Match the Column I and II regarding National awards for the empowerment of persons with disabilities 2024 : Column-I (Sarvshreshth Divyangjan) – Column-II (Field of out-standing work) (a) Ananya Bijesh – (i) Art and Culture (b) Prateek Khandelwal – (ii) Music (c) Priyanka Deepak Dabade – (iii) Accessibility Codes :
- (1)(a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii)
- (2)(a)-(iii), (b)-(ii), (c)-(i)
- (3)(a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(ii)
- (4)(a)-(ii), (b)-(iii), (c)-(i)
Answer
Why
Correct — option (4), (a)-(ii), (b)-(iii), (c)-(i).
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) published a citation for each 2024 awardee. Each Sarvshreshth Divyangjan citation names the field of work being honoured.
(a) Ananya Bijesh, an 18-year-old artist with autism spectrum disorder from Thiruvananthapuram, is honoured for her outstanding performance in the field of music. That is (ii).
(b) Prateek Khandelwal, founder of 'Ramp My City', is honoured for his outstanding work in the field of accessibility. That is (iii).
(c) Priyanka Deepak Dabade, an artist with hearing impairment who works in fashion, crafts and art, is honoured in the field of Art & Culture. That is (i).
Together the pairs read (a)-(ii), (b)-(iii), (c)-(i).
The idea to remember: Ananya Bijesh – Music; Prateek Khandelwal – Accessibility; Priyanka Deepak Dabade – Art and Culture.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)(a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii) — All three pairs are wrong. This code puts Ananya Bijesh in Art and Culture, Prateek Khandelwal in Music and Priyanka Deepak Dabade in Accessibility.
DEPwD's citations give Ananya Bijesh music, Prateek Khandelwal accessibility for his work through 'Ramp My City', and Priyanka Deepak Dabade Art & Culture.
- (2)(a)-(iii), (b)-(ii), (c)-(i) — One pair is right: Priyanka Deepak Dabade with Art and Culture, (c)-(i).
The other two are swapped with each other. Ananya Bijesh's citation is for music, not accessibility, and Prateek Khandelwal's is for accessibility, not music.
- (3)(a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(ii) — All three pairs are wrong. This code gives Ananya Bijesh Accessibility, Prateek Khandelwal Art and Culture, and Priyanka Deepak Dabade Music.
Per DEPwD, Ananya Bijesh is honoured for music, Prateek Khandelwal for accessibility, and Priyanka Deepak Dabade, a silver medallist at the International Abilympics 2023 in France, for Art & Culture.
Concept
The Government approved a scheme of National Awards for outstanding persons with disabilities in 1969. The awards are conferred every year on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 came into force on 19 April 2017 and raised the number of specified disabilities from 7 to 21. The award guidelines were widened to all 21.
Guidelines revised on 19 July 2022 set two main categories: Individual Excellence, with 6 sub-categories, and Institutional Empowerment, with 8. Sarvshreshth Divyangjan is a sub-category under Individual Excellence.
RPSC's 2024 syllabus lists "Social Justice and Empowerment" with "Provisions for Weaker Sections" under Economic Concepts and Indian Economy. Under Economy of Rajasthan it also lists welfare schemes of the State Government for Disabled Persons, among other groups.
The awards are run by DEPwD, which was carved out of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 12 May 2012 as the Department of Disability Affairs and renamed on 8 December 2014.
For 2024, applications were taken on the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (awards.gov.in) from 15 June to 15 August 2024. A National Selection Committee met on 6 November 2024 and finalised 33 awardees.
PIB's release of 2 December 2024 said President Droupadi Murmu would present the awards to the 33 awardees in New Delhi the next day, 3 December 2024.
Key facts
- PIB said on 2 December 2024 that President Droupadi Murmu would present the 2024 awards to 33 awardees in New Delhi on 3 December 2024.
- DEPwD's 2024 citations: Ananya Bijesh for music, Prateek Khandelwal for accessibility, Priyanka Deepak Dabade for Art & Culture.
- Prateek Khandelwal founded 'Ramp My City'; his citation credits him with making urban environments in India more accessible for persons with disabilities.
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 came into force on 19 April 2017 and raised specified disabilities from 7 to 21.
- DEPwD received 1,886 applications for the 2024 awards: 1,704 in individual categories and 182 in institutional categories.
Source: DEPwD's citations for the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2024.
Study next
Common traps
- Matching by the word 'artist'. DEPwD's citations call both Ananya Bijesh and Priyanka Deepak Dabade artists, but Ananya's field is music and Priyanka's is Art & Culture.
- Placing Prateek Khandelwal in music or art because the other two awardees are artists. His citation is for accessibility, through his work with 'Ramp My City'.
- Stopping after one pair. Option (2) gets Priyanka Deepak Dabade right but misplaces the other two.
A question can list awardees and ask for each one's field as a match. A question can also ask on which day the awards are presented, which department confers them, or how many specified disabilities the 2016 Act recognises.
Related PYQs
UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2021 here once that paper is published on this site.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
On which day are the National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities conferred every year?
- (a)21 March
- (b)3 December
- (c)10 December
- (d)26 November
Answer(2) — DEPwD confers them on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Option (1) is World Down Syndrome Day; option (3) is Human Rights Day; option (4) is Constitution Day in India. - practice — not a real PYQ
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 increased the number of specified disabilities from 7 to:
- (a)14
- (b)18
- (c)21
- (d)25
Answer(3) — With the Act in force from 19 April 2017, specified disabilities rose from 7 under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 to 21. Options (1), (2) and (4) do not match the Act's schedule.