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National Awards in India

As the name suggests, the national awards of India are awarded by the
Govt. of India to people for their exceptional service or performance in
different fields irrespective of their age, caste, occupation, religion, etc.
These awards are divided into different categories that include Civilian
Awards, Gallantry awards, Sports awards, Literature awards, and Peace
and leadership awards.

1. Civilian Awards
2. Gallantry Awards
3. National Sports Awards in India
4. Literary Awards in India

1. Civilian Awards:
These awards are further divided into four types:

1. Bharat Ratna
2. Padma Vibhushan
3. Padma Bhushan
4. Padma Shri

i) Bharat Ratna:
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 It the most prestigious civilian award in India given in the field of art,
literature, science, and public services for exceptional service or
performance of the highest order. However, from December 2011
onwards, it was also started being given in any field of human endeavour.
Accordingly, the sports category was also included. Thus Sachin
Tendulkar became eligible and got the Bharat Ratna and became the
youngest receiver and first sportsperson to receive this award.

There is no official process to nominate people for this award. It is the

Prime Minister of India who has the authority to nominate and
recommend the name of people to the President of India. However, only
three names can be nominated for this award by the Prime Minister
without any discrimination based on race, position, occupation, etc.

It was introduced on 2 January 1954 by Rajendra Prasad, the then prime

minister of India. In the beginning, only the living people were being
nominated for this award. Later it was also started being given
posthumously and Shri. Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first person to be
awarded Bharat Ratna after death (posthumously).

Design of Bharat Ratna:

It looks like a people leaf, which is made of toned bronze. It measures 5.8
cm in length, 4.7 cm in breadth, and has a thickness of 3.3 mm. The front
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 side of this medal displays the words "Bharat Ratna" which are written in
devnagri (Hindi) language, and it is also embossed with an image of the
sun that measures 1.6 cm in diameter. On its opposite side, you can see
the state emblem and motto. The rim, sun, and emblem of India are
made up of platinum. The medal is worn around the neck while it is
awarded to a recipient, so a two-inch ribbon is attached to the medal.

The first recipients to receive Bharat Ratna include C. Rajagopalachari (a

politician), Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman (a scientist), and Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan (a philosopher).

ii) Padma Vibhushan:

It is the second-highest civilian award in India, introduced on 2 January

1954. It is given for extraordinary performance or service in the areas of
art, science, public service, including the services of employees of the
government sector.

Design of Padma Vibhushan:

This circular-shaped award is made of bronze. Its diameter is 4.4 cm,

with a thickness of 0.6 mm. The medal has a geometric pattern. The
word Padma is printed on its front side in devnagri script (Hindi) on the
upper portion, and the word "Vibhushan" is marked on the lower portion
on the front side. There is a lotus flower between these two words in the
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 centre. On its reverse side, you can see the national emblem on which
"Satya Meva Jayate" has been imprinted. The inscriptions, geometric
pattern, and boundaries are made up of bronze, whereas the rest of the
embossing is made up of white gold. A dark purple coloured ribbon is
attached to the award as it is also worn around the neck.

iii) Padma Bhushan:

Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award conferred by Indian

Govt. for exceptional services in any field.

Design of Padma Bhushan:

It is also a circular-shaped award which is made of bronze. A lotus flower

with the word "Padma Bhusan" has been imprinted on its front side in the
Hindi language. Whereas, on the backside, the national emblem and the
words "Satya Meva Jayate" have been imprinted. It is provided with a
white striped purple ribbon. Besides this, burnished bronze is used in the
making of words, geometric pattern, and the border, while the rest of the
medal is made of yellow gold.

iv) Padma Shri:

Last but not least, it is the fourth-highest civilian honour conferred by the
government for excellent services or performance of the highest order in
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 any field.

Design of Padma Shri:

In this medal, the geometric pattern is given on both sides of the medal,
which makes it different from the other Padma medals. On its front side,
one can see the words "Padma Shri" and a lotus flower carved on it.
However, on its reverse side, the national emblem has been carved out.
As it is worn around the neck, a white-grey striped purple coloured
ribbon is attached to it.

2) Gallantry Awards:
The awards in this category belong to Indian soldiers. These awards are
conferred to Indian soldiers for their exceptional valor, dignity, courage,
and sacrifice. Initially, there were only three gallantry awards: Param Vir
Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra that were introduced by the
government on 26 January 1950. Afterwards, the Govt. of India
introduced few more gallantry awards on 4 January 1952, which include
Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Ashoka Chakra Class II, Ashoka Chakra III,
however, In January 1967 these awards were renamed the Ashoka
Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, and the Shaurya Chakra, respectively.

The Gallantry Awards are divided into two categories: War Time Gallantry
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 Awards and Peace Time Gallantry Awards.

War-Time Gallantry Awards:

These awards are instituted for the Indian soldiers who show exceptional
valor, courage in the war while fighting the enemy. These awards can be
of the following types:

i) Param Vir Chakra:

It is the most renowned war-time gallantry award presented to a solider

for showing outstanding fighting skills, and courage on the battlefield.
This award was introduced on 26th January 1950. The word "Param Vir
Chakra' means "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave."

Design of Param Vir Chakra:

Savitri Bai Khanolankar has designed the Param Vir Chakra. It is made of
bronze and is in the form of a circle with a diameter of 1.4 inches. The
award suspends from a bar. On the front side, it carries four replicas of
Indra's Vajra, which encloses the national emblem. On the backside, it
has the words "PARAM VIR CHAKRA" embossed in Hindi and English
languages. Between the Hindi and English words, one can see a lotus
flower on each side. Major Somnath Sharma was the first army personal
to receive the Param Vir Chakra in 1947. He received this award
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 posthumously (after death) for his act of bravery in the Kashmir battle in
November 1947.

ii) Maha Vir Chakra:

It is the second most prestigious war-time gallantry award. It is awarded

to Indian soldiers and officers for their enthusiasm and act of courage
while facing or fighting the enemy in the war, whether on land, sea or in
the air.

Design of Maha Vir Chakra:

The award is made from standard silver and is circular in shape with a
diameter of 1.4 inches. On the front side, a five-pointed heraldic star is
imprinted, and the state emblem with the motto is embossed on the
domed central-piece. On its opposite side, "MAHA VIR CHAKRA" is
written in two different languages (Hindi and English). The words in Hindi
are separated from the words in English by lotus flowers. The medal is
provided with a ribbon, which is half-white and half-orange.

iii) Vir Chakra:

It is the third-highest war-time gallantry award presented to soldiers and

army officers for the act of bravery while facing or fighting the enemy in
the land, sea, or in the air.
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 Design of Vir Chakra:

Like other gallantry awards, it also has a circular shape with a diameter of
1.4 inches. It is made of standard silver and has two sides like other
awards; on the front side, you can see a five-pointed heraldic star and
the state emblem along with motto at the centre, whereas, on the reverse
side, there are two words "VIR CHAKRA" written in Hindi and English and
separated by a flower on each side. The medal comes with a ribbon,
which is blue and half-orange in colour.

Peace-time Gallantry Awards:

As the name suggests, this category of gallantry awards are awarded to

Indian military personals for courageous action or self-sacrifice during
the non-war time or away from the battlefield. These awards are of the
following types:

i) Ashoka Chakra:

It is the most prestigious peacetime gallantry award that is awarded to a

soldier or army officers for their outstanding valor, courage, and self-
sacrifice away from the battlefield. However, a civilian can also be
considered eligible to receive this award for his or her selfless courage
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 and self-sacrifice for the country.

Design of Ashoka Chakra:

The design of the Ashoka Chakra is very appealing. It is made in the form
of a circle whose diameter is 1.4 inches. On the front side, it has a replica
of Ashoka Chakra encircled by a lotus garland. On the rear side, the
words "Ashoka Chakra" are imprinted in English, and Hindi language and
a lotus flower are imprinted between them on each side.

The medal is provided with a dark-green silk riband of width 3.2 cm. An
orange vertical line divides the riband into two equal parts. It is worn on
the left side of the chest along with other medals, if any. The first army
personal to receive this honor was from the Indian air force, Flt. Lt. Suhas
Biswas in 1952.

ii) Kirti Chakra:

It is the second-highest peacetime gallantry award presented to an army

personal for an exceptional act of bravery, courage, and self-sacrifice.
Civilians can also be nominated for this award.
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 Design of Kirti Chakra:

Its shape is like a circle whose diameter is 1.38 inches. It is made of silver
and has rims on both sides. A copy of Ashoka Chakra enclosed by a lotus
wreath is present in the centre of the front side of this award. On the
backside, it is imprinted with words "Kirti Chakra" in English and Hindi.
The words are separated by a lotus flower on each side. The medal is
provided with a green riband that measures 3.2 cm in width. Two orange
vertical lines divide the riband into three equal parts. Like other medals, it
is also worn on the left side of the body.

iii) Shaurya Chakra:

It is the third most prestigious peacetime gallantry award that can be

awarded to an army personal as well as to a civilian for an act of bravery
or self-sacrifice during peacetime or away from the battleground.

Design of Shaurya Chakra:

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 It is also circular in shape with a diameter of 1.4 cm. It is made of bronze
with a front side similar to Ashoka Chakra and backside imprinted with
"Shaurya Chakra" in Hindi and English and separated by lotus flowers. It
is worn on the left side of the chest as it is provided with a 3.2 cm wide
riband that is divided into four equal parts by three orange vertical lines.

3) National Sports Awards in India:

As the name suggests, these awards are presented to sportsmen for
their outstanding performance and excellence in sports. They are
national-level sports awards given by Indian Govt. each year. The most
renowned national sports awards are described as follows:

i) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award:

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 It is the most prestigious national sports award that a sportsperson can
get from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India. This award is
named after the late Prime Minister of India, Sh. Rajiv Gandhi to honour
him. It was introduced in 1991 in order to appreciate and boost the
morale of the sportspersons in India. The recipient of this award gets a
cash prize, a medal, and a certificate.

The famous chess player, Vishwanathan Anand became the first

sportsman to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for his
performance and achievements in chess from the year 1992 to 1993.
The first sportswoman to receive this award is Karnam Malleswari in
weightlifting. Besides this, Sachin Tendulkar received this award in 1998
for Cricket, and the other cricketers to receive this award are M.S. Dhoni
in 2008 and Viral Kohli in 2018.

ii) Arjuna Award:

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 Arjuna Award was introduced in the year 1961, which makes it the oldest
national sports award in India. It is conferred by the Ministry of Youth
Affairs to sportspersons who have consistently given outstanding
performances for at least four years in a row in national and international
games.

The award is named after Arjuna, a famous archer in the Mahabharata.

The awardee gets a bronze statue of Arjuna and a certificate along with a
cash prize. There are a total of six first recipients of the Arjuna award in
1961, namely Saleem Durrani in Cricket, Sarabjeet Singh in Basketball,
Manuel Aaron in Chess, Gurucharan Singh Randhawa in Athletics, Nandu
Natekar in Badminton, and LB D'souza in Boxing.

iii) Dronacharya Award:

This award is not for the players. It is for the coaches who train and
prepare and guide the players to achieve big in sports. Dronacharya
Award was introduced in 1985 by the Indian Govt. It is named after
"Dronacharya," who was the teacher of Pandavas in Mahabharata. It is
awarded to coaches for their efforts, training, and guidance in producing
medal winners for the country in national and international level sports
events such as the Olympics, commonwealth games, etc.

In this award, the recipient gets a statue of Dronacharya, which is made

of bronze, a scroll, a ceremonial dress, and a cash prize. The first
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 recipients of the Dronocharya award in 1985 include Bhalachandra
Bhaskar Bhagwat (a wrestling coach); O.M. Nambiar (an Athletic coach),
Om Prakash Bhardwaj (Boxing coach). Furthermore, the first foreign
coach in India who received the Dronacharya award is B.I. Fernandez.

IV) Dhyan Chand Award:

It is the most prestigious sporting award that is conferred annually by the

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for lifetime achievement. In 2002 the
award was named after the Dhyan Chand, a hockey legend of India who
scored more than 1000 goals in his hockey career of 20 years. This prize
comprises a shield, a certificate, and a cash prize. The first recipient of
the Dhyan Chand Award is Aparna Ghosh in the field of Basketball. The
awardee for this award are selected after considering their contribution
to sports during their sport career and after their retirement.

4) Literary Awards in India:

Literary Awards, as the name suggests, are presented to Indian writers to
recognize and appreciate their great work of literature and their
contribution to the upliftment of the literature in India. It is a great
initiative to promote literature and highlight the achievements of writers
in literature. The literature work should be in an officially recognized
language of India, including the English. There are many literary awards
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 in India that are as follows:

i) Jnanpith Award:

It is the most renowned literary award in India. It is also known as

Gyanpeeth Award. It was introduced in 1961 and was awarded by the
Gyanpeeth Trust to Indian writers for their outstanding work and
contribution to literature in any of the recognized languages of India. The
awardee gets a bronze made statue of Goddess Saraswati along with a
cash prize. The first writer to receive the Jnanpith Award is Sankara
Kurup for his Malayalam poem collections "Otakuzhai" in 1965. The
award is not presented for a single piece of writing; the nominees are
selected based on their lifetime achievements.

ii) Sahitya Akademi Fellowship:

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 It is the second most renowned literary award in India for the Indian
writers for their immortal literature work in any officially recognized
language of India. It was introduced in 1968 and is conferred by the
National Academy of Letters of Govt. of India, the Sahitya Akademi. In
this award, the Akademi elects the awardee as its fellow. The first
recipient of Sahitya Akademi Fellowship was Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, a statesman, and philosopher.

iii) Sahitya Akademi Award:

It is the third most renowned literary award in India in the field of

literature. It is also conferred by Sahitya Akademi that instituted it in 1954
to recognize and honour the writers for their work of literary merit in any
of the officially recognized languages of India. The awardee gets a box
containing a copper plaque and a shawl, including a cash prize.
Makhanlal Chaturvedi is the first recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award
for his book "Him Tarangini" in 1955.
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