Indian Honours and Awards

Arvind Kejriwal received the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership specifically for his contribution to the Right to Information (RTI) movement in India. His work with Parivartan and later with the National Campaign for People's Right to Information helped empower citizens to fight corruption through the use of the RTI Act. He was not recognized for water panchayats, employment guarantee schemes, or slum education.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was India's first Education Minister and received Bharat Ratna in 1992 (posthumously) for his contributions to education and the freedom movement.

Sangeetha Kalanidhi (Tamil for 'Treasure of Music') is the highest award given to Carnatic musicians by the Madras Music Academy. It recognizes lifetime achievement and contribution to the Carnatic music tradition.

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, a prominent Hindustani classical vocalist, was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2014. She is renowned for her Jaipur-Atrauli gharana style of singing.

Bal Shahitya Bharti is the prize awarded in the field of children's literature by the Hindi Institute in Uttar Pradesh. Bharat-Bharti Honour, Sahitya Bhushan Honour are different literary awards.

Sudha Mahalingam, a distinguished strategic affairs analyst and former member of the National Security Advisory Board, was awarded the first K. Subrahmanyam Award for Excellence in Strategic Studies. This award commemorates K. Subrahmanyam, the father of Indian strategic studies. The award recognizes significant contributions to strategic and security studies in India.

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award is one of India's most prestigious science awards, given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to recognize outstanding contributions in science and technology. It is named after the first Director-General of CSIR and is awarded in various scientific disciplines.

Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, conferred for exceptional service in any field. The Padma Shri is a lower-tier civilian award, while Dadasaheb Phalke is specifically for cinematic contribution. Magsaysay is a Philippine award, not Indian.

Lata Mangeshkar was conferred France's highest civilian honor 'Officer de la Legion d'Honneur' (Officer of the Legion of Honour) in 2007 by French President Jacques Chirac, recognizing her legendary contribution to music spanning over six decades and her status as one of India's greatest cultural ambassadors.

The Borlaug Award (named after Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug) is given for outstanding contributions to agricultural research and development in India. The other awards are for different fields: Dr. Homi Bhabha Award (nuclear physics), Ramon Magsaysay Award (public service in Asia), and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (science and technology in India).

Acharya Ram Murti Tripathi was a noted Hindi scholar and writer. The Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Sansthan's Bharat Bharati Samman recognizes significant contributions to Hindi literature.

Dr. Yalavarthi Nayudamma Award 2008 was given to Shri T. Rama Swamy for contributions to science and technology. The award commemorates the scientist who died in the 1985 Air India bombing. The other options (Chidambaram, Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh) were prominent politicians but not scientists.

Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1999.

Devika Rani was the first recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1969. As a pioneering actress and co-founder of Bombay Talkies, she was recognized for her immense contribution to Indian cinema during the 1930s-1940s.

Dr. B. Ramesh Babu, a renowned cardiologist from Andhra Pradesh, won the B.C. Roy National Award for 2006. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in the medical field and was presented to him on July 1, 2008, for his contributions to cardiac care and medical services.