The List of Awards in India | Highest Civilian, Gallantry & National Awards

Awards are tokens of recognition, honour & respect towards people for their notable & remarkable societal achievements. These national awards are announced by the government of India to individuals for their impeccable contributions or performances in various fields regardless of their religion, age, caste, occupation etc. Here, we are explaining the list of awards in India under different categories, including Civilian Awards, Gallantry Awards and National Awards.

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Major Categories of Awards in India

The awards play an important role in showing gratitude to the individuals who have delivered their  immense contributions to society. They signify a token of excellence to people in a certain field and encourage them to do better in every walk of life. The Indian government has announced various awards to recognise individuals for their exceptional & excellent services to the community. Look at the list of awards in India, along with the winners’ details.

Here are India's most popular types of awards:

1. Civilian Awards

2. Gallantry Awards

3. National Sports Awards in India

List of Awards in India: Civilian Awards

The Civilian awards were founded in 1954 to recognise people with commendable accomplishments in their respective work areas. The Indian President acknowledges these awards to the awardees on Republic Day. Civilian awards are divided as per the degree of honour. 

• Bharat Ratna- First Degree of Honor

• Padma Vibhushan- Second Degree of Honor

• Padma Bhushan- Third Degree of Honor

• Padma Shri- Fourth Degree of Honor

Bharat Ratna

The list of awards in India starts with Bharat Ratna. Founded on 2nd January 1954, Bharat Ratna is the country's highest, most renowned & most popular civilian award. It is granted to those for outstanding acquirements in science, literature, art, and public services. It was first granted in 1964 to Dr CV Raman, Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari.

Take a look at the Bharat Ratna award list:

Padma Vibhushan

It is the second highest & renowned civilian award in the country which is granted to people with impeccable works in the fields of Literature, Arts, Science, and Public Services.

Padma Bhushan

Another civilian award in the list of awards in India includes Padma Bhushan. This represents the third-highest civilian award in India. It is granted to people with their achievements or works in any field, including services rendered by Government servants such as Doctors or Scientists but excluding public sector undertakings.

Take a look at the Padma Bhushan award list:

Padma Shri

Also known as Padma Shree, it is the fourth-highest civilian award in India which is conferred to individuals for their immense works in the fields with services given by the Government employees.  Balbir Singh Sr was the first person who got this award in the field of Sports.

Take a look at the Padma Shri award list:

List of Awards in India: Gallantry Award

Gallantry awards are given two times in the year, first, on Independence Day while second on Republic Day. Among the list of awards in India, these awards are given by the Government of India to honour personnel of the Indian Armed Forces for their bravery and sacrifices towards the country.

Take a look at the gallantry award list below-mentioned here:

• Param Vir Chakra

• Kirti Chakra

• Vir Chakra

• Mahavir Chakra

• Ashoka Chakra

• Shaurya Chakra

Param Vir Chakra

This award is considered the highest military award in India which is awarded to a soldier for his outstanding bravery, skills & courage at the time of war. These awards were introduced on January 26, 1950. The award refers to the “Wheel of the Ultimate Brave”.

Mahavir Chakra

It is the second most popular & highest military award in India after followed by Param Vir Chakra, which is awarded to the soldiers for showing exceptional gallantry & bravery while facing enemies in the wars, whether on land, sea or in the air.

Vir Chakra

Vir Chakra is the third highest & most known military award in India, which is granted to soldiers and army officers for bravery while fighting the enemy on the land, sea or air.

Ashoka Chakra

This award came into existence in 1952. It was renamed in 1967 to honour the noticeable acts of courage & gallantry on the battlefield while facing the enemy on land, sea or in the air.

Kirti Chakra

The Kirti Chakra award was founded in 1952. From January 27, 1967, it started known as Kirti Chakra.

Shaurya Chakra

This Indian military award is conferred to army personnel and a civilian for bravery or sacrifice while not indulging in any direct course of actions with the enemy.

List of Awards in India: National Awards

Apart from these Civilian and Gallantry awards, the list of awards in India also includes several National Awards in various categories such as Sports, Cinema, and Literature. Here are some of the National Awards in India:

• Dadasaheb Phalke Award

• Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace & Development

• Gandhi Peace Prize

• Bhartiya Jnanpith Award

• Sahitya Akademi Award

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

This is the National award given to a film personality for their remarkable works towards the development of Indian cinema. Dadasaheb Phalke is popularly recognised as the Father of Cinema in India, and therefore, the renowned national award is known in his remembrance.

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace & Development

The renowned award was founded in 1985 to honour individuals for their outstanding works for international peace and development.

Bhartiya Jnanpith Award

It is the most popular literary award in India, which Bharatiya Jnanpith instituted in 1961. This award is honoured to those who have delivered noticeable works in literature.

Sahitya Akademi Award

Founded in 1954 by the government of India, gives these awards to the writers of exceptional books of literary merit.

Gandhi Peace Prize

Came into existence on October 2, 1994; the award was given to promote the importance of Gandhi's values worldwide.

The national awards 2022 winners list:

• Dadasaheb Phalke Award - Asha Parekh 

• Bhartiya Jnanpith Award - Damodar Mauzo (Konkani)

Wrapping Up

Now you know the list of awards in India along with the details of their winners. Honouring people with National awards is a way of showing gratitude for their excellent pieces of work & provided services in their respective fields. This encourages awardees to continue pursuing noble work in every walks of life and makes them realise that their work is valued. It is signified as a token of encouragement for their impeccable work.