali, later translated by Tagore himself into English.
• **Booker Prize** (now called the Booker Prize and Booker International) has been won by Indian English authors Arundhati Roy (1997, "The God of Small Things"), Salman Rushdie (1981, "Midnight's Children"), Kiran Desai (2006, "The Inheritance of Loss"), and Aravind Adiga (2008, "The White Tiger").
• **Regional language literature** is vibrant. Bengali Renaissance produced Tagore, Bankim Chandra, Sarat Chandra. Hindi heartland gave us Premchand, Mahadevi Varma, Harivansh Rai Bachchan. South India has Subramania Bharati (Tamil), Kuvempu (Kannada), Thakazhi (Malayalam), Viswanatha Satyanarayana (Telugu).
• **Themes and genres**: Social reform, nationalism, partition trauma, rural life, women's issues, historical epics, and mythological retellings dominate Indian literature. Genres include poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays, and devotional hymns (bhakti literature).

Key Facts

1. **Rabindranath Tagore** (Bengali): Nobel Prize 1913, Jnanpith 1961 (honorary). Works: "Gitanjali", "Gora", "Ghare Baire" (The Home and the World), national anthems of India ("Jana Gana Mana") and Bangladesh ("Amar Sonar Bangla"). 2. **Munshi Premchand** (Hindi/Urdu): Father of modern Hindi literature. Novels: "Godan" (The Gift of a Cow), "Nirmala", "Gaban". Stories: "Idgah", "Kafan" (The Shroud). No major award (died 1936). 3. **Bankim Chandra Chatterjee** (Bengali): Wrote "Anandamath" (containing "Vande Mataram"), "Durgeshnandini". Pioneer of Bengali novel. 4. **Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay** (Bengali): "Devdas", "Parineeta", "Srikanta". Immensely popular, adapted into films. 5. **Mahadevi Varma** (Hindi): Leading poet of Chhayavaad movement. Jnanpith 1982. Works: "Yama" (poetry), "Ateet Ke Chalchitra" (memoirs). 6. **Harivansh Rai Bachchan** (Hindi): "Madhushala" (famous poetry collection), "Agneepath". Father of actor Amitabh Bachchan. 7. **R. K. Narayan** (English): "Malgudi Days" (short stories), "Swami and Friends", "The Guide". No Jnanpith, but Sahitya Akademi Award. 8. **Mulk Raj Anand** (English): "Coolie", "Untouchable". Social realist, focused on lower castes and poverty. 9. **Arundhati Roy** (English): Booker Prize 1997 for "The God of Small Things". Also known for activism. 10. **Amitav Ghosh** (English): Jnanpith 2018. Novels: "The Shadow Lines", "The Glass Palace", "The Hungry Tide", Ibis Trilogy. 11. **Vikram Seth** (English): "A Suitable Boy" (one of longest single-volume novels in English). 12. **Salman Rushdie** (English): Booker 1981 ("Midnight's Children"), Booker of Bookers. "The Satanic Verses" caused controversy. 13. **Subramania Bharati** (Tamil): National poet of Tamil Nadu. "Kannan Pattu", "Panchali Sapatham". Advocate of women's rights and anti-caste. 14. **Kuvempu** (Kannada): First Jnanpith in Kannada (1967). Epic: "Sri Ramayana Darshanam". Wrote Karnataka state anthem. 15. **Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai** (Malayalam): Jnanpith 1984. "Chemmeen" (The Shrimp), a classic novel adapted into film. 16. **M. T. Vasudevan Nair** (Malayalam): Jnanpith 1995. "Randamoozham" (The Second Turn, Mahabharata retold). Also famous screenplay writer. 17. **Jnanpith Award**: Total 58 awards to date (some years multiple, some none). Language-wise leaders: Hindi (11), Kannada (8), Bengali (6). 18. **Bhakti movement literature**: Kabir (Hindi dohas), Tulsidas ("Ramcharitmanas"), Surdas (Krishna bhajans), Mirabai (devotional songs).

Worked Examples

**Example 1**: Who is the author of the novel "Godan"? **Solution**: Munshi Premchand. "Godan" (The Gift of a Cow) is his magnum opus, depicting the life of Indian peasants. Published 1936, it remains a landmark in Hindi literature. Premchand wrote in both Hindi and Urdu.

**Example 2**: Which Indian author won the Nobel Prize in Literature? **Solution**: Rabindranath Tagore in 1913. He won for "Gitanjali" (Song Offerings), a collection of poems translated from Bengali to English by Tagore himself. He is the only Indian Nobel laureate in Literature.

**Example 3**: Name the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award and the year. **Solution**: G. Sankara Kurup (Malayalam poet), 1965. He received it for his contributions to Malayalam poetry, especially his collection "Odakkuzhal" (The Bamboo Flute). Tagore received an honorary Jnanpith in 1961, but Kurup was the first regular awardee.

**Example 4**: Which novel won the Booker Prize in 1997? **Solution**: "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. Set in Kerala, it tells a tragic family story with non-linear narrative. Roy became the first Indian woman to win the Booker.

Common Mistakes

• **Confusing Tagore's works**: Students mix up "Gitanjali" (poetry, Nobel Prize) with "Gora" (novel) or "Ghare Baire" (novel). Remember Gitanjali = Nobel.
• **Mixing up Booker winners**: Multiple Indians have won—Salman Rushdie (1981), Arundhati Roy (1997), Kiran Desai (2006), Aravind Adiga (2008). Memorise year + title to distinguish them.
• **Attributing "Vande Mataram" to Tagore**: It was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in "Anandamath". Tagore composed "Jana Gana Mana". Don't confuse the two national songs.
• **Jnanpith eligibility**: Only Indian citizens writing in scheduled languages of India (including English since 2007) are eligible. Some famous authors like Vikram Seth have not won it.
• **Assuming all major writers won awards**: Premchand died before Jnanpith was instituted. R. K. Narayan won Sahitya Akademi but not Jnanpith. Awards are not the only measure of literary stature.

Quick Reference

• **Tagore**: Nobel 1913 | "Gitanjali" | "Jana Gana Mana" composer | Bengali
• **Premchand**: "Godan", "Nirmala" | Hindi/Urdu | Father of modern Hindi literature
• **Jnanpith Award**: Highest literary honour | Since 1965 | First: G. Sankara Kurup (Malayalam)
• **Booker Prize Indians**: Rushdie (1981), Roy (1997), Desai (2006), Adiga (2008)
• **Bankim Chandra**: "Anandamath" | "Vande Mataram" | Bengali
• **Bharati (Tamil)**: National poet | Women's rights | "Kannan Pattu"
• **Amitav Ghosh**: Jnanpith 2018 | "The Shadow Lines", Ibis Trilogy | English