1
Who was the first Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics?
🏆 Medium International Awards to Indians
International Awards to Indians
50 Questions Awards & Honours
A comprehensive collection of 20 high-quality objective questions regarding prestigious international honours conferred upon Indian citizens.
2
Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in which year?
3
Which Indian author was the first to win the Booker Prize for his/her novel 'Midnight's Children'?
4
Which Indian film director was awarded an Honorary Oscar (Lifetime Achievement) in 1992?
5
Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in which year?
6
Who among the following was the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title?
7
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of Asia'. Who was the first Indian to receive it?
8
Which Indian activist received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, sharing it with Malala Yousafzai?
9
Which Indian classical musician was the first to receive the Bharat Ratna, but is also globally renowned for receiving the Legion of Honour from France?
10
Who was the first Indian to win the International Emmy Award?
11
Which Indian scientist received the Abel Prize, often called the 'Nobel Prize of Mathematics', in 2007?
12
Who is the only Indian to have received the Fields Medal for excellence in mathematics?
13
The Templeton Prize, which honours individuals for affirming life’s spiritual dimension, was awarded to which Indian philosopher in 1991?
14
Which Indian personality was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2005?
15
Which Indian film composer won two Academy Awards (Oscars) for the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'?
16
Who was the first Indian to be awarded the Man Booker International Prize?
17
Which Indian diplomat and politician served as the President of the UN General Assembly and received the Jawarharlal Nehru Award, but is also notable for the UN Peace Medal?
18
The 'Right Livelihood Award', often called the 'Alternative Nobel Prize', was awarded to which Indian environmentalist in 2007?
19
Which Indian economist won the 'Kuhn Prize' and has been a recipient of numerous international fellowships, but is specifically known for the 'Nobel' equivalent in their field?
20
In 2023, which Indian architect was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the 'Nobel' of architecture?
21
Which Indian scientist was the first to be awarded the 'UNESCO Kalinga Prize' for the popularization of science?
22
Who was the first Indian woman to be honored with the 'Order of the British Empire' (OBE) for her services to the country?
23
Which Indian film personality was the first to receive the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the Cannes Film Festival?
24
The 'Pritzker Architecture Prize' is often called the Nobel of architecture. Who was the first Indian to receive it?
25
Which Indian social reformer was awarded the 'International Gandhi Peace Prize' in its inaugural year (1995)?
26
Which Indian author won the 'Commonwealth Writers' Prize' for the best book for her work 'The Inheritance of Loss'?
27
Who was the first Indian to receive the 'Order of St. George' from the Russian Federation?
28
Which Indian musician was awarded the 'Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award' in 2012?
29
Who was the first Indian to be appointed as the 'UN High Commissioner for Human Rights'?
30
The 'Sir Frank Whittle Medal' for engineering excellence was awarded to which Indian scientist?
31
Which Indian won the prestigious 'Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement' in 2003?
32
Who among the following was the first Indian to be awarded the 'Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters' by the French Government?
33
Which Indian scientist was awarded the 'Wolf Prize in Physics'?
34
Which Indian social activist was awarded the 'Global Citizen Award' by the Atlantic Council in 2018?
35
Who was the first Indian to receive the 'Stockholm Water Prize'?
36
Which Indian industrialist was awarded the 'Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy' in 2019?
37
Which Indian was the first to receive the 'Erasmus Prize' from the Netherlands?
38
The 'Nishan-e-Pakistan' is the highest civilian award of Pakistan. Which Indian politician was awarded this?
39
Which Indian physician was awarded the 'World Food Prize' in 2009 for his work in food security?
40
Which Indian woman was the first to be awarded the 'International Emmy' for best acting?
41
Which Indian scientist was the first to receive the 'Kalinga Prize' awarded by UNESCO for the popularization of science?
42
Which Indian activist was the recipient of the 'Albert Schweitzer Prize' for Humanitarianism?
43
Who was the first Indian woman to be honored with the 'UN Population Award'?
44
The 'Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development' is an international award. Which international leader was NOT an recipient, but who among these Indians received it first in 1986?
45
Which renowned Indian classical dancer was awarded the 'Padma Vibhushan' as well as the 'French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'?
46
Which Indian author won the 'Orange Prize' (now Women's Prize for Fiction) for the novel 'The Inheritance of Loss'?
47
In 1996, which Indian was awarded the 'UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadorship'?
48
Which Indian environmentalist was awarded the 'Goldman Environmental Prize' in 1993?
49
Which Indian poet and diplomat was the first to be awarded the 'UNESCO Picasso Medal'?
50
Which Indian economist received the 'Mahalanobis Memorial Award' but is internationally famous for winning the 'Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences' in 1998?
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Important Notes — International Awards to Indians
International Awards Conferred Upon Indians
International recognition serves as a testament to India’s soft power and the global impact of its citizens. For competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and State PSCs, aspirants must focus on Nobel laureates, literary giants, and those honored for humanitarian or professional excellence.
Nobel Laureates and Global Icons
The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious international recognition. Since the inception of the awards, several Indians have been honored across various categories:
- Rabindranath Tagore (1913): First Indian and first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for his collection *Gitanjali*.
- C.V. Raman (1930): Won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the Raman Effect (the scattering of light).
- Mother Teresa (1979): Conferred the Nobel Peace Prize for her selfless service to the poor and suffering in Kolkata.
- Amartya Sen (1998): Awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics.
- Kailash Satyarthi (2014): Shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Malala Yousafzai for his crusade against child labor.
- Abhijit Banerjee (2019): Received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
Literary and Cinematic Honors
Excellence in arts and literature has consistently brought international acclaim to Indian figures:
- Booker Prize: Indians or those of Indian origin have made a mark on the global literary stage. Notable winners include Arundhati Roy (1997, *The God of Small Things*), Kiran Desai (2006, *The Inheritance of Loss*), Aravind Adiga (2008, *The White Tiger*), and Geetanjali Shree (International Booker Prize 2022 for *Tomb of Sand*).
- Academy Awards (Oscars): Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to win an Oscar (1983) for Costume Design in the film *Gandhi*. A.R. Rahman (2009) won two Oscars for *Slumdog Millionaire*. Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga (2023) won for the documentary *The Elephant Whisperers*.
Key Diplomatic and Humanitarian Awards
Beyond literature and science, Indians are frequently honored with the highest civilian decorations of other nations and international organizations:
- Order of Zayed: The highest civilian award of the UAE, awarded to PM Narendra Modi (2019).
- Order of St. Andrew the Apostle: The highest order of the Russian Federation, awarded to PM Narendra Modi (2019).
- Legion of Honour: The highest French order of merit. Notable recipients include J.R.D. Tata, Satyajit Ray, and Shah Rukh Khan.
- Ramon Magsaysay Award: Often called the "Asian Nobel Prize," it honors individuals who address issues of human development in Asia. Notable winners include Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan, Arvind Kejriwal, and Ravish Kumar.
- UN Champions of the Earth: The UN's highest environmental honor, awarded to PM Narendra Modi in 2018 for his leadership in the International Solar Alliance.
*Exam Tip:* Keep track of the "Firsts"—the first Indian to win a particular award is a perennial favorite for GK questions in SSC and UPSC Prelims.
