What is the highest literary award in India for lifetime achievement?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Jnanpith Award.
Explanation:
☛ The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary award in India, presented annually for outstanding lifetime contribution to Indian literature.
☛ It was instituted in 1961 by the cultural organisation Bharatiya Jnanpith, founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and his wife Rama Jain.
☛ The award was first presented in 1965 to renowned Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup for his poetry collection Odakkuzhal (The Bamboo Flute).
☛ Prior to 1982, the award was given for a specific single work, but since 1982, it has been conferred for overall lifetime achievement in literature.
☛ The award is given to Indian citizens writing in any of the 22 languages recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, as well as in English.
☛ The prize carries a cash award of ₹11 lakh, a citation plaque, and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati (Vagdhevi).
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ First Woman Recipient: Bengali novelist Ashapurna Devi became the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award in 1976 for her novel Pratham Pratishruti.
☛ First English Writer: Renowned author Amitav Ghosh became the first writer in the English language to receive the Jnanpith Award in 2018.
☛ Sahitya Akademi Award: Established in 1954, it honours outstanding books of literary merit published in 24 languages (22 Scheduled languages plus English and Rajasthani).
☛ Saraswati Samman: Instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation, it is given annually for outstanding prose or poetry in any of the 22 Eighth Schedule languages published in the preceding 10 years.
☛ Booker Prize (formerly Man Booker Prize): Established in 1969, it is an international literary award given annually for the best original novel written in the English language and published in the UK or Ireland.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Who was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award? → G. Sankara Kurup (1965, Malayalam)
☛ Who was the first woman writer to receive the Jnanpith Award? → Ashapurna Devi (1976, Bengali)
☛ Which organisation institutes the prestigious Saraswati Samman? → K.K. Birla Foundation
☛ In how many languages is the Sahitya Akademi Award presented? → 24 languages
☛ Who was the first Indian citizen to win the Booker Prize? → Arundhati Roy (1997, for 'The God of Small Things')