Hard Level – GK Questions

In 2019, the Bharat Ratna was posthumously awarded to Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhupen Hazarika, and conferred on former President Pranab Mukherjee, making all three recipients of the award that year.

Linus Pauling won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1954) for his research on chemical bonds and the Nobel Peace Prize (1962) for his activism against nuclear weapons testing, making him the only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes in different categories.

Manjul Bhargava, an Indian-Canadian-American mathematician, won the Fields Medal in 2014 for developing powerful new methods in the geometry of numbers, which he applied to count rings of small rank and to bound the average rank of elliptic curves.

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize is awarded annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to recognize outstanding Indian scientists under the age of 45.

Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to win an Oscar, sharing the award for Best Costume Design for the film 'Gandhi' in 1983. Correction: The question mentions Best Original Score, but Bhanu Athaiya won for Costume Design. Ravi Shankar was nominated but didn't win. Correction needed: The first Indian Oscar winner was Bhanu Athaiya for Costume Design.

As of 2024, 14 out of the 21 Param Vir Chakra awards have been conferred posthumously, reflecting the supreme sacrifice made by recipients in the line of duty during wartime.

Ashapurna Devi, a Bengali writer, was the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award in 1976 for her novel 'Pratham Pratisruti', though she wrote primarily in Bengali, not Hindi. Correction: Mahadevi Varma was honored later; Ashapurna Devi was indeed the first woman recipient.

Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan became the youngest Nobel laureate ever when she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at age 17 for her advocacy for girls' education and human rights.

Government servants, including those working with PSUs (except doctors and scientists), are generally NOT eligible for Padma Awards. This restriction aims to recognize contributions from non-government individuals.

The Fields Medal is awarded every four years by the International Mathematical Union to mathematicians under 40 years of age for outstanding achievements and future promise in mathematics.

Although there is no statutory limit, a convention established in 1999 suggests that a maximum of three Bharat Ratna awards may be conferred in a year. However, this is not a rigid rule.

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, instituted in 1958 by CSIR, recognizes exceptional research in biological, chemical, earth, engineering, mathematical, medical, and physical sciences.

Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) for radioactivity research and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1911) for discovering radium and polonium. She remains the only person with Nobels in two distinct scientific fields.

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was first awarded in 1969 to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen. It is not one of the original Nobel Prizes established in 1895.

The AI Act is the world's first comprehensive AI law. It balances innovation and fundamental rights: banning manipulative AI, ensuring transparency in chatbots, and requiring human oversight for critical decisions. By setting global standards, it influences AI governance worldwide while fostering trustworthy European AI ecosystems.

The interests of justice analysis balances legal criteria with contextual factors: whether prosecution might exacerbate conflict, undermine peace processes, or neglect victims' needs. By prioritizing meaningful accountability that supports healing and social repair, the Court aims to contribute to sustainable peace and the rule of law.

The ICJ does not request advisory opinions from itself; rather, authorized UN bodies (e.g., General Assembly, Security Council) or specialized agencies (with GA authorization) may request advisory opinions from the ICJ. These opinions, while non-binding, carry significant legal weight and influence the development of international law.

The PRGT offers three instruments: ECF for medium-term support with structural reforms; SCF for short-term balance of payments needs; RCF for urgent assistance without a program. All feature concessional terms, ensuring that debt sustainability is maintained while addressing development challenges.

The Report highlights that stagnant wages can undermine consumption, demand, and social cohesion. It advocates for minimum wage adjustments, collective bargaining coverage, and productivity-linked pay to ensure that economic growth translates into decent living standards for all workers.

System Approaches offer flexibility: if one measure fails, others provide backup protection. This reduces the need for disruptive treatments that can affect product quality or face consumer resistance. By enabling science-based, proportionate measures, they support safe trade while minimizing unnecessary barriers.