Awards is a small topic with a big return. One question comes in almost every exam, and it always asks the same thing — which award belongs to which field. There are only about twenty awards worth knowing, so this topic can be finished completely in one sitting. This post gives you the full list grouped by field, with 15 real questions from past papers.
Key Points (Quick Revision)
- Bharat Ratna — highest civilian award, started 1954
- Param Vir Chakra — highest gallantry award (wartime)
- Ashoka Chakra — highest gallantry award (peacetime)
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna — highest sports award (renamed in 2021)
- Dadasaheb Phalke — highest film award · Jnanpith — highest literary award
1. Civilian awards
These are the highest honours given by the Government of India. They are announced on Republic Day and presented by the President.
| Award | Rank | Started |
|---|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna | Highest civilian award | 1954 |
| Padma Vibhushan | Second highest | 1954 |
| Padma Bhushan | Third highest | 1954 |
| Padma Shri | Fourth highest | 1954 |
Three facts about Bharat Ratna get asked repeatedly. The first recipients in 1954 were C Rajagopalachari, Dr S Radhakrishnan and CV Raman. Sachin Tendulkar is the only sportsperson to receive it and also its youngest recipient. And the award carries no monetary grant — the recipient receives a certificate signed by the President and a medallion.
2. Gallantry awards
These are given for bravery, and the key distinction is wartime versus peacetime.
| Wartime | Peacetime equivalent | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Param Vir Chakra | Ashoka Chakra | Highest |
| Maha Vir Chakra | Kirti Chakra | Second |
| Vir Chakra | Shaurya Chakra | Third |
Learn these as pairs, not as a single list. Exams ask the peacetime equivalent of a wartime award, or the reverse. Major Somnath Sharma was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, awarded for the 1947 Kashmir operations.
📌 Exam Focus
- Asked most often: highest award in each field — civilian, gallantry, sports, film, literature
- Common trap: Param Vir Chakra is wartime, Ashoka Chakra is peacetime — both are highest in their category
- Recent change: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021
3. Sports awards
| Award | Given for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | Highest sports honour | Renamed from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2021 |
| Arjuna Award | Outstanding performance in sports | Started 1961 |
| Dronacharya Award | Outstanding coaching | Started 1985 |
| Dhyan Chand Award | Lifetime achievement in sports | Started 2002 |
Note the confusion built into this list. There are two awards named after Dhyan Chand — the Khel Ratna, which is the highest, and the separate Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement. Chess player Viswanathan Anand was the first recipient of the Khel Ratna in 1991-92.
4. Film, literature and other awards
| Award | Field | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Cinema | Highest film award; started 1969; first recipient Devika Rani |
| Jnanpith Award | Literature | Highest literary award; started 1961 |
| Sahitya Akademi Award | Literature | For works in 24 recognised languages |
| Sangeet Natak Akademi Award | Music, dance, drama | India's national academy for performing arts |
| Bhatnagar Prize | Science and technology | For scientists under 45 |
| Vyas Samman | Hindi literature | Given by KK Birla Foundation |
| Saraswati Samman | Indian literature | Any of the 22 scheduled languages |
| Gandhi Peace Prize | Social and economic change | Started 1995 |
The Jnanpith Award is worth one extra fact: Malayalam writer G Sankara Kurup was its first recipient in 1965, for the collection Odakkuzhal.
5. How it is asked in exams — 15 PYQs
- Which is the highest civilian award of India? — Bharat Ratna (SSC CGL 2023)
- Param Vir Chakra is given for? — Highest wartime gallantry (SSC CHSL 2023)
- Which is the highest peacetime gallantry award? — Ashoka Chakra (SSC MTS 2023)
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award is given in which field? — Cinema (RRB NTPC 2024)
- Jnanpith Award is associated with? — Literature (SSC CGL 2022)
- Dronacharya Award is given to? — Sports coaches (SSC GD 2024)
- Bharat Ratna was instituted in which year? — 1954 (SSC CHSL 2024)
- Khel Ratna Award was renamed after? — Major Dhyan Chand (SSC CPO 2023)
- Who was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra? — Major Somnath Sharma (RRB Group D 2024)
- Arjuna Award is given in which field? — Sports (SSC MTS 2024)
- Which award is given to scientists under 45? — Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (SSC CGL 2024)
- Padma Vibhushan is which rank among civilian awards? — Second highest (RRB NTPC 2025)
- Who was the first woman to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award? — Devika Rani (SSC CHSL 2022)
- Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in? — 1995 (SSC GD 2023)
- Which sportsperson received the Bharat Ratna? — Sachin Tendulkar (SSC CGL 2023)
6. Quick Revision
⚡ Highest award in each field
- Civilian: Bharat Ratna
- Gallantry (war): Param Vir Chakra · (peace): Ashoka Chakra
- Sports: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
- Cinema: Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- Literature: Jnanpith Award
- Science: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
- Coaching: Dronacharya Award
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the highest civilian award of India?
Bharat Ratna, instituted in 1954. It is followed by Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri in that order. Bharat Ratna carries no cash award — the recipient receives a certificate signed by the President and a peepal-leaf shaped medallion.
What is the difference between Param Vir Chakra and Ashoka Chakra?
Both are the highest gallantry awards, but for different situations. Param Vir Chakra is given for bravery during wartime, in the presence of the enemy. Ashoka Chakra is its peacetime equivalent, given for the same level of valour away from the battlefield.
Why was the Khel Ratna Award renamed?
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021, after the hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. It remains India's highest sporting honour. Note that a separate Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement also exists.
Who received the first Bharat Ratna?
Three people received it in 1954, the year it was instituted: C Rajagopalachari, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Sir CV Raman. Sachin Tendulkar remains the only sportsperson to receive the award and is also its youngest recipient.
How many questions come from awards in exams?
Usually one question per paper in SSC and Railway exams. The pattern is almost always the same — an award is named and you identify the field, or a field is named and you identify the highest award. Since the list is short, this topic can be mastered completely.
For more Static GK lists in simple language, see our Important Days and Dates post and the Static GK section. Preparing for a specific exam? Start with the SSC MTS guide or join the 100 Hour GS Course.