Static GK Awards and Sports Questions for SSC CGL

Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour of India. It is awarded by the President of India and can be given to a maximum of 3 persons in a year. Originally only for arts, literature, science, and public service — sports was added as an eligible field in 2011. The award carries no monetary prize, only a citation and a peepal-leaf shaped medallion.

• First awarded in 1954 — first recipients were C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan, and C.V. Raman
• First woman to receive it: Indira Gandhi (1971)
• First sportsperson: Sachin Tendulkar (2014)
• Posthumous awards are allowed — e.g., Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966)
• Not awarded every year — can be skipped
• Mother Teresa (1980) was a naturalised Indian citizen when awarded

Padma Awards

Padma Awards are the next tier of civilian honours. There are three: Padma Vibhushan (second highest), Padma Bhushan (third highest), Padma Shri (fourth highest). Announced on Republic Day eve (January 25) each year. Awarded by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. These are NOT titles — the Supreme Court ruled they cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to names.

• Order of precedence: Padma Vibhushan > Padma Bhushan > Padma Shri
• All three were instituted in 1954 but Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan were briefly abolished (1977-1980) under Janata Party government
• Can be awarded posthumously since 1955
• Government servants are generally not eligible except doctors and scientists
• Fields covered: Art, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Work, Public Affairs, Medicine, Civil Service

Sports Awards of India

India's national sports awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports every year on National Sports Day — August 29, which is the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand. Knowing which award is highest, who gives it, and famous first winners is key for SSC CGL.

• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna: Highest sports honour, formerly called Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (renamed 2021). First recipient: Vishwanathan Anand (1991-92). Cash prize Rs 25 lakh
• Arjuna Award: For outstanding performance over 4 years. Instituted 1961. First recipient: Salim Durrani (cricket). Cash prize Rs 15 lakh
• Dronacharya Award: For coaches. Instituted 1985. Named after guru Dronacharya of Mahabharata. Cash prize Rs 15 lakh
• Dhyan Chand Award: For lifetime contribution to sports. Instituted 2002. Cash prize Rs 10 lakh
• Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: For corporate/NGO contribution to sports promotion
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: Given to best overall performing university in inter-university sports

Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize is awarded by Swedish institutions (except Peace Prize which is awarded by Norwegian Nobel Committee). Instituted in 1901 based on the will of Alfred Nobel. There are 6 categories. The Economics prize (officially Sveriges Riksbank Prize) was added in 1969 and is not part of Nobel's original will — SSC loves this distinction.

• 6 categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine/Physiology, Literature, Peace, Economics
• Physics, Chemistry, Economics: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm
• Medicine: Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
• Literature: Swedish Academy, Stockholm
• Peace: Norwegian Nobel Committee, Oslo
• First Indian Nobel: Rabindranath Tagore — Literature, 1913. Mother Teresa: Peace, 1979. Amartya Sen: Economics, 1998. Abhijit Banerjee: Economics, 2019

Major Sports Tournaments and Governing Bodies

SSC CGL frequently asks which body governs which sport and where major tournaments are hosted or headquartered. Keep a tight list of acronyms and HQ cities.

• ICC (International Cricket Council) — HQ: Dubai. Governs cricket worldwide
• FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) — HQ: Zurich, Switzerland
• IOC (International Olympic Committee) — HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland
• BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) — HQ: Mumbai
• Thomas Cup: Men's badminton team championship. Uber Cup: Women's equivalent
• Davis Cup: Men's team tennis. Fed Cup (Billie Jean King Cup): Women's team tennis
• Durand Cup: Oldest football tournament in India (1888), Asia's oldest
• Santosh Trophy: National football championship in India

International Awards

A few international awards appear repeatedly in SSC CGL GK. Focus on the field they cover and the body that gives them.

• Man Booker Prize: English language fiction, awarded by Booker Prize Foundation (UK). First Indian winner: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things, 1997
• Pulitzer Prize: US-based award for journalism and literature, given by Columbia University
• Magsaysay Award: Asia's Nobel Prize, given by Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Manila, Philippines
• Grammy Award: Music, given by Recording Academy (USA)
• Oscar (Academy Award): Films, given by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (USA)
• Golden Globe: Films and TV, given by Hollywood Foreign Press Association

• Confusing Khel Ratna with Arjuna Award — Khel Ratna is HIGHER. Many aspirants mix up the cash prize amounts too.
• Saying Nobel Economics prize was part of Alfred Nobel's original will — it was NOT, it was added in 1969 by the Swedish central bank.
• Mixing up which Nobel prizes are given in Stockholm vs Oslo — only the Peace Prize is given in Oslo, Norway. All others are Stockholm, Sweden.
• Thinking Padma awards can be used as a title — they cannot, per Supreme Court ruling. SSC has asked this as a trick statement.
• Confusing the Durand Cup (football) with Davis Cup (tennis) due to similar-sounding names.

• BR-PAD-SPORT ladder: Bharat Ratna > Padma Vibhushan > Padma Bhushan > Padma Shri. Think of it as climbing a ladder downwards from the top.
• For sports awards hierarchy use KAD: Khel Ratna (King) > Arjuna (Ace) > Dronacharya (Director/Coach) — KAD tells you the order.
• Oslo = Only Peace: The only Nobel given in Oslo is Peace. All others go to Sweden. Remember O for Oslo, O for Only Peace.
• THOMAS = Team-Hatke-Only-Men-Ace-Smash: Thomas Cup is for Men's badminton team. UBER sounds like Upar (women go Upar in Uber Cup) — Uber Cup is women's badminton.

• SSC CGL typically asks 2-3 direct questions from this area in Tier 1. Questions are usually in the form: who was the first recipient, what is the highest award, or which body gives this award.
• Recent Bharat Ratna announcements (like 2024 — Karpoori Thakur, LK Advani, PV Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, MS Swaminathan) are high-probability questions in current cycle exams.
• For sports awards, August 29 (National Sports Day, Dhyan Chand's birthday) is a frequently asked date. Also remember that the award was renamed from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna to Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021.
• International awards questions usually ask about the first Indian to win — Tagore (Nobel Literature), Arundhati Roy (Booker), Mother Teresa (Nobel Peace). Keep this list handy.
• Do not waste time memorising full lists of recent Arjuna or Padma Shri awardees — SSC rarely asks those long lists. Focus on firsts, highests, and institutional facts.