The National Sports Awards, conferred annually on National Sports Day (August 29, commemorating the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand) by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, constitute the apex sporting honours of the Republic. Administered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the apex honour—renamed in August 2021 as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (instituted in 1991–92)—is awarded for spectacular and outstanding performance over a four-year period, with Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand as its inaugural recipient. The Arjuna Award (instituted in 1961) honours consistent international performance and leadership qualities. Coaching excellence is honoured through the Dronacharya Award (instituted 1985, featuring regular and lifetime categories), while the Dhyan Chand Award (instituted 2002) recognizes lifetime contributions to sports development. Institutional support is recognized through the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar and the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for top-performing universities.
High-yield conceptual summaries for competitive exams and rapid revision.
The National Sports Awards are presented annually on National Sports Day (August 29) on Major Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (instituted in 1991–92) is India’s highest sporting honor; Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was its first recipient.
Karnam Malleswari was the first woman to receive the Rajiv Gandhi / Khel Ratna Award (1994–95).
The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961 to recognize outstanding achievements in national and international sports.
The Dronacharya Award was instituted in 1985 to honour excellence in sports coaching, first awarded to O.M. Nambiar, Om Prakash Bhardwaj, and Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat.
Showing 22 Curated Questions22 Total in Bank
1ID: GK-AWRD-00019
easyKhel Ratna, Arjuna & Sports Honours
Who was the first Indian sports personality to be awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1991–92?
Verified Explanation
India's first chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was the inaugural recipient of the Khel Ratna.
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easyKhel Ratna, Arjuna & Sports Honours
What is India's highest sporting honor, named after the legendary hockey wizard?
Verified Explanation
Renamed in 2021 from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, it carries a medallion, certificate, and cash prize of ₹25 lakh.
3ID: GK-AWRD-00488
easyScience Sports Awards
Who was the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) when it was instituted in 1991-92?
Verified Explanation
Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was conferred the inaugural Khel Ratna in 1991-92 for his extraordinary international achievements in chess.
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easyScience Sports Awards
What is India's highest sporting honour, renamed in 2021 in memory of the legendary hockey wizard (formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna)?
Verified Explanation
The Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sports honour instituted in 1991–92, was officially renamed the 'Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award' in August 2021.
5ID: GK-AWRD-00557
mediumScience Sports Awards
Who was the inaugural recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) when it was first presented in 1991–92?
Verified Explanation
Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was the first recipient of the Khel Ratna in 1991–92 following his rise to world chess prominence after becoming India's first Grandmaster in 1988.
6ID: GK-AWRD-00007
easyKhel Ratna, Arjuna & Sports Honours
Which award is presented annually to outstanding coaches and trainers in Indian sports?
Verified Explanation
Instituted in 1985, the Dronacharya Award honors eminent sports coaches in regular and lifetime categories.
7ID: GK-AWRD-00039
mediumKhel Ratna, Arjuna & Sports Honours
The 'Dronacharya Award' (Lifetime Category) confers what cash prize amount along with a bronze statuette of Dronacharya?
Verified Explanation
Revised in 2020: Dronacharya Lifetime and Dhyan Chand Lifetime receive ₹15 lakh; Dronacharya Regular and Arjuna receive ₹15 lakh.
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easyScience Sports Awards
Who was the first cricketer to be awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) Award in 1997–98?
Verified Explanation
Tendulkar received the Khel Ratna following his extraordinary 1997–98 season (including the Desert Storm centuries in Sharjah).
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mediumScience Sports Awards
Who was the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi (now Major Dhyan Chand) Khel Ratna Award in the inaugural year 1991-92?
Verified Explanation
India's first Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was awarded the inaugural Khel Ratna award in 1991-92 for his exceptional achievements in international chess.
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easyScience Sports Awards
Who was the first recipient of India's premier sporting honour, the Khel Ratna Award, in the inaugural year 1991–1992?
Verified Explanation
Chess Grandmaster and 5-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand was conferred the first-ever Khel Ratna Award in 1991-92 for his pathbreaking global achievements.
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easyScience Sports Awards
In August 2021, India's highest sporting honour—previously known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award—was officially renamed in honour of which sporting legend?
Verified Explanation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 6 August 2021 that the Khel Ratna Award was renamed the 'Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award' to honour the legendary hockey wizard.
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mediumScience Sports Awards
Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal and was consequently awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1994–95 and Padma Shri in 1999?
Verified Explanation
Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari received the Khel Ratna in 1994–95 following her World Championship gold medals, before winning bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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hardScience Sports Awards
Which Indian para-shooter became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals in a single edition (Gold in 10m Air Rifle and Bronze in 50m Rifle 3P at Tokyo 2020) and was awarded the Khel Ratna in 2021?
Verified Explanation
Avani Lekhara won gold in the Women's R2 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 with an equaled world record, and bronze in 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
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easySports Tournaments, Cups & Records
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports conferred the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 jointly on which star Indian badminton men's doubles pair?
Verified Explanation
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports awarded the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 jointly to badminton players Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The duo achieved historic milestones including winning gold at the 2022 Asian Games, the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships, and attaining the World No. 1 BWF doubles ranking.
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easyScience Sports Awards
What is the highest sporting honour in India, renamed in 2021 in honor of the legendary field hockey wizard?
Verified Explanation
The Khel Ratna Award (formerly Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna) was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021 to honor Major Dhyan Chand.
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easyScience Sports Awards
What is the highest sporting honour awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India, renamed in 2021 in honour of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand?
Verified Explanation
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (formerly Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, instituted in 1991–92 with chess legend Viswanathan Anand as its first recipient) is India's pinnacle sports honour.
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easyScience Sports Awards
What is the highest sporting honour of the Republic of India, officially renamed in August 2021 in honour of a legendary hockey wizard?
Verified Explanation
Formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, it was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on 6 August 2021.
18ID: GK-AWRD-00356
easyScience Sports Awards
What is the highest sporting honour of the Republic of India, renamed in August 2021 to honor India's legendary hockey player?
Verified Explanation
Formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sports honour was officially renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021.
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easyScience Sports Awards
Which is India's highest sporting honour, renamed in August 2021 in honour of legendary hockey icon Major Dhyan Chand?
Verified Explanation
The Khel Ratna Award (originally instituted in 1991–92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna) was officially renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
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hardGeneral Facts, Superlatives & Important National Days
National Sports Day (Rashtriya Khel Divas) is observed on 29 August every year to mark the birth anniversary of which legendary sports icon?
Verified Explanation
National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August to honor the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, who helped India win three Olympic gold medals in field hockey (1928, 1932, and 1936). The National Sports Awards (Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya) are traditionally conferred by the President of India on this day.
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easyFirst in India: Men & Pioneering Male Achievers
Who became the first Indian Chess Grandmaster after achieving his final norm at the Shakti Finance International tournament in 1988?
Verified Explanation
Viswanathan Anand became India's first Chess Grandmaster in 1988 at the age of 18. He was subsequently awarded the inaugural Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) in 1991-92 and went on to win the World Chess Championship five times.
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easyFirst in India: Men & Pioneering Male Achievers
Who became India's first International Chess Grandmaster in 1988 after securing his final norm at the Shakti Finance International tournament?
Verified Explanation
Viswanathan Anand achieved the Grandmaster title in 1988 at the age of 18 after winning the Shakti Finance International Grandmaster Tournament in Coimbatore. He went on to become a five-time World Chess Champion and was the inaugural recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991–92.