20 Awards of Highest Recognition given by Indian Government
20 Awards of the Highest level given by Indian Government in different Domains
Indian Honorary awards system works in different domains. These awards are given by the Government of India for an exceptional achievement or a major contribution made in a field of the highest order. They are very prestigious and most of them are personally given in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President himself/herself.
Here is a list of such awards in some Major domains.
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Literature Award
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is the highest literary honour in India. It is awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, Government of India. It is given to Individuals to the “immortals of literature” and is limited to twenty-one individuals at any given time. It is awarded for outstanding contribution to Indian Literature in any of the 24 Indian Languages. It was established in 1968 and was first awarded to the noted Philosopher Second President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Leadership Awards
The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India. It was started in 1995 on the occasion of 125th bitht anniversary of Gandhiji. This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. A jury consisting of the Prime Minister of India, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India and two other eminent persons decides the awardee each year. It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed or sex and carriers an award of 1 crore rupees. Despite being annual, only 13 awards have been given.
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Sports Awards
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour for achievement in sports and is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. The award is named after Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs. 7.5 lakh. It is awarded to sport personalities which have made exceptional mark in the field of any sport. The first awardee was Viswanathan Anand in 1991-92 and the most recent is Sania Mirza awarded in 2015-2016.
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Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs. 500,000. The award was instituted in 1985. It was first awarded to O.M. Nambiar for his service in the field of Athletics.
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Dhyan Chand Award
Dhyan Chand Award is the India’s highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games, given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. The award is named after the legendary Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand. The award was initiated in 2002. The award carries a cash prize of INR 500,000, a plaque and a scroll of honour.
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Police Service
The Police Medal is a decoration awarded to members of law enforcement in India. Established 1 March 1951, the medal was created to replace the Indian Police Medal and the King’s Police and Fire Service Medal, created by the Britishers. The medal is awarded for either gallantry or distinguished service, with the gallantry version of the medal being accorded a higher precedence. For Distinguish services category, a meritorious record of at least 15 years in the Central Police/Security Organization is a compulsion. The medal is awarded annually on Republic Day andIndependence Day.
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Science Award
India Science Award is the highest and the most prestigious national recognition by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to science. The primary criteria for the award is demonstrated and widely accepted excellence in science and covers all areas of research in science including engineering, medicine and agriculture. The prize money is Rs 25 lakhs with a citation and a gold medal. The award is announced and presented every year at the Indian Science Congress (ISC). It was established by Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003.
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Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology
This is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and Physics. The purpose of the prize is to recognize outstanding Indian work in science and technology. It is the most coveted award in multidisciplinary science in India. The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It was first awarded in 1958.The Prize money is Rs. 5 Lakh and age limit is 45 years maximum.
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Bidhan Chandra Roy Award
Bidhan Chandra Roy Award was instituted in 1976 in memory of B. C. Roy by Medical Council of India. The Award is given annually in each of the following categories: Statesmanship of the Highest Order in India, Medical man-cum-Statesman, Eminent Medical Person, Eminent person in Philosophy, Eminent person in Science and Eminent person in Arts. It is presented by President of India in New Delhi on July 1, the National Doctors’ Day.
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Dada Saheb Phalke Awards
The Dada Saheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The recipient is honoured for their “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema” and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry. he award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke, who directed India’s first full feature length film in 1913. The first awardee was Devika Rani in 1969 and the most recent is Sashi Kapoor.
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Teaching Award
Inspired Teacher or President’s Inspired Teacher is the highest civilian recognition for University-level teachers in India in the form of an in-residence program with the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. A similar award is the National Award for Teachers, which is the highest recognition for school teachers. Both are presented by the President of India to those teachers who have shown an exceptional dedication and contribution in the Education and Teaching field.
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National Bravery Awards
Those are a set of awards given annually to about 24 Indian children for “meritorious acts of bravery against all odds.” The awards are given by the Government of India and the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). The award was instituted in 1957. These awards are awarded on 26th January each year and they are also a part of National Parade marchpast on the Republic Day.
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Vir Chakra
Indian Military has categorized awards of valor and services on the basis of peace time and war time. Vir Chakra is a gallantry award presented for acts of bravery on the battlefield. Award of the decoration carries with it the right to use Vr.C. as a postnominal abbreviation. It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards. The Similar award in the peace time is referred as Shaurya Chakra. This award is open to civilians as well.
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Maha Vir Chakra
The Maha Vir Chakra is the second highest military decoration in India awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. The medal may be awarded posthumously. In peacetime, this medal is replaced by Kirti Chakra awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards.
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Ashok Chakra
Ashok Chakra is India’s highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peace time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for the “most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice” other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel. Till now it has been awarded on 63 occasions with Neerja Bhanot being the sole Civilian recipient.
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Param Vir Chakra
The Highest award in both the category of peace time as well as War time is the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India’s highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. The medal has been awarded 21 times, 14 of which were posthumous awards.
Similarly, the highest distinction awards in Indian Military forces are Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (During wat time) and Param Vishisht Seva Medal (during peace time).
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Padma Sri
Padma Sri is the fourth highest civilian award in the India for ‘distinguished services’ in any field. It is awarded by the Government of India, it is announced every year on India’s Republic Day. In total, 2,680 people have been awarded this award since its inception in 1954.
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Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It is announced on the occasion of Republic Day of India every year for ‘distinguished service of a high order’. It is conferred by the President of India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan sometime around March/ April. In total, 1,230 people have been awarded this award since its inception in 1954.
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Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award of the Republic of India; preceded by Bharat Ratna and followed by Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for the “exceptional and distinguished service”, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The criteria is “service in any field including service rendered by Government servants”. However, Public sector personalities are not included but doctors and scientists are an exception. The award has been bestowed on 294 individuals, including 6 posthumous and 19 non-citizen recipients.
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Bharat Ratna
The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred “in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order”, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but since 2011, the criteria is expanded to include “any field of human endeavour”. In total, 45 people have been awarded Bharat Ratna. The only foreigner bestowed with this award is Nelson Mandela. Most recently it was awarded to Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.