National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. It comprises the following awards:
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
It is the highest sporting honour of India.
It was instituted in 1991–92.
The recipient(s) is/are honoured for their outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years at international level.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
The award from 1991-2021 was named after Rajiv Gandhi , the 6th Prime Minister of India. The award since August 6, 2021 is named after Major Dhyan Chand .
The first recipient of the award was chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, who was honoured for the performance in the year 1991–92.
In 2001, sport shooter Abhinav Bindra, then aged 18, became the youngest recipient of the award.
The award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh.
Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and Games
It was instituted in 1985 to honour eminent Coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
Recipients are honoured to have done outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabled sportspersons to excel in international events over a period of four years.
Arjuna awards
The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
It was instituted in 1961.
To be eligible for the Award, a sportsperson should have had not only good performance over the previous four years at the International level but also should have shown qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their good performance in the field of sports over a period of four years at the international level and for having shown qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.
The award comprises a bronze statuette of Arjuna, certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
Dhyan Chand Award
It was instituted in 2002.
It is an award for life-time achievements in sports.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Recipients are honoured for their contributions to sport both during their active sporting career and after retirement.
The award comprises a statuette, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, formerly known as the National Adventure Awards is the highest adventure sports honour of India.
The award is named after Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest along with Edmund Hillary in 1953.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The recipients are honoured for their outstanding achievement in the field of adventure activities on land, sea and air” over the last three years.
The lifetime achievement is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence and have devoted themselves in the promotion of adventure sports.
The award comprises “a bronze statuette of Tenzing Norgay along with a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy
It was instituted in 1956-57 to honour the top overall performing university in the Inter-University Tournaments.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
It is a rolling trophy awarded to the overall top performing University in sports and promoting competitive sports in University over the preceding year.
The award for the university securing first position comprises a rolling MAKA trophy and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh . The second- and third-place universities receive cash prizes of ₹7.5 lakh and ₹4.5 lakh respectively.
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
It was instituted from 2009 to recognize the corporate entities (both in private and public sector) and individuals who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The award recognizes the involvement of corporates, voluntary organizations, and sports control boards, in the promotion and development of sports in the country over the previous three years.
Entities in four categories are awarded: Identification and nurturing of budding and young talent, Encouragement to sports through corporate social responsibility, Employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures, and Sports for development.
The award comprises a citation and a trophy in each of the categories.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards: UPSC PRELIMS 2023
1 . Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a
sportsperson over period of last four years.
2 . Arujna Award : For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson.
3 . Dronacharya Award : To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or
teams.
4 . Rashtriya Khel Protshan Puraskar : To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement.
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Ans (b) Only pair 1 and pair 3 are correctly matched.
