International Awards
Delhi Police & SSC Exams – GK Section
Introduction
International awards recognize outstanding contributions worldwide in peace, literature, science, cinema, journalism, and human welfare.
These awards are common topics in competitive exams.
Mnemonic: N–O–P–B–M–T–R–F–A → Nobel, Oscar, Pulitzer, Booker, Magsaysay, Templeton, Right Livelihood, Fields, Abel.
Think: “Nine Outstanding People Bring Meaningful Talent, Recognition, Fame & Achievement!”
Nobel Prize
- Founded By: Alfred Bernhard Nobel (Sweden, 1895)
- First Awarded: 1901
- Categories: Peace, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economics
- Prize Given In: Stockholm (Sweden), except Peace Prize (Oslo, Norway)
Indian Nobel Laureates
| Name | Field | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rabindranath Tagore | Literature (Gitanjali) | 1913 |
| C.V. Raman | Physics | 1930 |
| Mother Teresa | Peace | 1979 |
| Amartya Sen | Economics | 1998 |
| Kailash Satyarthi | Peace | 2014 |
| Abhijit Banerjee | Economics | 2019 |
Mnemonic: Tagore Read Poems, Raman Played, Teresa Served, Sen Studied, Satyarthi Saved, Banerjee Balanced!
Oscar Awards (Academy Awards)
- Established: 1929
- Given By: Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (USA)
- Field: Cinema (Best Film, Actor/Actress, Director, Music)
- Award Trophy: Golden statuette (“Oscar”)
Mnemonic: Oscar – On Screen Cinema Achievement Recognition.
Pulitzer Prize
- Established: 1917
- Founded By: Joseph Pulitzer
- Given By: Columbia University, USA
- Field: Journalism, Literature, Music
- Frequency: Annual
Mnemonic: Pulitzer – Press, Pen & Pictures Prize.
Booker Prize
- Established: 1969
- Given For: Best original English-language novel published in UK/Ireland
- Administered By: Booker Prize Foundation, UK
| Winner | Book | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Arundhati Roy | The God of Small Things | 1997 |
| Kiran Desai | The Inheritance of Loss | 2006 |
| Aravind Adiga | The White Tiger | 2008 |
| Salman Rushdie | Midnight’s Children | 1981 / 1993 |
Mnemonic: Roy, Desai & Adiga Booked the Booker!
Ramon Magsaysay Award
- Named After: Ramon Magsaysay (Philippines President)
- Established: 1957
- Given For: Public service, peace, community work
- Known As: “Asian Nobel Prize”
| Name | Year | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Vinoba Bhave | 1958 | Community Leadership |
| Mother Teresa | 1962 | Peace |
| Kiran Bedi | 1994 | Government Service |
| Aruna Roy | 2000 | Social Activism |
| Ravish Kumar | 2019 | Journalism |
Mnemonic: Magsaysay – Model Asians for Service & Society.
Templeton Prize
- Established: 1972
- Given For: Progress in religion, spirituality, or purpose
- Prize Amount: Usually larger than Nobel Prize
Mnemonic: Templeton – Thinkers of Theology & Truth.
Right Livelihood Award
- Established: 1980
- Given For: Environment, human rights, sustainable development
- Also Called: “Alternative Nobel Prize”
Mnemonic: Right Livelihood – Real Life for Right Cause.
Fields Medal
- Established: 1936
- Given By: International Mathematical Union (IMU)
- Field: Mathematics
- Frequency: Every 4 years
- Known As: “Nobel Prize of Mathematics”
Mnemonic: Fields Medal – Figures & Formulas Fame.
Abel Prize
- Established: 2001
- Given By: Government of Norway
- Field: Mathematics (Nobel doesn't include Math)
- Frequency: Annual, ≈ 1 million USD
Mnemonic: Abel Award – Advanced Brain Excellence in Logic.
Summary Table – International Awards
| Award | Field | Country / Founder | Indian Winners (Examples) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize | Peace, Literature, Science, Economics | Alfred Nobel (Sweden) | Tagore, Raman, Teresa, Sen, Satyarthi, Banerjee |
| Oscar Awards | Cinema | USA (AMPAS) | A.R. Rahman, Bhanu Athaiya |
| Pulitzer Prize | Journalism, Literature | USA (Columbia Univ.) | Gobind Behari Lal |
| Booker Prize | English novels | UK | Roy, Desai, Adiga |
| Ramon Magsaysay Award | Social Service | Philippines | Vinoba Bhave, Ravish Kumar |
| Templeton Prize | Spiritual Progress | UK | Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama |
| Right Livelihood Award | Human Rights, Environment | Sweden | Medha Patkar, Vandana Shiva |
| Fields Medal | Mathematics | IMU (Global) | Manjul Bhargava |
| Abel Prize | Mathematics | Norway Govt. | — |
Mnemonic: Noble Oscars Publish Books Making Thoughtful Right Formulas Always.
(Nobel, Oscar, Pulitzer, Booker, Magsaysay, Templeton, Right Livelihood, Fields, Abel)
PYQs – International Awards (Delhi Police, SSC)
Who founded the Nobel Prize?
A) Alfred Nobel B) Joseph Pulitzer C) Ramon Magsaysay D) John Templeton
Show Answer
A) Alfred Nobel
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in —
A) Sweden B) Norway C) UK D) USA
Show Answer
B) Norway
Who was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize?
A) C.V. Raman B) Rabindranath Tagore C) Mother Teresa D) Amartya Sen
Show Answer
B) Rabindranath Tagore (1913)
The Oscar Awards are related to —
A) Literature B) Cinema C) Science D) Peace
Show Answer
B) Cinema
The Pulitzer Prize is given for —
A) Peace B) Sports C) Journalism and Literature D) Invention
Show Answer
C) Journalism and Literature
The Booker Prize is given in the field of —
A) Science B) Literature C) Films D) Mathematics
Show Answer
B) Literature
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often called —
A) The Asian Nobel Prize B) The Peace Prize of Europe C) The Literary Award of Asia D) The Global Service Medal
Show Answer
A) The Asian Nobel Prize
Who among the following won the Fields Medal?
A) Manjul Bhargava B) Amartya Sen C) Kailash Satyarthi D) Vandana Shiva
Show Answer
A) Manjul Bhargava
The Templeton Prize is associated with —
A) Sports B) Mathematics C) Spirituality D) Journalism
Show Answer
C) Spirituality
The Right Livelihood Award is also known as —
A) Alternative Nobel Prize B) Asian Nobel Prize C) Nobel for Peace D) Global Literary Prize
Show Answer
A) Alternative Nobel Prize
Quick Revision – One-Line Memory
| Award | Field | Keyword Hint |
|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize | Peace, Science, Literature | World’s top honor |
| Oscar | Film / Cinema | Golden Statuette |
| Pulitzer | Journalism | Reporting & Literature |
| Booker | English Novels | Literary Excellence |
| Magsaysay | Social Service | Asian Nobel Prize |
| Templeton | Religion | Spiritual Progress |
| Right Livelihood | Humanity | Alternative Nobel |
| Fields Medal | Mathematics | Nobel of Math |
| Abel Prize | Mathematics | Norwegian Math Award |
Mnemonic: Noble Oscars Publish Books Making Thoughtful Right Formulas Always.
Final Concept Recap
- Nobel Prize – Most prestigious award worldwide (6 disciplines)
- Oscar – Excellence in cinema
- Pulitzer – Journalism & Literature
- Booker – English-language fiction
- Magsaysay – Asian Nobel for public service
- Templeton – Religious and spiritual progress
- Right Livelihood – Human rights and environment
- Fields Medal / Abel Prize – Mathematics
From Nobel Peace to Fields Math — global awards honor knowledge, service, and humanity.
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