Which player was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – 2022?
- (a)Manika Batra
- (b)Kamlesh Mehta
- (c)Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
- (d)Sharath Kamal
Correct — D, Sharath Kamal. Achanta Sharath Kamal, India's most decorated table-tennis player, was among the recipients of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2022 — India's highest sporting honour — in recognition of his sustained international performances, including multiple Commonwealth Games gold medals.
- (a)Manika Batra — A leading Indian table-tennis player (Arjuna Award 2018, Padma Shri 2020), but not a 2022 Khel Ratna recipient.
- (b)Kamlesh Mehta — A former Indian table-tennis player and sports administrator, not a 2022 Khel Ratna awardee.
- (c)Sathiyan Gnanasekaran — A leading Indian table-tennis player (Arjuna awardee), but not among the 2022 Khel Ratna recipients.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is India's highest sporting honour, given for the most outstanding performance by a sportsperson over the preceding four years. It sits above the Arjuna Award (a single-sport, four-year performance award) in the honours hierarchy, and is distinct from the Dhyan Chand Award, a separate lifetime-achievement honour for retired players.
MPPSC often picks one genuine award-year's winner and surrounds it with other real athletes from the SAME sport as distractors — the exam tests whether you know the specific year's winner, not just the sport.
- Achanta Sharath Kamal — Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022, India's most decorated table-tennis player
- Khel Ratna = India's highest sporting honour, for outstanding performance over the preceding 4 years
- Distinct from the Arjuna Award (single-sport, 4-year) and the Dhyan Chand Award (lifetime achievement)
- Sharath Kamal has won multiple Commonwealth Games gold medals in table tennis
- Picking any well-known player from the same sport as the correct one, without confirming the specific award-year
- Confusing the Khel Ratna (performance-based) with the Dhyan Chand Award (lifetime achievement, for retired athletes)
A very common MPPSC/UPPSC one-liner: name the award-year and ask who received it, surrounded by 2-3 genuine athletes from the same sport as distractors.
Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards : 1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years 2. Arjuna 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 Protsahan 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
Answer(b) Only two — pairs 1 (Khel Ratna) and 3 (Dronacharya) are correctly matched; pairs 2 and 4 describe the wrong award.
Same award, the Khel Ratna — UPSC tests its precise definition/eligibility here, while this MPPSC question tests who actually won it in 2022.
MPPSC_2019_PRE_PaperI_Q362019Arrange the following awards in the correct chronological order of their institution: 1. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2. Dhyan Chand Award 3. Arjuna Award 4. Dronacharya Award
- (a) 1, 2, 3, 4
- (b) 4, 3, 2, 1
- (c) 3, 4, 1, 2
- (d) 3, 2, 1, 4
Answer(c) 3, 4, 1, 2
Same award, the Khel Ratna, tested by MPPSC in 2019 via its place in the National Sports Awards chronology rather than by year-specific recipient.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award recognises a sportsperson's performance over the preceding:
- (a)1 year
- (b)2 years
- (c)4 years
- (d)lifetime
Answer(c) 4 years — the Khel Ratna is for the most outstanding performance over the last four years.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which National Sports Award is a lifetime-achievement honour, distinct from the performance-based Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards?
- (a)Dronacharya Award
- (b)Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar
- (c)Dhyan Chand Award
- (d)Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
Answer(c) Dhyan Chand Award — a lifetime-achievement award for retired sportspersons.