Awards And Honours

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** The national awards such as Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri do not amount to titles within the meaning of Article 18(1) of the Constitution. **Statement 2 is incorrect:** Padma awards were instituted in the year 1954 and have been suspended in years 1978, 1979, 1993, and 1997. **Statement 3 is incorrect:** Although there is a general guideline to limit the Bharat Ratna to three recipients per year, this rule has been exceeded twice: In 1999, four awards were conferred (Jayaprakash Narayan, Amartya Sen, Gopinath Bordoloi, and Ravi Shankar) and in 2024, Five awards were conferred (M.S. Swaminathan, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Karpoori Thakur, and L.K. Advani).

**Statement 1 is correct:** The Laureus World Sports Award was instituted in the year 1999 and the first ceremony was held in May 2000 in Monte Carlo. American golfer Tiger Woods was indeed the inaugural winner of the "Laureus World Sportsman of the Year" award, following his record-breaking performances in the late 1990s. **Statement 2 is incorrect:** The award has not been received mostly by Formula One players. Historically, Tennis players have dominated this category. As of 2026, Tennis stars (Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic) have won the award 12 times, whereas Formula One drivers (Schumacher, Vettel, and Hamilton) have won it 4 times. Athletics (Usain Bolt) also holds 4 wins. **Statement 3 is correct:** Roger Federer holds the record for receiving this award the maximum number of times in the "Sportsman of the Year" category. He won it 5 times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2018). While Novak Djokovic has since matched this tally of 5 wins, Federer remains the most decorated Laureus winner overall when including his "Comeback of the Year" award (6 total statuettes).

**National Sports Awards** are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. * **Pair 1 is correctly matched**: **Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award** is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance over the previous four years. * **Pair 2 is not correctly matched**: **Arjuna Award** for outstanding performance in Sports and Games is given for good performance over the previous four years and showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. * **Pair 3 is correctly matched**: **Dronacharya Award** is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work consistently and enabling sportspersons to excel in International events. * **Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games** is given to honour sportspersons who have contributed to sports through their performance and continue to contribute to the promotion of sports events after their retirement. * **Pair 4 is not correctly matched**: **Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar** is given to corporate entities (both in the private and public sector), sports control boards, and NGOs including sports bodies at the state and national level who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.

**Statement 1 is correct:** It was India’s first time hosting the Chess Olympiad (held near Chennai/Mamallapuram, 28 July–9 August 2022). Supporting facts: first-ever Olympiad torch relay across multiple Indian cities; record participation with close to 190 teams in Open and over 160 in Women’s; as host, India fielded multiple teams in each section. **Statement 2 is correct:** The official mascot was ‘Thambi’ (Tamil for “younger brother”). Supporting facts: chosen to reflect Tamil Nadu’s culture and hospitality; widely used in event branding, promotions, and public outreach. **Statement 3 is not correct:** The Open section winners receive the Hamilton–Russell Cup, not the Vera Menchik Cup. Clarification: Hamilton–Russell Cup is the historic team trophy of the Open section (perpetual trophy retained by the winning federation until the next Olympiad). **Statement 4 is not correct:** The Women’s section winners receive the Vera Menchik Cup, not the Hamilton–Russell Cup. Clarification: the trophy honours Vera Menchik, the first Women’s World Chess Champion; awarded to the Women’s section winners.