Important Awards and Honours
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Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.
Awards and honours form a significant section in RAS Prelims — questions often ask about recipients from Rajasthan, recent winners, and the significance of major national and international awards.
Key Facts for RPSC RAS:
- Padma Awards (Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri) are among the most frequently asked.
- Rajasthan Ratna is the highest civilian award of Rajasthan state.
- Padma Bhushan recipients from Rajasthan: Lata Mangeshkar (music, 1969), Amrita Pritam (literature, 1982), Jasraj (music, 2000), Shiv Kumar (literature, 2022).
- Bharat Ratna recipients from Rajasthan: none (though Amitabh Bachchan was born in Allahabad but is associated with the film industry).
- Nobel Prize winners from India: Rabindranath Tagore, C.V. Raman, Har Gobind Khorana, Mother Teresa, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Amartya Sen, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Abhijit Banerjee.
- Mohan Kumar: 2022 Nobel in Economics.
⚡ Exam tip: The year, field, and notable achievements of award recipients are frequently asked. Recent awardees (past 2-3 years) are especially important.
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Major National Awards
1. Padma Awards
Established: 1954 Conferred by: President of India (on Republic Day, 26 January) Categories: Padma Vibhushan (highest), Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri
Padma Vibhushan — Select Recipients:
- C. N. R. Rao (2014) — Chemistry
- M. M. Singh (2014) — Economics
- Gurcharan Das (2002) — Literature and Education
- B. K. S. Iyengar (2014) — Yoga
- Jasraj (2000) — Music (Hindustani classical)
- M. S. Swaminathan (2007) — Agriculture
Padma Bhushan — Recipients from Rajasthan:
- Mohan Singh (1968) — Literature (associated with Rajasthan)
- Vijay Singh (2002) — Sports (Golf)
- Jasraj (1990) — Music
- Shiv Kumar (2019) — Literature
- Gulzar (2002) — Literature/Film
Padma Shri — Many recipients from Rajasthan in fields of art, literature, social service, trade, medicine, etc.
2. Bharat Ratna
Highest civilian award in India:
- Conferred by: President of India
- First recipients: C. Rajagopalachari, Sardar Patel, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, etc.
- Recent recipients:
- Lata Mangeshkar (2001) — music
- Jawaharlal Nehru (posthumous, 1955)
- Amartya Sen (1999) — Economics
- M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998) — music
- Abdul Kalam (1997) — Science
- Amrita Pritam (not a Bharat Ratna — only Padma Vibhushan)
3. Rajasthan Ratna
State’s highest civilian honour:
- Established: 2012 (under Vasundhara Raje’s government)
- Conferred by: Chief Minister of Rajasthan
- Recipients:
- Mohan Singh (2012) — poet, writer (born in Jaipur)
- Gulzar (2012) — lyricist, writer
- Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (posthumous, 2012) — former Vice President of India
- Deen Dayal Upadhyay (posthumous) — Jan Sangh leader
- M. S. Swaminathan (agricultural scientist)
- Mohan Singh — posthumously (literature)
- Vijay Singh (golf)
- Deen Dayal Upadhyay — also posthumous
- Mohan Kumar: Various
4. Arjuna Award
For excellence in sports:
- Established: 1961
- Conferred by: President of India
- Rajasthani recipients:
- Vijay Singh (Golf, 1986)
- Mahesh Singh (Shooting)
- Sakshi Malik (Judo, 2016 — first Indian woman to win Olympic medal in judo)
- Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling, 2023 — also nominated for Arjuna 2023)
- Neeraj Chopra (Javelin, 2021 — Olympic Gold medallist, Arjuna 2018)
- Note: Neeraj Chopra is from Panipat (Haryana), not Rajasthan
5. Dadasaheb Phalke Award
India’s highest award in cinema:
- Established: 1969
- For: Lifetime achievement in Indian cinema
- Rajasthan-related recipients:
- Ashok Kumar (not from Rajasthan but worked in films set in Rajasthan)
- Jai Singh (producer)
- Mohan Singh — producer/actor
International Awards
1. Nobel Prize
Indian/South Asian Nobel Laureates:
| Laureate | Year | Field | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabindranath Tagore | 1913 | Literature | India |
| C. V. Raman | 1930 | Physics | India |
| Har Gobind Khorana | 1968 | Medicine | India-born, US |
| Mother Teresa | 1979 | Peace | Albania-born, worked in India |
| Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar | 1983 | Physics | India-born, US |
| Amartya Sen | 1998 | Economics | India |
| Venkatraman Ramakrishnan | 2009 | Chemistry | India-born, UK/US |
| Abhijit Banerjee | 2019 | Economics | India-born, US |
| Abhijit Banerjee | 2019 | Economics | India |
Nobel Peace Prize — Related to India:
- Rigoberta Menchú (Guatemala)
- Kailash Satyarthi (2014) — Indian child rights activist, shared with Malala Yousafzai
2. Bharat Ratna vs Nobel — Note
Note that Bharat Ratna is a civilian honour, not to be confused with international awards.
3. International Awards Related to India
- Oscar Award (Academy Award): Satyajit Ray won a Special Jury Award (not a competitive Oscar); Bhanu Athaiya won Oscar for Costume Design for Gandhi
- Pulitzer Prize: Indian-American journalist Sanjay Gupta (medical); also Vijay Seshadri (writing)
- UNESCO Awards: Several Indian scientists and educators have received
🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)
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Regional and State Awards
Rajasthan State Awards
1. Rajasthan Sahitya Academy Award:
- For excellence in literature in Rajasthani language
- Covers: poetry, fiction, non-fiction, criticism
2. Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy Award:
- For performing arts: music, dance, theatre
3. Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy Award:
- For visual arts: painting, sculpture
4. Rajasthan Sports Award:
- For sporting excellence
- Cash prize + certificate
Folk Artists and Awards
Padma Shri — Folk Artists from Rajasthan:
- Mohan Singh (not related to the poet) — folk singer
- Heeralal — folk theatre (Bhavai)
- Mangu Singh — folk dance (Kalbelia)
- Gopal Singh — folk music (Manganiyar)
Sports Awards — Deep Dive
Major Sports Awards in India:
| Award | For | Established |
|---|---|---|
| Arjuna Award | Sports | 1961 |
| Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna | Sports | 1991 |
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | Sports | 2022 (renamed) |
| Padma Shri | Sports (also) | 1954 |
Rajasthan’s Olympic Medalists:
- Sakshi Malik (Judo, Bronze, Rio 2016) — first Indian woman to win Olympic judo medal
- Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling, Gold at Asian Games 2018, Gold at Commonwealth 2018, 2022)
- Babitika (various)
Rajasthan’s Sports Achievement 2023-2024:
- Cricket: Rajasthan Royals (IPL) — not a direct government award
- Shooting:-chain of Indian shooters from Rajasthan
- Archery: Growing presence
Practice Questions for RPSC RAS
- Name five Bharat Ratna recipients and their fields of achievement.
- What is the Rajasthan Ratna award? Name three recipients.
- How many Indian Nobel Prize winners are there? Name them with their fields.
- What is the Arjuna Award? Name three sportspersons from Rajasthan who have received it.
- What is the difference between Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing the year of awards — always know the year with the award.
- Forgetting that Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award — some candidates confuse it with Padma Vibhushan.
- Confusing Padma awards with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — different categories (civilian vs. sports).
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