Awards, Books and Authors, Important Days

Awards

Awards are a significant part of the General Awareness section for competitive exams. They recognize excellence in various fields like literature, science, sports, cinema, and public service. Knowing about major awards, their categories, and prominent recipients can fetch you easy marks.

Major National Awards (India)

India has a rich tradition of recognizing its citizens for their outstanding contributions. The most prestigious awards are often conferred by the Government of India.

Bharat Ratna

The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. It is awarded for exceptional service towards the advancement of Indian art, literature, science, and public service. It was instituted in 1954.

• Eligibility: Any person, irrespective of race, occupation, position, or sex, is eligible for this award.
• Recipients: It is not mandatory for recipients to be Indian citizens.
• Number: The award is conferred on a restricted number of individuals each year. Maximum of three individuals can be awarded in a year.
• Notable Recipients: C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Sachin Tendulkar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee.

Padma Awards

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian awards of India. They are given in three categories:

• Padma Vibhushan: For exceptional and distinguished service.
• Padma Bhushan: For distinguished service of a high order.
• Padma Shri: For distinguished service in any field.

These awards are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. They recognize achievements in various fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.

Sahitya Akademi Award

This is an annual award given by the Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters) to writers of outstanding works in one of the 24 Indian languages recognized by the Akademi. It was instituted in 1955.

National Film Awards

These are the most prestigious film awards in India. They are presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Awards are given for Feature Films, Non-Feature Films, and Best Writing on Cinema.

Dronacharya Award

The Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India to coaches for outstanding contribution in sports coaching. It is named after Drona, the legendary guru of the Mahabharata.

Arjuna Award

The Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports competitions. It is the second highest sports award in India, after the Khel Ratna Award.

Major International Awards

Understanding major international awards is crucial as they often have global significance.

Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize is an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. It is awarded annually in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. The Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel is also awarded annually. It was established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel.

• Fields: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, Economic Sciences.
• Awarded since: 1901 (except Economics, awarded since 1969).
• Key Point: The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, while all other prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.

Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize is an American award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition. It is awarded annually by Columbia University.

Booker Prize (formerly Man Booker Prize)

The Booker Prize is a literary award given annually to the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.

Other Important Awards to Note

• Oscar Awards (Academy Awards): For excellence in cinematic achievements.
• Grammy Awards: For outstanding achievement in the music industry.
• Fields Medal: For outstanding mathematical achievement.
• Pritzker Architecture Prize: Considered the Nobel Prize of architecture.

Books and Authors

This topic covers significant literary works and their creators, spanning from ancient classics to contemporary bestsellers. It's important to know both Indian and international authors and their famous books.

Ancient and Classical Indian Literature

Ancient Indian literature forms the bedrock of Indian culture and philosophy.

• Vedas: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda (considered divine revelations, authors not attributed in the traditional sense).
• Upanishads: Philosophical texts (authors not explicitly defined, part of Vedic tradition).
• Ramayana: Valmiki
• Mahabharata: Vyasa
• Arthashastra: Kautilya (Chanakya)
• Ashtadhyayi: Panini (Sanskrit grammar)
• Puranas: Vyasa (compiled)
• Gita Govinda: Jayadeva

Medieval Indian Literature

This period saw the rise of devotional literature and regional languages.

• Gitanjali: Rabindranath Tagore (originally in Bengali, later translated to English)
• Akbarnama: Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
• Tuzuk-i-Babari (Baburnama): Babur
• Ain-i-Akbari: Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
• Ramcharitmanas: Tulsidas
• Bijak: Kabir

Modern Indian Literature (Post-1857)

This era is marked by the influence of Western education and the rise of Indian nationalism, reflected in literature.

• Ananda Math: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Contains 'Vande Mataram')
• Devdas: Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
• Godan: Munshi Premchand
• Yama: Mahadevi Verma
• The Guide: R.K. Narayan
• Malgudi Days: R.K. Narayan
• Train to Pakistan: Khushwant Singh
• Midnight's Children: Salman Rushdie (Booker Prize winner)
• The God of Small Things: Arundhati Roy (Booker Prize winner)
• A Suitable Boy: Vikram Seth
• White Tiger: Aravind Adiga (Booker Prize winner)
• Ignited Minds: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
• Wings of Fire: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Autobiography)
• My Experiments with Truth: Mahatma Gandhi (Autobiography)
• Discovery of India: Jawaharlal Nehru
• My India, My Pride: Kuldip Nayar
• The Argumentative Indian: Amartya Sen
• India After Gandhi: Ramachandra Guha
• The Immortals of Meluha: Amish Tripathi
• Life of Pi: Yann Martel
• Kalam: The Remarkable Journey: K.S. Sethumadhavan

Important International Books and Authors

Classics and significant works from global literature are also frequently tested.

• The Republic: Plato
• The Odyssey: Homer
• The Iliad: Homer
• Hamlet: William Shakespeare
• Romeo and Juliet: William Shakespeare
• Paradise Lost: John Milton
• Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen
• War and Peace: Leo Tolstoy
• Anna Karenina: Leo Tolstoy
• Crime and Punishment: Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Mark Twain
• The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald
• To Kill a Mockingbird: Harper Lee
• 1984: George Orwell
• Animal Farm: George Orwell
• The Old Man and the Sea: Ernest Hemingway
• Moby Dick: Herman Melville
• A Tale of Two Cities: Charles Dickens
• The Da Vinci Code: Dan Brown
• Harry Potter series: J.K. Rowling
• The Alchemist: Paulo Coelho

Important Days

Recognizing important days and their significance is a recurring theme in competitive exams. These days often highlight social causes, historical events, or international cooperation.

United Nations Observances

The United Nations designates several days to promote global awareness and action on critical issues.

• January 24: National Girl Child Day (India)
• January 30: World Leprosy Eradication Day
• February 4: World Cancer Day
• March 8: International Women's Day
• March 15: World Consumer Rights Day
• March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, World Forestry Day
• March 22: World Day for Water
• March 23: World Meteorological Day
• April 7: World Health Day
• April 18: World Heritage Day
• April 22: Earth Day
• May 1: International Labour Day (May Day)
• May 3: World Press Freedom Day
• May 11: National Technology Day (India)
• May 15: International Day of the Family
• May 21: Anti-Terrorism Day (India)
• May 31: World No Tobacco Day
• June 1: World Milk Day
• June 5: World Environment Day
• June 8: World Oceans Day
• June 14: World Blood Donor Day
• June 21: International Day of Yoga
• July 1: Doctor's Day (India), World Postal Day
• July 11: World Population Day
• August 6: Hiroshima Day
• August 9: Nagasaki Day
• August 12: International Youth Day
• August 15: Indian Independence Day
• September 5: Teacher's Day (India)
• September 8: World Literacy Day
• September 14: Hindi Diwas (India)
• September 16: World Ozone Day
• September 21: World Alzheimer's Day
• September 27: World Tourism Day
• October 1: International Day of Older Persons, World Vegetarian Day
• October 2: Gandhi Jayanti (India), International Day of Non-Violence
• October 4: World Animal Day
• October 8: Indian Air Force Day
• October 9: World Post Day
• October 10: World Mental Health Day
• October 11: International Day of the Girl Child
• October 13: International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
• October 15: World Students Day (India)
• October 16: World Food Day
• October 24: United Nations Day, World Development Information Day
• October 31: National Unity Day (India - Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, celebrating Sardar Patel's birth anniversary)
• November 7: National Cancer Awareness Day (India)
• November 9: World Services Day
• November 14: Children's Day (India)
• November 19: World Toilet Day
• November 20: Universal Children's Day
• November 21: World Television Day
• November 26: Constitution Day (India)
• December 1: World AIDS Day
• December 4: Indian Navy Day
• December 7: Armed Forces Flag Day (India)
• December 10: Human Rights Day
• December 11: International Mountain Day
• December 14: National Energy Conservation Day (India)
• December 16: Vijay Diwas (India)
• December 22: National Mathematics Day (India - celebrating Ramanujan's birthday)
• December 23: Kisan Diwas (Farmer's Day - India)

Other Important Days

• January 1: New Year's Day
• January 12: National Youth Day (India - Swami Vivekananda's birthday)
• January 15: Army Day (India)
• January 26: Republic Day (India)
• February 13: Sarojini Naidu's Birthday
• February 28: National Science Day (India)
• April 1: Odisha Day, Fool's Day
• April 24: Panchayati Raj Day (India)
• May 4: Coal Miner's Day
• June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
• July 26: Kargil Vijay Diwas (India)
• August 1: World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7)
• August 29: National Sports Day (India - Major Dhyan Chand's birthday)
• September 1: National Nutrition Week (September 1-7)
• September 29: World Heart Day
• October 14: Indian Air Force Day
• November 5: World Tsunami Awareness Day
• November 10: World Science Day for Peace and Development
• December 18: Minorities Rights Day (India)
• December 29: International Biodiversity Day