1. Bharat Ratna-
- Bharat Ratna: It is the highest civilian award of India.
- The award was given for outstanding achievements in the Arts, Literature, Science and Public Services but the government expanded the criteria to include “any field of human endeavor”.
- The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
Important facts about Bharat Ratna:
- First recipient was C. Rajagopalchari
- Highest civilian award of India
- Presented by the Government of India.
- Presented for exceptional public service and rarest achievements in the field of art, literature and science.
- Instituted in 1954
2. Padma Awards
Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards are for exceptional and distinguished service in any field including service rendered by Government servants.
Important facts about Padma Awards:
- Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in India.
- For distinguished services in any field including Government service.
- Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree are the other important civilian awards.
3. Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize is widely regarded as the most prestigious award available in the fields of literature, medicine, physics, chemistry, peace, and economics.
Important facts about Nobel Prize:
- Most coveted international award of the world.
- Instituted by Alfred Bernard Nobel (inventor of dynamite).
- The award is giver on December 10 (death anniversary of Alfred Bernard Nobel).
- Apart from Economics, all other categories have been given since 1901.
- Economics Nobel Prize was instituted in 1967 and was first given in 1969
4. Booker Prize
It is an annual award for the best original novel, written in the English language, and published in the UK literary award.
Important facts about Booker Prize:
- Highest literary award to authors of British, Irish and Commonwealth countries
- Instituted in 1968 by the Booker Company and the British Publishers Association along the lines of Pulitzer Prize of US.
- Renamed as Man Booker Prize, as the sponsorship has been taken over by the Man Group, an international stockbroker.
5. Vyas Samman
Vyas Samman is awarded annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation in recognition of the Hindi literary work published in past 10 years.
Important facts about Vyas Samman:
- Instituted in 1992 by the K.K. Birla Foundation
- For outstanding contribution to Hindi literature.
6. Oscar Awards
This is an annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry.
Important facts about Oscar Awards:
- Instituted in 1929
- Conferred annually by the Academy of Motion Pictures in USA.
- The first Indian to get an Oscar was Bhanu Athaiya for the movie ‘Gandhi’.
- Satyajit Ray was the first Indian awarded Oscar for lifetime achievements in cinema in 1992.
7. Moorti Devi Award
The Moortidevi Award is an annual literary award in India presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith organization for a work which emphasizes Indian philosophy and culture.
8. Saraswati Samman
The award was instituted in 1991 by the K. K. Birla Foundation. It is an annual award given for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any 22 Indian languages.
9. Jnanpith Award
- The award was instituted in 1961 and it is It is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain family, the publishers of the newspaper The Times of India.
- It is an annual award given for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any 22 Indian languages.
10. Bihari Puraskar
Bihari Puraskar is a literary award instituted by K. K. Birla Foundation. The award is named after the famous Hindi poet Bihari and is awarded to an outstanding work published in Hindi or Rajasthani by a Rajasthani writer.
11. Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Cinema/Films
- The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema.
- It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
12. Arjun Award
The Government has modified the format of Arjuna Award very recently and as per the revised schematic guidelines a sports person must have very good consistent performances for the previous 3 years at the international level to be considered as eligible for the Award. Arjuna Award for the outstanding performance from the sports persons in Sports and Games.
Important facts about Arjuna Award:
- Instituted in 1961
- Given by Sports Ministry, Government of India.
- These are given for the special achievements in different types of sports.
13. Dronacharya Award
The award is named after the very famous archery coach, mentioned in the epic of India known as the Mahabharata. This very award is not related with the sports persons who are still playing in the field; instead this is related to those eminent coaches of any particular sport.
Important facts about Dronacharya Award:
- Instituted in 1985.
- Given by Sports Ministry, Government of India.
- These are given to sports coaches.
14. UNESCO Peace Prize
Presented by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) For extraordinary contributions for international peace.
15. Right Livelihood Award
- Right Livelihood Award is given in the fields of Environment and Social Justice.
- Instituted in 1980 by the Right Livelihood Society, London.
- Known as alternate Nobel Award
- To promote and contribute in the fields of Environment and Social Justice.
16. UNESCO Human Rights Award
- Given in field of Human Rights Awareness.
- Presented by UNESCO For contributions in the field of Human Rights Awareness.
- Given every alternate year.
17. UN Human Rights Award
- Presented by UN for personal contribution for the cause of human rights.
- It is presented every sixth year.
18. World Food Prize
Presented by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) For the cause of agriculture and food development.
19. Dhyan Chand Award
The award that is given to the veteran sportspersons of India for their lifetime achievement in their respective field of sport is named as the Dhyan Chand Award for Life Time Achievement in Sports and Games.
20. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
- The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the highest honour bestowed to a sports person for his/her achievements in India.
- It was instituted in 1992
- Presented for commendable display by the players.
21. Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture.
22. Aga Khan Award
- The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977.
- It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Islamic societies in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community development and improvement.
23. Pritzker Prize
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually “to honor a living architect.
24. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB) is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and Physics.
25. Kalinga Prize
The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people.
26. Grammy Award
A Grammy Award, or Grammy, is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry.
27. Abel Prize
The Abel Prize is an international prize awarded annually by the Government of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians.
28. Mahatma Gandhi Peace prize
- This award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards Social, Economic and Political Revolution through non-violence and Gandhian Philosophy. The award carries Rs. 10 million in cash.
- Instituted in 1995 by Government of India.
- It is presented for international peace on the lines of Nobel Prize.
29. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award
- This is for Excellence in Public Administration,Academics and Management.
- Instituted in 1965 by the Government of India.
- Given annually to persons for outstanding contributions to international understanding and goodwill among the people of the world.
30. Gallantry Awards
- Param Vir Chakra: It is India’s highest award for bravery.
- Mahavir Chakra: It is the second highest gallantry award.
- Vir Chakra: It is the third highest gallantry award.
- Ashok Chakra: It is the highest peace-time gallantry award
31. Dhanvantri Award
These awards are given for the extra ordinary performance in medical sciences.
32. R.D. Birla Award – Given in the field of medical sciences.
33. Bhartiya Jnanpeeth Awards
- Instituted in 1965
- Given for distinguished works in any recognized language by a scholar.
34. Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding
- Instituted in 1965 by the Government of India.
- Given annually to persons for outstanding contributions to international understanding and goodwill among the people of the world.
35. Magsaysay Awards
- Instituted in 1957 and named after Ramon Magsaysay, the former President of Philippines.
- This award is given annually on August 31
- Award is given for outstanding contributions to public service, community leadership, journalism, literature and creative arts and international understanding.
- Regarded as the Nobel Prize of Asia.
