Quick Takeaway for Aspirants: The Jnanpith Award (instituted in 1961 by Bharatiya Jnanpith) and the Sahitya Akademi Awards (founded in 1954) represent the pinnacle of literary recognition in India. Recognizing works across the Eighth Schedule languages, English, and Rajasthani, these institutions honor national literary heritage, celebrated through pioneers like G. Sankara Kurup, Ashapoorna Devi, and Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya.
Institutional Foundations: Jnanpith & Sahitya Akademi
While the Jnanpith Award recognizes lifetime literary contributions with an ₹11 lakh prize and the bronze Vagdevi statue, the Sahitya Akademi presents annual book awards across 24 languages with a bronze plaque designed by Satyajit Ray. Together, they embody the foundational truth that ‘Indian literature is one, though written in many languages'.
30 High-Yield Practice MCQs with Hidden Answers & Explanations
Test your knowledge of Jnanpith laureates, Eighth Schedule linguistic amendments, Classical Languages of India, Sahitya Akademi history, and Assamese literary milestones with these 30 practice questions.
Q1. What is the highest and most prestigious literary award presented for outstanding contributions to Indian literature?
- (A) Sahitya Akademi Award
- (B) Jnanpith Award (Gyanpeeth Puraskar)
- (C) Saraswati Samman
- (D) Vyas Samman
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Jnanpith Award (Gyanpeeth Puraskar)
The Jnanpith Award, instituted in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith trust, is recognized as the apex literary honour in India.
Q2. In which year was the Jnanpith Award officially instituted by the Bharatiya Jnanpith cultural trust founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain?
- (A) 1954
- (B) 1961 (22nd May)
- (C) 1965
- (D) 1972
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 1961 (22nd May)
Industrialist and philanthropist Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and his wife Rama Jain instituted the award on the occasion of the birth centenary of Rabindranath Tagore.
Q3. Who was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award, awarded in 1965 for his Malayalam poetry anthology ‘Odakkuzhal' (The Bamboo Flute)?
- (A) Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
- (B) G. Sankara Kurup
- (C) Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
- (D) K.V. Puttappa
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) G. Sankara Kurup
Mahakavi G. Sankara Kurup won the inaugural award in 1965, receiving a citation, a cash prize, and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati.
Q4. Who was the first woman writer to win the prestigious Jnanpith Award, honored in 1976 for her Bengali novel ‘Prothom Protishruti'?
- (A) Mahasweta Devi
- (B) Ashapoorna Devi
- (C) Amrita Pritam
- (D) Mahadevi Varma
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Ashapoorna Devi
Eminent Bengali novelist Ashapoorna Devi was the first female laureate, recognized for her feminist trilogy on women's social emancipation in colonial Bengal.
Q5. Who was the first Assamese author to win the Jnanpith Award, conferred in 1979 for his landmark historical novel ‘Mrityunjay'?
- (A) Lakshminath Bezbaroa
- (B) Dr. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
- (C) Mamoni Raisom Goswami
- (D) Nilmani Phookan
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Dr. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya
Dr. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya made history in 1979 for ‘Mrityunjay' (The Conqueror of Death), depicting Assam's 1942 Quit India struggle.
Q6. Which celebrated Assamese novelist and Ramayana scholar, renowned as Mamoni Raisom Goswami (Indira Goswami), won the Jnanpith Award in 2000?
- (A) Dr. Mamoni Raisom Goswami
- (B) Nirupama Borgohain
- (C) Anuradha Sharma Pujari
- (D) Reboti Mohan Dutta
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Dr. Mamoni Raisom Goswami
Famous for novels like ‘The Moth-Eaten Howdah of the Tusker' and her mediation for peace in Assam, Dr. Goswami was awarded the 36th Jnanpith Award.
Q7. Which revered Assamese poet won the 56th Jnanpith Award (awarded for 2021), celebrated for his lyrical sage-like poetry collections like ‘Surya Heno Nami Ahe Ei Nadiyedi'?
- (A) Hiren Bhattacharyya
- (B) Nilmani Phookan Jr.
- (C) Nabakanta Barua
- (D) Hem Barua
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Nilmani Phookan Jr.
Sage-poet Nilmani Phookan was the third Assamese literary titan to receive the Jnanpith Award, honored for lifetime contribution to Assamese modernism.
Q8. What is the cash prize accompanying the Jnanpith Award, alongside a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati)?
- (A) ₹5 lakh
- (B) ₹11 lakh
- (C) ₹15 lakh
- (D) ₹25 lakh
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) ₹11 lakh
The award carries a cash purse of ₹11 lakh and a bronze statuette modeled after the 10th-century Saraswati idol from Bhojpur's Saraswati temple in Malwa.
Q9. Which languages are eligible for consideration under the Jnanpith Award?
- (A) Only Hindi and Sanskrit
- (B) All 22 languages recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, plus English
- (C) All languages spoken in Asia
- (D) English only
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) All 22 languages recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, plus English
Originally awarded for single specific books, since 1982 the Jnanpith recognizes lifetime contribution across the 22 Eighth Schedule languages and English.
Q10. Who was the first author writing in English to win the Jnanpith Award, honored with the 54th edition in 2018?
- (A) R.K. Narayan
- (B) Amitav Ghosh
- (C) Salman Rushdie
- (D) Vikram Seth
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Amitav Ghosh
Eminent historical novelist and anthropologist Amitav Ghosh (author of the Ibis Trilogy) was the first English-language author to win the Jnanpith.
Q11. Which celebrated Sanskrit scholar and spiritual guru was conferred the 58th Jnanpith Award (2023) alongside Urdu poet and filmmaker Gulzar?
- (A) Swami Rambhadracharya
- (B) Acharya Vidyasagar
- (C) Prof. Ram Karan Sharma
- (D) Dr. Satya Vrat Shastri
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Swami Rambhadracharya
Polyglot scholar Swami Rambhadracharya and poet-lyricist Gulzar were jointly conferred the 58th Jnanpith Award in February 2024.
Q12. In which year was the Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters) officially inaugurated by the Government of India?
- (A) 1950
- (B) 1954 (12th March)
- (C) 1958
- (D) 1962
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 1954 (12th March)
The Sahitya Akademi was inaugurated in New Delhi in March 1954 under the resolution of the Ministry of Education to preserve literary heritage.
Q13. Where are the national headquarters of the Sahitya Akademi located?
- (A) Vigyan Bhavan
- (B) Rabindra Bhavan, 35 Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi
- (C) National Museum
- (D) Kolkata
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Rabindra Bhavan, 35 Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi
Rabindra Bhavan houses the premier cultural triumvirate: Sahitya Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi, and Lalit Kala Akademi.
Q14. How many languages are officially recognized and awarded annually by the Sahitya Akademi for outstanding literary works?
- (A) 22 languages
- (B) 24 languages (22 Eighth Schedule languages + English and Rajasthani)
- (C) 28 languages
- (D) 18 languages
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 24 languages (22 Eighth Schedule languages + English and Rajasthani)
While the Constitution lists 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule, the Sahitya Akademi includes English and Rajasthani for its annual awards.
Q15. Who was the first President of the Sahitya Akademi, serving from its inauguration in 1954 until 1964?
- (A) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
- (B) Jawaharlal Nehru
- (C) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- (D) Suniti Kumar Chatterji
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Jawaharlal Nehru
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru served as the first President of the Sahitya Akademi, ensuring state funding with strict artistic autonomy.
Q16. What is the cash prize accompanying the annual Sahitya Akademi Award, alongside a casket containing an engraved copper plaque?
- (A) ₹50,000
- (B) ₹1,00,000 (₹1 Lakh)
- (C) ₹2,00,000
- (D) ₹5,00,000
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) ₹1,00,000 (₹1 Lakh)
The award includes an engraved copper plaque designed by celebrated filmmaker Satyajit Ray and a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.
Q17. What is the highest honor conferred by the Sahitya Akademi, reserved for a maximum of 21 living immortal literary giants at any one time?
- (A) Sahitya Ratna
- (B) Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi)
- (C) Vangmaya Samman
- (D) Bhasha Samman
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi)
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship carries the motto ‘Sanskritir Paramo Dharmah', honoring living legends without language quotas.
Q18. Who was the first elected Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi in 1968?
- (A) C. Rajagopalachari
- (B) Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- (C) Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay
- (D) V.K. Gokak
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Former President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was elected as the inaugural Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi in 1968.
Q19. Which prestigious literary award established by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991 is conferred annually on outstanding literary works in any Indian language with a ₹15 lakh purse?
- (A) Jnanpith
- (B) Saraswati Samman
- (C) Vyas Samman
- (D) Bihari Puraskar
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Saraswati Samman
The Saraswati Samman honors outstanding prose or poetry published in the preceding 10 years across the 22 Eighth Schedule languages.
Q20. Who was the first recipient of the Saraswati Samman in 1991 for his 4-volume autobiography ‘Kya Bhoolun Kya Yaad Karun'?
- (A) Harivansh Rai Bachchan
- (B) Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
- (C) Mahadevi Varma
- (D) Sachchidananda Vatsyayan ‘Agyeya'
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Eminent Hindi poet Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was honored in 1991 for his iconic four-volume autobiographical memoirs.
Q21. Which literary award, also by the K.K. Birla Foundation, is presented exclusively for outstanding literary works published in Hindi in the past 10 years?
- (A) Saraswati Samman
- (B) Vyas Samman
- (C) Kalidas Samman
- (D) Moortidevi Award
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Vyas Samman
Instituted in 1991 with a cash prize of ₹4 lakh, the Vyas Samman recognizes exceptional Hindi literary scholarship by Indian citizens.
Q22. Who won the first Sahitya Akademi Award in English in 1960 for his celebrated novel ‘The Guide'?
- (A) Mulk Raj Anand
- (B) R.K. Narayan
- (C) Raja Rao
- (D) Nirad C. Chaudhuri
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) R.K. Narayan
R.K. Narayan was the first English-language laureate in 1960 for ‘The Guide', set in his fictional town of Malgudi.
Q23. Who won the first Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese in 1955 for his biographical work ‘Bonphool'?
- (A) Jatindranath Duwara
- (B) Benudhar Sharma
- (C) Hem Barua
- (D) Birinchi Kumar Barua
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Jatindranath Duwara
Romantic poet Jatindranath Duwara was the inaugural Assamese recipient in 1955 for his poetry collection ‘Bonphool' (Wild Flowers).
Q24. What is the ‘Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar' instituted in 2011 to promote young Indian writing?
- (A) An award for writers under 21
- (B) An annual literary award presented across 24 languages to authors aged 35 and below
- (C) A school essay competition
- (D) A university scholarship
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) An annual literary award presented across 24 languages to authors aged 35 and below
Yuva Puraskar encourages young writers across 24 recognized languages with a copper plaque and ₹50,000 cash prize.
Q25. What is the ‘Bal Sahitya Puraskar' presented annually by the Sahitya Akademi?
- (A) An award presented to child authors
- (B) An annual award honoring authors for outstanding contributions to Children's Literature across 24 languages
- (C) A cartoon animation award
- (D) A comic book grant
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) An annual award honoring authors for outstanding contributions to Children's Literature across 24 languages
Bal Sahitya Puraskar recognizes authors writing inspiring fiction, fairy tales, and educational literature for young readers.
Q26. Which language was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution by the 71st Amendment Act in 1992 alongside Konkani and Manipuri?
- (A) Sindhi
- (B) Nepali
- (C) Bodo
- (D) Dogri
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Nepali
The 71st Constitutional Amendment in 1992 added Konkani, Manipuri (Meitei), and Nepali to the Eighth Schedule, raising the total to 18.
Q27. Which four languages were added to the Eighth Schedule by the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, expanding the count to 22?
- (A) Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali
- (B) Sindhi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Punjabi
- (C) Assamese, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati
- (D) Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali
The 92nd Amendment Act in 2003 added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali to the Eighth Schedule.
Q28. How many Classical Languages of India are currently designated following the Union Cabinet's expansion in October 2024?
- (A) Six classical languages
- (B) Eleven classical languages (Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali)
- (C) Eight classical languages
- (D) Fifteen classical languages
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Eleven classical languages (Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali)
In October 2024, the Union Cabinet approved classical language status for Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, expanding the total to 11.
Q29. Which was the first language to be granted ‘Classical Language' status in India in 2004?
- (A) Sanskrit
- (B) Tamil
- (C) Kannada
- (D) Telugu
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Tamil
Tamil was the first language designated as a Classical Language of India in October 2004, followed by Sanskrit in 2005.
Q30. What is the primary socio-cultural role of the Sahitya Akademi in national integration as articulated in its foundational motto?
- (A) Translating foreign literature into English only
- (B) Demonstrating that ‘Indian Literature is one, though written in many languages', promoting inter-lingual translations and cultural unity across diversities
- (C) Censoring controversial books
- (D) Regulating printing paper prices
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Demonstrating that ‘Indian Literature is one, though written in many languages', promoting inter-lingual translations and cultural unity across diversities
The Sahitya Akademi bridges linguistic divides through massive translation projects, proving the unified civilizational soul of Indian literature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award?
Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup won the inaugural Jnanpith Award in 1965 for his celebrated poetry collection ‘Odakkuzhal' (The Bamboo Flute).
How many languages are recognized by the Sahitya Akademi for its annual awards?
The Sahitya Akademi recognizes 24 languages: the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, plus English and Rajasthani.
