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Awards & Honours

SBI PO · General Awareness

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Core Concept

Read this first — the foundation of the topic

→CORE CONCEPT

Awards are official recognitions given to individuals for exceptional service, bravery, or achievements. In India, awards are classified into four main categories: Civilian Honours (like Bharat Ratna), Military Decorations (like Param Veer Chakra), Sports Awards (like Khel Ratna), and International Awards (like Nobel Prize)

💡KEY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Indian civilian awards follow a hierarchy - Bharat Ratna (highest), followed by Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. Military awards also have hierarchy - Param Veer Chakra (highest gallantry), Maha Veer Chakra, and Veer Chakra for wartime; Ashoka Chakra (highest peacetime), Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra for peacetime bravery.

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

⚡SHORTCUT FORMULA 1 - CIVILIAN AWARDS HIERARCHY

Remember 'B-P-V-B-S' (Bharat Ratna - Padma Vibhushan - Padma Bhushan - Padma Shri)

→Maximum numbers allowed per year

Bharat Ratna (3), Padma Vibhushan (12), Padma Bhushan (25), Padma Shri (125)

✏️WORKED EXAMPLE 1

1

Identify the person - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a scientist and former President

2

Check timeline - 1997 was before he became President (2002-2007)

3

Apply logic - Being a renowned scientist, he would receive highest civilian honour

4

Answer - Bharat Ratna in 1997 for his contributions to science and technology SHORTCUT FORMULA 2 - SPORTS AWARDS HIERARCHY: Remember 'K-A-D-R' (Khel Ratna - Arjuna - Dronacharya - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna)

→Prize money

Khel Ratna (₹25 lakh), Arjuna (₹15 lakh), Dronacharya (₹15 lakh)

✏️WORKED EXAMPLE 2

1

Identify award category - Param Veer Chakra contains 'Veer' (brave)

2

Apply military award logic - 'Param' means highest

3

Connect to service type - Military gallantry award

4

Specify condition - Highest gallantry award for wartime bravery

5

Answer - Exceptional acts of valor during wartime SHORTCUT TRICK 3 - NOBEL PRIZE MEMORY: Remember '6 CATEGORIES' - Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace, Economics. Economics was added later in 1968

→Indians who won

Raman (Physics), Har Gobind Khorana (Medicine), Mother Teresa (Peace), Amartya Sen (Economics), Kailash Satyarthi (Peace)

⚠️#1 MOST COMMON TRAP

Students confuse between gallantry awards and peacetime bravery awards. Remember - Param Veer Chakra, Maha Veer Chakra, Veer Chakra are for WARTIME only. Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra are for PEACETIME bravery. Many questions specifically test this distinction

⚠️ANOTHER FREQUENT ERROR

Mixing up award amounts and maximum numbers. Bharat Ratna has no monetary reward but limited to 3 per year. Sports awards have specific cash prizes that get updated - always check recent notifications

📋EXAM SUCCESS STRATEGY

Focus on recent 2-3 years' winners, learn award hierarchies using memory tricks, and practice distinguishing between similar-sounding awards. Create a timeline chart of major award winners to visualize patterns.

🔑 Key Points

Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award with maximum 3 recipients per year
Param Veer Chakra is the highest gallantry award given only during wartime
Civilian awards hierarchy: Bharat Ratna → Padma Vibhushan → Padma Bhushan → Padma Shri
Memory trick - Military wartime awards contain 'Veer', peacetime awards have 'Chakra'
Khel Ratna (₹25 lakh) is highest sports award, renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021
Nobel Prize has 6 categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace, Economics
Ashoka Chakra is the highest peacetime gallantry award equivalent to Param Veer Chakra
Formula: Sports awards hierarchy K-A-D (Khel Ratna-Arjuna-Dronacharya) with decreasing prize money
Bharat Ratna recipients include 3 non-Indians: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela
Recent award winners (last 2-3 years) are high-priority for SSC CGL questions

📌 Exam Facts

Bharat Ratna was instituted on 2nd January 1954
Param Veer Chakra carries a cash prize of ₹20 lakh since 2017
C.V. Raman was the first Indian to win Nobel Prize in Science (Physics, 1930)
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award carries ₹25 lakh cash prize
Ashoka Chakra is made of gold gilt and has a purple ribbon
Padma Awards are announced on Republic Day (26th January) every year
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first recipient of Bharat Ratna in 1954
Dronacharya Award was instituted in 1985 for coaches in sports

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: Bharat Ratna (3 max/year) → Padma Vibhushan (12) → Padma Bhushan (25) → Padma Shri (125)
Formula: Wartime gallantry has 'Veer', peacetime gallantry has 'Chakra' in names
Trap: Param Veer Chakra is WARTIME only, Ashoka Chakra is PEACETIME highest
Focus: Last 2-3 years' award winners are frequently asked in recent SSC CGL papers
Quick fact: Khel Ratna = ₹25 lakh, Arjuna/Dronacharya = ₹15 lakh each
Memory: Nobel Prize Indians - Raman, Khorana, Mother Teresa, Amartya Sen, Kailash Satyarthi
Alert: Award amounts and names get updated - check recent government notifications

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