Jnanpith & Akademi — Set 5

Correct Answer: B. Jnanpith Award

• **Jnanpith Award** = recognized as the highest literary honor in India. • **1965** — the year the Jnanpith Award was first presented to Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Sahitya Akademi Award]: a prestigious literary award for works in Indian languages, but not the highest; [Vyas Samman]: a literary award given for outstanding Hindi literary work, but lower in prestige than the Jnanpith Award; [Saraswati Samman]: an annual literary award for outstanding prose or poetry in any of the 22 Indian languages, but not the highest overall.

Correct Answer: C. New Delhi

• **New Delhi** = the city where the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is headquartered. • **1954** — the year the Sahitya Akademi was inaugurated to promote Indian literature across various languages. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Kolkata]: a major cultural city, but not the headquarters of the Sahitya Akademi; [Mumbai]: a prominent metropolitan city, but not the base for the Sahitya Akademi; [Chennai]: a significant cultural and administrative center, but not where the Sahitya Akademi is based.

Correct Answer: A. G. Sankara Kurup

• **G. Sankara Kurup** = the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 1965. • **1965** — the year G. Sankara Kurup received the inaugural Jnanpith Award for his Malayalam poetry collection 'Odakkuzhal'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay]: a Bengali novelist, received the Jnanpith Award in 1966, not the first recipient; [Kuvempu]: a Kannada poet and writer, received the Jnanpith Award in 1967, not the first recipient; [Sumitranandan Pant]: a Hindi poet, received the Jnanpith Award in 1968, not the first recipient.

Correct Answer: B. Literature

• **Literature** = the field for which the Jnanpith Award is given for outstanding contribution. • **Bharatiya Jnanpith trust** — the organization that presents the Jnanpith Award for excellence in Indian literature. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Science]: awards like the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize are given for science, not the Jnanpith Award; [Social Work]: various awards exist for social work, but the Jnanpith Award is not one of them; [Journalism]: awards like the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards are given for journalism, not the Jnanpith Award.

Correct Answer: B. Amitav Ghosh

• **Amitav Ghosh** = the first Indian author to win the Jnanpith Award for English literature. • **2018** — the year Amitav Ghosh became the first English language writer to receive the Jnanpith Award. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Vikram Seth]: a celebrated Indian English writer, but not a Jnanpith Award recipient; [Arundhati Roy]: an acclaimed Indian English writer, won the Booker Prize, but not the Jnanpith Award; [Salman Rushdie]: a world-renowned Indian-born British novelist, won the Booker Prize, but not the Jnanpith Award.

Correct Answer: A. Ashapoorna Devi

• **Ashapoorna Devi** = She was the first woman to receive the Jnanpith Award. • **1976** — The year Ashapoorna Devi was honored with the Jnanpith Award. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Amrita Pritam: Won the Jnanpith Award later in 1981; Mahasweta Devi: A prominent Bengali writer, received the Jnanpith Award in 1996; Krishna Sobti: A renowned Hindi writer, received the Jnanpith Award in 2017.

Correct Answer: C. 24

• **24 languages** = The Sahitya Akademi Award is presented for literary works in these languages, including English and Rajasthani along with the 22 scheduled languages. • **22** — The number of languages specified in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, to which English and Rajasthani are added for this award. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 18: This number is incorrect for the languages covered by the Sahitya Akademi Award; 22: This refers only to the scheduled languages, excluding English and Rajasthani; 25: This number is incorrect for the languages covered by the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Correct Answer: B. Sumitranandan Pant

• **Sumitranandan Pant** = He was the first Hindi writer to receive the Jnanpith Award for his work 'Chidambara'. • **1968** — The year Sumitranandan Pant received the Jnanpith Award for 'Chidambara'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Jai Shankar Prasad: Another prominent Chhayavaad poet; Suryakant Tripathi Nirala: Also a key figure of Chhayavaad, known for his revolutionary poetry; Mahadevi Varma: A leading Chhayavaad poetess, received the Jnanpith Award in 1982.

Correct Answer: C. Karnataka

• **Karnataka** = This state holds the record for the highest number of Jnanpith Award winners in India. • **8** — The number of Jnanpith Award winners from Karnataka, making it the state with the highest recipients. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bengal: Home to many renowned writers, but not the highest Jnanpith recipients; Kerala: Has produced several Jnanpith winners, but fewer than Karnataka; Tamil Nadu: Also a state with a rich literary tradition and Jnanpith laureates, but not the highest number.

Correct Answer: C. Saraswati

• **Saraswati** = The Jnanpith trophy is a bronze replica of Vagdevi, an embodiment of Goddess Saraswati, who represents knowledge and wisdom. • **Vagdevi** — Another name for Goddess Saraswati, whose bronze replica is presented as the Jnanpith trophy. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Lakshmi: Goddess of wealth and prosperity; Durga: Goddess of power and strength; Parvati: Goddess of fertility, love, and devotion, consort of Shiva.