Cultural Institutions and Awards

What to remember

• Three national Akademis support the arts: Sangeet Natak Akademi (music, dance, drama), Sahitya Akademi (letters) and Lalit Kala Akademi (visual arts).
• Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour. The Padma awards (Vibhushan, Bhushan, Shri) come next. The Jnanpith is the highest literary award, a private one.
• Awards in India are not titles. Article 18 of the Constitution bars the State from giving titles, but these awards are honours and are not used as prefix or suffix to names.

National cultural institutions

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana links. State academies promote local arts, for example the Telugu academies for literature, music and dance, and the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University. Kuchipudi, a classical dance from a village in Andhra, is supported nationally by Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Sangeet Natak Akademi awards

The Akademi gives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (the Akademi Puraskar) to artists in music, dance, theatre and folk traditions. The highest honour of the Akademi is the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna). The Akademi also recognises classical dance forms, including the eight classical dances: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam.

Sahitya Akademi awards

The Sahitya Akademi Award is given every year for the best book in each of the 24 languages it recognises (the 22 Eighth Schedule languages, English and Rajasthani). The highest honour of the Akademi is the Fellowship. The Akademi also gives translation prizes and children's literature prizes (Bal Sahitya).

Bharat Ratna

• Instituted in 1954. It is given for exceptional service in art, literature, science and public service.
• The first recipients were C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman.
• It is announced by the President of India on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. It does not carry money, but the holder gets a certificate (sanad) and a medal.
• Two non-Indian citizens have received it: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela.
• The Supreme Court has held that such awards are not titles under Article 18.

Padma awards

Started in 1954, they come in three ranks:

They are announced on the eve of Republic Day (25 January) and presented at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the spring. Awards are given in many fields: arts, social work, science, trade, medicine, literature, sports and civil service.

Jnanpith Award

• Given by the Bharatiya Jnanpith trust (founded by the Sahu Jain family).
• Instituted in 1961. First awarded in 1965 to the Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup for *Odakkuzhal*.
• It is given for the best creative literary writing in an Eighth Schedule language or English.
• The award is a cash prize, a citation and a bronze statue of Vagdevi (Saraswati).
• Telugu Jnanpith winners: Viswanatha Satyanarayana (for *Ramayana Kalpavriksham*), C. Narayana Reddy (for *Viswambhara*) and Rawuri Bharadwaja (for *Paakudu Raallu*).
• The first woman winner was Ashapurna Devi (Bengali).

Other well-known honours

More on how the institutions work

The Sangeet Natak Akademi was created to support the performing arts in a country with many regional forms. It runs training centres, supports gurus and students, keeps recordings and films of rare art forms, and publishes books and journals. Its awards are given to living artists. It also looks after the Kathak Kendra in Delhi.

The Sahitya Akademi holds festivals of writers, supports translation among languages and publishes books and a journal. An award winner gets a plaque and a cash prize (it is a modest sum, as the honour itself is the main gift). Its Fellowship is limited to a small number of living writers at any time.

The Lalit Kala Akademi holds the National Exhibition of Art and supports artists' studios and workshops. The National Museum keeps ancient coins, sculptures and paintings. The National Gallery of Modern Art (Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru) displays modern Indian art. The Archaeological Survey of India is under the Ministry of Culture and does excavation, conservation and keeps a list of protected monuments. The National Archives of India keeps official records. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is a research and arts centre. The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training trains teachers in culture.

Differences between honours

Recognising Telugu writers and artists

Telugu has produced three Jnanpith winners, and many Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardees. Telugu artists in Kuchipudi, Carnatic music and Burrakatha have won national honours. These national awards are separate from state awards such as the Kala Ratna and Ugadi Puraskaralu, which are given by the state government. Cultural awards from states may change in name and form; check the latest official announcement for the current list.

Why these awards matter for the exam

Questions are mostly of simple types: which body gives which award, who won first, which language, or which rank is higher. Remember the rule: academies give awards in their own field, while the government gives Bharat Ratna and Padma awards. The Akademis are autonomous bodies supported by the Ministry of Culture, with head offices in New Delhi. The Sahitya Akademi Award is given for a single book, while its Fellowship is the lifetime honour. Rules for awards can change, so check the latest official release for the current form.

Exam traps

• Sangeet Natak Akademi is for performing arts; Lalit Kala Akademi is for visual arts; Sahitya Akademi is for literature.
• Sahitya Akademi awards are in 24 languages; the Eighth Schedule has 22.
• Bharat Ratna vs Padma Vibhushan: the Bharat Ratna is higher.
• Padma ranks: Vibhushan > Bhushan > Shri.
• Jnanpith is a private trust award and Bharat Ratna is a State honour.
• First Bharat Ratnas: Rajagopalachari, Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman; not Gandhi or Nehru.
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award is for cinema, not literature.
• ASI is for monuments; Sangeet Natak Akademi is for arts.

One-liners

• 1. Sangeet Natak Akademi was set up in 1952.
• 2. Sahitya Akademi was set up in 1954.
• 3. Lalit Kala Akademi is for visual arts.
• 4. The National School of Drama is in New Delhi.
• 5. The ASI was founded in 1861.
• 6. Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954.
• 7. Padma Vibhushan ranks above Padma Bhushan.
• 8. Padma awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day.
• 9. The Jnanpith statue is of Vagdevi.
• 10. G. Sankara Kurup won the first Jnanpith.
• 11. Viswanatha Satyanarayana was the first Telugu Jnanpith winner.
• 12. Kalakshetra in Chennai was founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale.

Practice questions

1. The Sangeet Natak Akademi promotes

   1. music, dance and drama
   2. painting and sculpture
   3. literature only
   4. archaeology
   Answer

   A. music, dance and drama

   It is the national academy of performing arts.

2. The Sahitya Akademi promotes

   1. classical dance
   2. Indian literature
   3. film making
   4. monument protection
   Answer

   B. Indian literature

   It is the national academy of letters.

3. The Lalit Kala Akademi promotes

   1. Indian literature
   2. visual arts such as painting and sculpture
   3. music and dance
   4. theatre training
   Answer

   B. visual arts such as painting and sculpture

   It is the national academy of visual arts.

4. The National School of Drama is a training institution for

   1. sculpture
   2. classical music
   3. archaeology
   4. theatre
   Answer

   D. theatre

   NSD trains actors and directors.

5. Who was the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India?

   1. John Marshall
   2. Mortimer Wheeler
   3. Alexander Cunningham
   4. James Prinsep
   Answer

   C. Alexander Cunningham

   Cunningham led the ASI from its start.

6. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations was founded by

   1. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
   2. S. Radhakrishnan
   3. Jawaharlal Nehru
   4. Rabindranath Tagore
   Answer

   A. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

   ICCR promotes cultural ties with other countries.

7. Kalakshetra in Chennai was founded by

   1. Balasaraswati
   2. Uday Shankar
   3. Rukmini Devi Arundale
   4. Mrinalini Sarabhai
   Answer

   C. Rukmini Devi Arundale

   Rukmini Devi Arundale founded it for dance and music.

8. The National Book Trust works to

   1. protect monuments
   2. publish and promote books
   3. give film awards
   4. run museums
   Answer

   B. publish and promote books

   NBT is a book promotion body.

9. The Sahitya Akademi gives awards in how many languages?

   1. 18
   2. 14
   3. 22
   4. 24
   Answer

   D. 24

   It recognises the 22 scheduled languages plus English and Rajasthani.

10. The first president of the Sahitya Akademi was

    1. Jawaharlal Nehru
    2. S. Radhakrishnan
    3. Maulana Azad
    4. Rajendra Prasad
    Answer

    A. Jawaharlal Nehru

    Nehru was its first president.

11. The highest civilian honour of India is the

    1. Padma Bhushan
    2. Bharat Ratna
    3. Jnanpith
    4. Padma Vibhushan
    Answer

    B. Bharat Ratna

    Bharat Ratna ranks above the Padma awards.

12. Which is the highest of the three Padma awards?

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

    D. Padma Vibhushan

    The order is Vibhushan, Bhushan, Shri.

13. Padma awards are announced on the eve of

    1. Independence Day
    2. Teachers' Day
    3. Republic Day
    4. Gandhi Jayanti
    Answer

    C. Republic Day

    They are announced around 25 January.

14. Which of these was among the first Bharat Ratna recipients?

    1. Rabindranath Tagore
    2. Jawaharlal Nehru
    3. C. V. Raman
    4. Sardar Patel
    Answer

    C. C. V. Raman

    Rajagopalachari, Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman were first.

15. Which non-citizen of India received the Bharat Ratna?

    1. Dalai Lama
    2. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
    3. Muhammad Yunus
    4. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
    Answer

    D. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

    The Frontier Gandhi was honoured.

16. The Jnanpith Award is given by

    1. Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust
    2. UNESCO
    3. Government of India
    4. Sahitya Akademi
    Answer

    A. Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust

    It is a private trust award.

17. The first Jnanpith Award winner was

    1. Viswanatha Satyanarayana
    2. G. Sankara Kurup
    3. C. Narayana Reddy
    4. Ashapurna Devi
    Answer

    B. G. Sankara Kurup

    The Malayalam poet won it for Odakkuzhal.

18. The Jnanpith Award includes a bronze statue of

    1. Lakshmi
    2. Annapurna
    3. Vagdevi (Saraswati)
    4. Durga
    Answer

    C. Vagdevi (Saraswati)

    The statue is of Vagdevi.

19. The Jnanpith Award is given for writing in

    1. Hindi only
    2. Sanskrit only
    3. Eighth Schedule languages and English
    4. foreign languages
    Answer

    C. Eighth Schedule languages and English

    The scope covers scheduled languages and English.

20. Who was the first Telugu writer to win the Jnanpith Award?

    1. C. Narayana Reddy
    2. Viswanatha Satyanarayana
    3. Rawuri Bharadwaja
    4. Sri Sri
    Answer

    B. Viswanatha Satyanarayana

    He won it for Ramayana Kalpavriksham.

21. C. Narayana Reddy won the Jnanpith Award for

    1. Viswambhara
    2. Kanyasulkam
    3. Paakudu Raallu
    4. Mahaprasthanam
    Answer

    A. Viswambhara

    Viswambhara is his work.

22. Rawuri Bharadwaja won the Jnanpith Award for

    1. Ramayana Kalpavriksham
    2. Amuktamalyada
    3. Viswambhara
    4. Paakudu Raallu
    Answer

    D. Paakudu Raallu

    Paakudu Raallu is his work.

23. The first woman to win the Jnanpith Award was

    1. Amrita Pritam
    2. Mahadevi Varma
    3. Mahasweta Devi
    4. Ashapurna Devi
    Answer

    D. Ashapurna Devi

    The Bengali writer was the first woman winner.

24. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is given for

    1. contribution to Indian cinema
    2. sports
    3. classical music
    4. Indian literature
    Answer

    A. contribution to Indian cinema

    It is cinema's highest honour.

25. Which Article of the Constitution bars the State from conferring titles?

    1. Article 21
    2. Article 18
    3. Article 32
    4. Article 14
    Answer

    B. Article 18

    Article 18 abolishes titles.

26. The highest honour of the Sangeet Natak Akademi is its

    1. Jnanpith
    2. Fellowship (Akademi Ratna)
    3. Padma Bhushan
    4. Bal Sahitya Award
    Answer

    B. Fellowship (Akademi Ratna)

    The Fellowship is the Akademi's top honour.

27. The Kathak Kendra in Delhi is run by the

    1. Sangeet Natak Akademi
    2. National Book Trust
    3. ASI
    4. Lalit Kala Akademi
    Answer

    A. Sangeet Natak Akademi

    It is a unit of SNA.

28. The Tansen Samman is given for

    1. painting
    2. theatre
    3. Hindustani music
    4. literature
    Answer

    C. Hindustani music

    It honours Hindustani classical music.

29. The Kalidas Samman covers fields such as

    1. classical music, dance, theatre and plastic arts
    2. only sports
    3. only literature in English
    4. only science
    Answer

    A. classical music, dance, theatre and plastic arts

    It is a state honour of Madhya Pradesh.

30. The National Exhibition of Art is held by the

    1. National School of Drama
    2. Sahitya Akademi
    3. Sangeet Natak Akademi
    4. Lalit Kala Akademi
    Answer

    D. Lalit Kala Akademi

    Lalit Kala Akademi organises it.

31. The Bharat Ratna carries

    1. a pension for life
    2. a free house
    3. a large cash prize
    4. a certificate and medal but no cash prize
    Answer

    D. a certificate and medal but no cash prize

    It is an honour without prize money.

32. Consider the statements: 1. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is for performing arts. 2. The Lalit Kala Akademi is for visual arts. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

33. Consider the statements: 1. Sahitya Akademi awards are given in 24 languages. 2. The Eighth Schedule has 24 languages. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The Eighth Schedule lists 22 languages.

34. Consider the statements: 1. Padma Bhushan ranks above Padma Vibhushan. 2. Padma Vibhushan is the highest of the three Padma awards. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Vibhushan ranks highest.

35. Consider the statements: 1. The Jnanpith Award is a government award. 2. Its trophy is a statue of Vagdevi. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Jnanpith is given by a private trust.

36. Consider the statements: 1. C. Rajagopalachari was among the first Bharat Ratna recipients. 2. S. Radhakrishnan was among the first Bharat Ratna recipients. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both were first-year recipients.

37. Consider the statements: 1. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is for cinema. 2. It is given for literature. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    It is a cinema award.

38. Consider the statements: 1. Padma awards may be used as a prefix to a name. 2. Article 18 allows the State to give titles. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Awards are not titles, and Article 18 bars titles.

39. Consider the statements: 1. Alexander Cunningham was the first Director General of the ASI. 2. The ASI works under the Ministry of Culture. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

40. Consider the statements: 1. Kalakshetra was founded by Uday Shankar. 2. The National School of Drama is in New Delhi. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Kalakshetra was founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale.

41. Consider the statements: 1. Viswanatha Satyanarayana and C. Narayana Reddy won the Jnanpith Award. 2. Both wrote in Hindi. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Both are Telugu writers.

42. Match the institutions with their fields. (a) Sangeet Natak Akademi (b) Sahitya Akademi (c) Lalit Kala Akademi (d) National School of Drama 1 Painting and sculpture 2 Theatre training 3 Music, dance and drama 4 Literature

    1. a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1
    2. a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2
    3. a-1, b-4, c-3, d-2
    4. a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2
    Answer

    D. a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2

    SNA-performing arts; Sahitya-literature; Lalit Kala-visual arts; NSD-theatre.

43. Match the Telugu and other Jnanpith works with writers. (a) Viswambhara (b) Ramayana Kalpavriksham (c) Paakudu Raallu (d) Odakkuzhal 1 Rawuri Bharadwaja 2 G. Sankara Kurup 3 C. Narayana Reddy 4 Viswanatha Satyanarayana

    1. a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1
    2. a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2
    3. a-3, b-1, c-4, d-2
    4. a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2
    Answer

    D. a-3, b-4, c-1, d-2

    Viswambhara-Narayana Reddy; Ramayana Kalpavriksham-Satyanarayana; Paakudu Raallu-Bharadwaja; Odakkuzhal-Sankara Kurup.

44. Match the institutions with the facts. (a) ICCR (b) Kalakshetra (c) ASI (d) National Book Trust 1 Rukmini Devi Arundale 2 Alexander Cunningham 3 Maulana Azad 4 Book promotion

    1. a-3, b-2, c-1, d-4
    2. a-3, b-1, c-2, d-4
    3. a-1, b-3, c-2, d-4
    4. a-3, b-1, c-4, d-2
    Answer

    B. a-3, b-1, c-2, d-4

    ICCR-Azad; Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi; ASI-Cunningham; NBT-books.

45. Consider the statements: 1. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour. 2. Padma Shri ranks above Padma Bhushan. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Padma Shri is the lowest of the three.