Awards & Honours — General Knowledge

Q.1

WBCS Prelims 2008

Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for

A. Photoelectric equation

B. Special theory of relativity

C. General theory of relativity

D. Explanation of Brownian motion

Explanation

Why Correct: Albert Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics specifically for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, which he explained using quantum theory in 1905.
Distractor Analysis: Special theory of relativity, published in 1905, revolutionized physics but was not cited for the Nobel. General theory of relativity, completed in 1915, was too controversial at the time for Nobel recognition. Brownian motion explanation, also from 1905, provided evidence for atomic theory but was not the prize-winning work.
Takeaway: The Nobel Committee explicitly mentioned "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect" in the award citation.

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Q.2

WBPSC Miscellaneous Prelims 2023

Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields?

A. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin

B. Barbara McClintock

C. Marie Curie

D. Rosalind Franklin

Explanation

Why Correct: Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 (shared with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel) and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.
Distractor Analysis: Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for her work on the structure of biochemical compounds; she did not win in two fields. Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for transposons; she won only one Nobel. Rosalind Franklin did not win a Nobel Prize; her contributions to DNA structure were recognized posthumously but she never received a Nobel.
Takeaway: Remember that Marie Curie's two Nobels are in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911). No other person has won Nobel Prizes in two different sciences.

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Q.3

WBPSC Miscellaneous Prelims 2023

What is the highest gallantry award of the Indian Army?

A. Param Vir Chakra

B. Ashoka Chakra

C. Maha Vir Chakra

D. Vir Chakra

Explanation

Why Correct: Param Vir Chakra is the highest gallantry award in India, awarded for the most conspicuous acts of bravery in the presence of the enemy on land, at sea, or in the air.
Distractor Analysis: Ashoka Chakra is the highest peacetime gallantry award, awarded for bravery away from the battlefield. Maha Vir Chakra is the second-highest gallantry award during wartime. Vir Chakra is the third-highest wartime gallantry award.
Takeaway: Remember the hierarchy: Param Vir Chakra (wartime highest) > Ashoka Chakra (peacetime highest) > Maha Vir Chakra > Vir Chakra. All are awarded on Republic Day and Independence Day.

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Q.4

WBPSC Miscellaneous Prelims 2019

Which prize did the novel ‘Milkman’ by Anna Burns received?

A. Nobel Prize

B. Pulitzer Prize

C. Man Booker Prize

D. Edgar Award

Explanation

Why Correct: Anna Burns' 'Milkman' won the Man Booker Prize in 2018, making Burns the first Northern Irish author to receive the award.
Distractor Analysis: The Nobel Prize is for lifetime literary achievement, not awarded for a single novel. The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2019 went to 'The Overstory', not 'Milkman'. The Edgar Award is for mystery writing and not applicable.
Takeaway: The Man Booker Prize recognizes the best novel in English published in the UK and Ireland; 'Milkman' is known for its unique stream-of-consciousness style.

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Q.5

WBPSC Miscellaneous Prelims 2008

Who is the eminent Marathi screen play writer and journalist, who received the K.K. Birla Foundation’s Saraswati Samman Award for his play ‘Kanyadan’?

A. Girish Karnad

B. Vijay Tendulkar

C. Anna Shahib Kirloskar

D. Neelu Phule

Explanation

Why Correct: Vijay Tendulkar is a celebrated Marathi playwright, screenwriter, and journalist. His play 'Kanyadan' (1993) earned him the Saraswati Samman, a prestigious literary award by the K.K. Birla Foundation.
Distractor Analysis: Girish Karnad is a Kannada playwright and actor, not Marathi. Anna Shahib Kirloskar is known for industrial contributions, not playwriting. Neelu Phule is a Marathi actress, not a playwright.
Takeaway: Vijay Tendulkar also wrote iconic plays like 'Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe' and 'Ghashiram Kotwal', and was a social commentator through his journalism.

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Q.6

WBCS prelims 2024

Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi won "International Booker Prize" for "Heart Lamp" in 2025 while David Szalay has won the Booker Prize in 2025 for his novel "Flesh". What is the difference between the two prizes?

A. They are the same.

B. The nomenclature changed since 2011.

C. Booker Prize is for the books written in English while "International Booker Prize" is for the books written in other languages and translated in English.

D. "International Booker Prize" is given to Writers from Asia and Africa.

Explanation

Why Correct: The Booker Prize awards original novels written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. The International Booker Prize awards books translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland, with the prize shared equally between the author and translator.
Distractor Analysis: The two prizes are distinct in scope and history, so "They are the same" is false. The nomenclature did not change in 2011; the Man Booker International Prize was launched in 2005 and renamed the International Booker Prize in 2016, while the Man Booker Prize became the Booker Prize in 2019. The International Booker Prize is open to books from any country, not just Asia and Africa, so that option is also incorrect.
Takeaway: The International Booker Prize was first awarded in 2005 to Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, and since 2016 it has been awarded annually for a single translated book, with the prize money split between the author and translator.

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