Arjuna Award — Set 7

Correct Answer: A. Rajasthan

• **Rajasthan** = It has a strong tradition of shooting, particularly among its royal families. • **Maharaja Karni Singh and Rajyavardhan Rathore** — are prominent among the many shooters from the state who have won the award. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Punjab]: While known for sports, it does not have the largest number of shooting Arjuna Awardees; [Haryana]: Primarily known for wrestling and boxing, not shooting's highest number of awardees; [Delhi]: Despite sports facilities, it is not the state with the most shooting Arjuna Awardees.

Correct Answer: A. Manuel Aaron

• **Manuel Aaron** = He was the first chess player to receive the Arjuna Award. • **1961** — He received the award, becoming the first Indian International Master and significantly popularizing chess in India. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Viswanathan Anand]: A later Grandmaster, not the first Arjuna Awardee in chess; [Humpy Koneru]: A prominent female Grandmaster, but not the first awardee; [Vidit Gujrathi]: A contemporary Grandmaster, not the first Arjuna Awardee.

Correct Answer: B. Stephie D'Souza

• **Stephie D'Souza** = She was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award for Athletics. • **1961** — She received the award for her contributions, holding national records in multiple track events and representing India in women's hockey. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [P.T. Usha]: A legendary athlete, but received the award later than Stephie D'Souza; [Shiny Wilson]: Another acclaimed athlete, but not the first woman in athletics to receive the award; [Ashwini Nachappa]: A well-known athlete, but she received the award after Stephie D'Souza.

Correct Answer: A. Maharaja Karni Singh

• **Maharaja Karni Singh** = He was the first shooter to win the Arjuna Award. • **1961** — He was honored with the award, a legendary marksman who participated in five Olympic Games. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Jaspal Rana]: A celebrated shooter, but received the award much later than Karni Singh; [Randhir Singh]: A notable shooter, but not the first Arjuna Awardee; [Manavjit Singh Sandhu]: A prominent trap shooter, but not the inaugural awardee in shooting.

Correct Answer: D. They are all given by the President

• **All National Sports Awards** = These, including the Arjuna Award, Khel Ratna Award, and Major Dhyan Chand Life Time Achievement, are conferred by the President of India. • **Rashtrapati Bhavan** — The ceremony for these awards is held annually, signifying the highest state recognition for sporting merit. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Arjuna Award]: This award is indeed presented by the President of India; [Khel Ratna Award]: This prestigious award is also conferred by the President of India; [Major Dhyan Chand Life Time Achievement]: This lifetime achievement award is also presented by the President of India.

Correct Answer: A. Bajrangi Prasad

• **Bajrangi Prasad** = He was the first swimmer to win the Arjuna Award. • **1961** — He was the inaugural recipient for Swimming, recognizing his success as a national champion and the growing importance of swimming in India. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Virdhawal Khade]: A modern Olympian and successful swimmer, but not the first Arjuna Awardee; [Sandeep Sejwal]: A prominent breaststroke swimmer, but not the initial awardee; [Srihari Nataraj]: A current national record holder, but not the first swimmer to receive the award.

Correct Answer: B. Shantha Rangaswamy

• **Shantha Rangaswamy** = She was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award for Cricket. • **1976** — She was honored with the award, a pioneering captain of the Indian women's team and the first woman to hit a six and a century for India. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Diana Edulji]: A legendary cricketer, but received the award after Shantha Rangaswamy; [Mithali Raj]: A modern icon of Indian women's cricket, but not the first to receive the Arjuna Award; [Harmanpreet Kaur]: A contemporary star, but not the first female cricketer to be honored with the award.

Correct Answer: B. 20

• **20 athletes** = This was the exact number of recipients in the inaugural batch of the Arjuna Award. • **1961** — In this year, the first batch of awardees was selected from **13 different sports**, establishing the award as a multi-disciplinary honor. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [10]: Fewer than the actual number of inaugural awardees; [30]: More than the actual number of inaugural awardees; [40]: Significantly more than the actual number of inaugural awardees.

Correct Answer: A. Sonam Gyatso

• **Sonam Gyatso** = He was the first mountaineer to receive the Arjuna Award. • **1961** — He was honored with the award, a veteran climber who participated in multiple Himalayan expeditions, paving the way for future mountaineers. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Tenzing Norgay]: A legendary Everest summiter, but not the first Arjuna Awardee for mountaineering; [A.S. Cheema]: A member of the first Indian Everest expedition, but not the first Arjuna Awardee; [Santosh Yadav]: A famous female mountaineer, but received the award much later.

Correct Answer: C. Usha Sundararaj

• **Usha Sundararaj** = She was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award in the field of Table Tennis. • **1966** — She won the award, being a dominant national champion during the 1960s, highlighting women's success in indoor sports. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Indu Puri]: A celebrated table tennis player, but received the award after Usha Sundararaj; [Meena Shah]: A prominent badminton player, not table tennis, and not the first woman Arjuna Awardee in table tennis; [Manika Batra]: A contemporary star, but not the first female table tennis player to win the award.