Awards – Medium Level – GK Questions

Answer: False

The Maha Vir Chakra is specifically awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy. For gallantry not in the face of the enemy, the Shaurya Chakra is awarded.

Answer: album

The Grammy Award for Album of the Year honors artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in the creation of a complete album, not just individual songs or singles.

Answer: False

The Padma Awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day (January 25) and conferred by the President at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan usually in March or April, not on Independence Day.

Answer: Saraswati

The Sahitya Akademi Award plaque features an embossed image of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, and learning, symbolizing the award's dedication to literary excellence.

Answer: True

The Oscar statuette is officially called the 'Academy Award of Merit'. The nickname 'Oscar' became popular in the 1930s, though its exact origin is debated, with one theory attributing it to Margaret Herrick, the Academy's librarian.

Answer: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam received the Bharat Ratna in 1997 for his exceptional contributions to India's space and missile programs, including the development of the SLV-III and Agni missile systems.

Answer: King

The Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm is attended by the King of Sweden, who presents the prizes to laureates in the presence of the Swedish Royal Family, government officials, and distinguished guests.

Answer: False

The Dronacharya Award requires that coaches have trained sportspersons or teams who have achieved success at the international level (Olympics, World Cup, Commonwealth Games, etc.), not just national level.

Answer: Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children' won the Booker Prize in 1981 and was later selected as the 'Booker of Bookers' in 1993 and again as the 'Best of the Booker' in 2008, recognizing it as the best winner in the prize's history.

Answer: True

The Jnanpith Award can be conferred either for a specific outstanding literary work or for the author's overall contribution to Indian literature, providing flexibility in recognizing literary excellence.

Answer: Philippines

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is named after Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh President of the Philippines (1953-1957), who was known for his integrity, service to the people, and democratic ideals.

Answer: 1954

Both the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Awards (Vibhushan, Bhushan, Shri) were instituted in 1954, shortly after India became a republic, to recognize exceptional service to the nation.

Answer: True

The Pulitzer Prize for Music is awarded annually to an American composer for a distinguished musical composition of significant dimension that had its first performance in the United States during the year.

Answer: Lagaan

The Hindi sports drama 'Lagaan' (2001), directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002, becoming the third Indian film to receive this honor.

Answer: True

The Arjuna Award criteria evaluate consistent outstanding performance for the previous four years, along with excellence in the year of nomination, leadership qualities, discipline, and contribution to sports.

Answer: Daytime Emmy

The Daytime Emmy Awards, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), honor excellence in American daytime television programming, including soap operas, talk shows, and children's programs.

Answer: True

The Maha Vir Chakra is indeed India's third-highest military decoration, after the Param Vir Chakra (highest) and before the Vir Chakra. It recognizes acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy.

Answer: True

The Padma Awards can be conferred upon persons of any nationality, including foreigners, NRIs, and OCIs, for their exceptional service in various fields, though most recipients are Indian citizens.

Answer: None - Anand received it before renaming

Viswanathan Anand received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1991-92, long before its 2021 renaming. As of 2024, no chess player has received the award under its new name 'Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna'.

Answer: None - first winner was in Hindi

The first Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 was awarded to G. Sankara Kurup for his Malayalam poetry collection 'Odakkuzhal', not to a Hindi or Bengali writer. The award recognizes excellence across all 24 recognized languages.