Awards, Honours and Sports
Overview
Questions typically test factual recall—who won what, which award is given by whom, and for what field. The examiner often frames questions around awards announced in the 12-18 months preceding the exam, making this a current affairs-heavy topic that rewards regular newspaper reading.
This topic spans three interconnected areas: civilian honours (Padma Awards, Bharat Ratna), national and international awards across fields (Nobel, Booker, Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith), and major sports events and personalities. Students must build a systematic framework linking awards to their conferring bodies, fields, and recent recipients. Unlike conceptual topics, this demands memory—but smart categorisation reduces the burden significantly.
Key Concepts
- Hierarchy of Indian Civilian Honours: Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award (no formal ranking but supreme in prestige), followed by the Padma series—Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri in descending order. All are announced on Republic Day eve (25th January).
- Conferring Authority Matters: Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are conferred by the President of India; Sahitya Akademi Awards by Sahitya Akademi (autonomous body); National Sports Awards by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
- Nobel Prize Categories: Six categories—Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, Peace (awarded in Oslo), and Economic Sciences (technically "Sveriges Riksbank Prize"). No Nobel for Mathematics.
- Dronacharya vs. Dhyan Chand: Dronacharya Award recognises coaches; Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (renamed from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2021) is the highest sporting honour for athletes.
- Jnanpith Award: Highest Indian literary award, given for lifetime contribution to Indian literature in any language included in the Eighth Schedule. Administered by Bharatiya Jnanpith.
- Booker Prize Structure: The Booker Prize is for novels in English published in UK/Ireland; the International Booker Prize is for translated fiction. Indian-origin winners include Arundhati Roy (1997), Kiran Desai (2006), Aravind Adiga (2008).
- Gallantry Awards Hierarchy: Param Vir Chakra (highest wartime), Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra for wartime gallantry; Ashoka Chakra (highest peacetime), Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra for peacetime bravery.
Formulas / Key Facts
| Award | Field | Conferred By | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna | Any field (exceptional service) | President of India | No formal selection committee; PM recommends |
| Padma Awards | All fields | President of India | Announced 25th January; online nominations open |
| Jnanpith | Literature | Bharatiya Jnanpith | Cash prize + bronze Vagdevi statue |
| Sahitya Akademi | Literature | Sahitya Akademi | Given in 24 languages |
| Nobel Prize | Six categories | Swedish Academy/Norwegian Nobel Committee | Announced in October; awarded 10th December |
| Ramon Magsaysay | Asia's Nobel | Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Manila | Indian winners include Vinoba Bhave, Kiran Bedi |
| Arjuna Award | Sports | Ministry of Youth Affairs | For consistent performance over 4 years |
| Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | Sports | Ministry of Youth Affairs | Highest sports honour; renamed 2021 |
| Dronacharya | Coaching | Ministry of Youth Affairs | For outstanding coaches |
| FIFA Ballon d'Or | Football | France Football magazine | Top individual football honour |
Indian Nobel Laureates: Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913), C.V. Raman (Physics, 1930), Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979), Amartya Sen (Economics, 1998), Kailash Satyarthi (Peace, 2014). Abhijit Banerjee (Economics, 2019) is US citizen of Indian origin.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Bharat Ratna can be awarded posthumously.
- Padma Awards can be awarded to NRIs/foreigners.
Solution: Both statements are correct. Bharat Ratna has been awarded posthumously (e.g., Subhas Chandra Bose in 1992, later recommendation withdrawn; Sardar Patel in 1991). Padma Awards are open to any person regardless of citizenship—Nelson Mandela received Bharat Ratna in 1990.
Example 2: Consider the following pairs:
| Award | Field |
|---|---|
| Abel Prize | Mathematics |
| Pritzker Prize | Architecture |
| Pulitzer Prize | Journalism/Literature |
Which pairs are correctly matched?
Solution: All three are correctly matched. Abel Prize (Norway) is considered the "Nobel of Mathematics." Pritzker Prize is the highest honour in architecture. Pulitzer Prize recognises achievements in newspaper/magazine journalism, literature, and musical composition in the US.
Example 3: The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award was previously known as: (a) Arjuna Award (b) Dronacharya Award (c) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (d) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
Solution: (c). The award was renamed in August 2021 to honour hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing Khel Ratna with Arjuna Award → Khel Ratna is higher and given for spectacular performance in a year; Arjuna requires consistent performance over four years. Remember: Ratna (gem) ranks above Arjuna.
- Assuming Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Stockholm → Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway; all other Nobels are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. This is a frequently tested distinction.
- Mixing up International Booker with regular Booker → Regular Booker is for original English novels; International Booker is for translated works. Questions often test this difference.
- Believing there's a Nobel in Mathematics → There is no Nobel Prize for Mathematics. The Fields Medal (every 4 years, under 40 age limit) and Abel Prize are the top mathematics honours.
- Forgetting Padma Awards have no reservation → There are no quotas for Padma Awards, though the selection aims for diversity. Questions may present misleading options about mandatory allocations.
Quick Reference
- Bharat Ratna announced on Republic Day eve; maximum 3 per year (convention, not rule)
- Nobel announced October, awarded 10th December (Alfred Nobel's death anniversary)
- Param Vir Chakra → wartime highest; Ashoka Chakra → peacetime highest
- Jnanpith = Eighth Schedule languages only; Sahitya Akademi = 24 languages
- Arjuna Award = 4 years consistent performance; Khel Ratna = spectacular annual achievement
- Ramon Magsaysay Award ceremony held on 31st August (Magsaysay's birthday) in Manila