Awards & Honours
SSC GD Self-Paced Course
Awards and honours are among the most asked topics in SSC exams. Questions are usually direct and factual: • Highest civilian award of India • Nobel Prize categories • Sports awards • Gallantry awards • Important international awards This article covers all essential awards with simple explanations.
1. Bharat Ratna
Highest Civilian Award of India
Key Details:
- Started: 1954
- Given for: Exceptional service in art, literature, science, and public service
- Shape: Peepal leaf
First Recipients:
- C. Rajagopalachari
- Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
- C.V. Raman
2. Padma Awards
Second Highest Civilian Awards
Basic Information:
- Started: 1954
- Given for: Art, Social Work, Science, Literature, Sports, Medicine, Public Affairs
Three Categories:
- Padma Vibhushan – second highest
- Padma Bhushan – third highest
- Padma Shri – fourth highest
3. Gallantry Awards (India)
Wartime Gallantry Awards:
-
Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
Highest military honour
Awarded for: Bravery in presence of enemy -
Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)
Second highest gallantry award -
Vir Chakra
Third highest wartime gallantry award
Peacetime Gallantry Awards:
- Ashoka Chakra – highest in peacetime
- Kirti Chakra – second
- Shaurya Chakra – third
4. Nobel Prize (International)
Basic Information:
- Started: 1901
- Given in memory of: Alfred Nobel
Categories:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Medicine
- Literature
- Peace
- Economics (added later in 1969)
Indian Nobel Prize Winners:
- Rabindranath Tagore – Literature (1913)
- C.V. Raman – Physics (1930)
- Mother Teresa – Peace (1979)
- Amartya Sen – Economics (1998)
- Kailash Satyarthi – Peace (2014)
- Venkatraman Ramakrishnan – Chemistry (2009)
- Abhijit Banerjee – Economics (2019)
5. Jnanpith Award
Highest Literary Award of India
- Started: 1961
- Given for: Outstanding contribution to Indian literature in any language
6. Sahitya Akademi Award
- Given by: Sahitya Akademi
- Given for: Literary works in 24 languages
7. Booker Prize / Booker Award
International literary prize
Indian Winners:
- Salman Rushdie – Midnight's Children
- Arundhati Roy – God of Small Things
- Kiran Desai – The Inheritance of Loss
- Aravind Adiga – The White Tiger
8. Ramon Magsaysay Award
- Called: Asia's Nobel Prize
- Given for: Public service, leadership, community work
Indian Recipients include:
- Vinoba Bhave
- Mother Teresa
- Kiran Bedi
- Arvind Kejriwal
9. Dada Saheb Phalke Award
Highest Award in Indian Cinema
- Started: 1969
- Given by: Government of India
- Given for: Lifetime contribution to Indian cinema
10. National Film Awards
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Film
- Best Director
- Given annually by: Directorate of Film Festivals
11. Sports Awards of India
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
- Highest sports award
- Given for: Outstanding performance
Arjuna Award
- For consistent performance
Dronacharya Award
- For best coaches
Dhyan Chand Award
- For lifetime achievement
12. International Sports Awards
- Ballon d'Or – football
- Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy – cricket
- Laureus World Sports Award – international sports excellence
13. Military Decorations (India)
Service Medals:
- Sena Medal – Army
- Nausena Medal – Navy
- Vayusena Medal – Air Force
Other Medals:
- Long Service Medals
- Distinguished Service Medals
14. Civilian Awards (India)
- Bharat Ratna – highest
- Padma Vibhushan – second
- Padma Bhushan – third
- Padma Shri – fourth
15. Important Indian Awards (General)
- Bhatnagar Award – Science
- Oscar (Academy Awards) – International Cinema
- Pulitzer Prize – Journalism & Literature
- Grammy Award – Music
- Abel Prize – Mathematics
- Kalinga Prize – Science Communication
16. Bravery Awards for Children
- Given on: Republic Day
- Organized by: ICCW (Indian Council for Child Welfare)
17. UNESCO Awards
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites List
- UNESCO Peace Prize
- UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize
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