The Government of India has recently constituted a civilian award in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the field of contribution to
- (a)unity and integrity of India
- (b)art and culture
- (c)social work
- (d)entrepreneurship
Correct — A, unity and integrity of India. The award instituted in 2019 in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's name is the Sardar Patel National Unity Award, and it is the highest civilian honour in the field of contribution to the unity and integrity of India. It is announced on 31 October, Patel's birth anniversary, which is observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day — the same date on which the Run for Unity is held. The choice of field is the point of the naming: Patel is remembered above all for bringing the princely States into the Union, so an award in his name for national unity is the obvious fit, and the other three fields already have their own honours.
- (b)art and culture — Already covered, and generously — the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi awards and fellowships, and the Padma awards, which explicitly cover art and literature. Nothing in Patel's public life connects him with a cultural award.
- (c)social work — The Padma awards recognise social work as one of their listed fields, and there is no separate national honour in Patel's name for it.
- (d)entrepreneurship — Recognised through business and start-up awards, and not the field of any award named after Patel.
India's civilian honours are layered. The Bharat Ratna is the highest, followed by the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, all announced on Republic Day and given across many fields. Alongside them sit a small number of field-specific national awards, and the Sardar Patel National Unity Award is one of these — the highest civilian honour in its own field rather than a general honour.
When an award is named after a figure, ask what that figure is chiefly remembered for and the field usually follows. Patel, as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, ran the States Department that brought over five hundred princely States into the Union, and his birth anniversary was designated National Unity Day in 2014. The Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat was unveiled on the same anniversary in 2018, and the award followed in 2019, so the three form one sequence of commemoration. Note also what these honours are not — the Supreme Court has held that the Padma awards and the Bharat Ratna are not titles within the meaning of Article 18, and they carry no monetary grant.
- The Sardar Patel National Unity Award was instituted in 2019 for contributions to the unity and integrity of India.
- It is announced on 31 October, Patel's birth anniversary, observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day.
- Patel, as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, led the integration of the princely States into the Indian Union.
- The Statue of Unity, a statue of Patel at Kevadia in Gujarat, was unveiled on 31 October 2018.
- India's general civilian honours are the Bharat Ratna and the three Padma awards, which carry no monetary grant.
- Assuming an award named after a leader must be general rather than field-specific.
- Treating the Bharat Ratna or the Padma awards as titles barred by Article 18; the Supreme Court has held they are not.
- Confusing National Unity Day on 31 October with National Integration Day, observed on 19 November.
As an award-to-field match, or as a statements item on the institution, date and monetary component of a civilian honour.
Which of the following statements with regard to Bharat Ratna Award is/are correct? 1. It was instituted in the year 1972. 2. The award does not carry any monetary grant. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(b) 2 only
The general civilian honour set against this field-specific one. Learning the year of institution and the monetary position for each award is what both items reward — the Bharat Ratna dates from 1954, not 1972, and carries no cash grant.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, or National Unity Day, is observed every year on
- (a)26 January
- (b)31 October
- (c)19 November
- (d)26 November
Answer(b) 31 October — the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and the day on which the Sardar Patel National Unity Award is announced.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which one of the following statements about the Bharat Ratna is correct?
- (a)It carries a substantial cash grant
- (b)It carries no monetary grant
- (c)It is conferred only on serving public servants
- (d)It may be used as a title before the recipient's name
Answer(b) It carries no monetary grant — the recipient receives a Sanad and a medallion, and the honour cannot be used as a title.