National Awards and Honours

National Awards and Honours
National Awards are very important from the perspective of the banking and other graduate-level exams. National Awards in India are a part of the Indian Honours System.
Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna is India’s highest Civilian Award. It was first awarded in 1954.
The actual award is designed in the shape of a peepal leaf with Bharat Ratna inscribed in Devanagari script in the Sun.

This is India’s highest civilian award. It is given for exceptional work on art, literature, science, and recognition of public service of the highest order.
The emblem, the Sun and the rim are of platinum. the inscriptions are in burnished bronze.
Government servants are not eligible for it.
Padma Awards
They fall in line after the Bharat Ratna. They are also discontinued in 1977 along with the Bharat Ratna and award was started again in 1980.
There are three Padma awards:
Padma Vibhushan
This award is given for exceptional and distinguished service in any field, including service rendered by government servants.
Padma Bhushan
This award is given for distinguished service of a high order in any field, including service rendered by government servants.
Padma Shri
This award is given for distinguished service of a high order in any field, including service rendered by government servants.
Gallantry Awards
Param Vir Chakra
The highest award for bravery or some daring and pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air.
Mahavir Chakra
It is the second-highest decoration and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry on land, at sea or in the air.

Vir Chakra
It is the third in order os awards given for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air.
Ashok Chakra
This medal is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice on land, at sea or in the air but not in the presence of the enemy.
Vishishta Sewa Medal
It is awarded to personnel of all the three services on class I II and III in recognition of distinguished service of the “most exceptional” and “exceptional” and a “high” order respectively. Prefixes Parma and Ati are added before the first two categories of medals respectively.
Jeewan Raksha Padak
Awarded for meritorious acts or a series of acts of human nature displayed on saving a life from drowning, fire and rescue operations in mines etc.
Sahitya Akademi Awards
These prizes are awarded annually to the authors of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in each of the 22languages recognised by the Akademi.
There are also two awards for Sanskrit and English. The award, in form of a casket containing an inscribed copper plate and a cheque of ₹ 1 lakh is given to the author or his/her heir.
Dada Saheb Phalke Award
The award carries a cash prize of ₹ 10 lakh, a Shawl and Swarna Kamal.
Mrs. Devika Rani Roerich was the first person to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1969.
Bhartiya Jnanpith Award
Instituted in 22nd May 1961, carries a cash prize of ₹ 11 lakh, a citation and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati).
Indira Gandhi Award For National Integration
Gandhian P. V. Rajagopal has conferred the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2013-14. The award carries a citation and cash prize of ₹ 5 lakh.
National Science Award
Instituted on the first National Science Day, observed on February 28, 1987. The award for outstanding contribution in popularising science among people carries a cash prize of ₹ 1 lakh.
Saraswati Samman
Given for outstanding literary works, value ₹ 15 lakh. The award for 2015 has been given to Padma Sachdev for her Autobiography ‘Chitt-Chete’.
Best Parliamentarian Award
The Best Parliamentarian Member Award for 2010,2011, and 2012 have conferred on Arun Jetali (BJP), Karan Singh (Congress) and Sharad Yadav (JDU) respectively.
Kalinga Prize
This prize is given each year by the UNESCO and founded by former Odisha Chief Minister late Shri Biju Patnaik for popularisation of science.
Jamnalal Bajaj Award
Each of the awards comprises a cash prize of ₹ 5 lakh, a trophy and citation. It is given for outstanding role in different walks of life. The winners of 2015 award is Mansingh Rawat, a Gandhian and Sarvodaya leader working for the Uplift of Bukas.
Vyas Samman
This is awarded by KK Birla Foundation for outstanding Hindi Literary work by an Indian citizen that was published in the past decade. This carries a cash prize of ₹ 2.5 lakh. The award for 2015 has been given to notes Hindi poetess Dr Sumitra Jain for her poetry collection ‘Kshama’.
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