General Awareness ยท English Language

Indian Literature and Authors

9,907 Questions

Indian Literature and Authors is a crucial topic for competitive exams, focusing on famous writers, notable books, and literary awards. Questions cover various regional, postcolonial, and historical texts. This collection helps test takers prepare effectively for general awareness sections.

Famous Indian authorsNotable Indian novelsPostcolonial literatureLiterary award winnersRegional Indian literature

Indian Literature and Authors Questions

Multiple choice

Who was the first recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for Short Stories in English?

  1. R. K. Narayan

  2. Raja Rao

  3. Mulk Raj Anand

  4. Anita Desai
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

R. K. Narayan was the first recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for Short Stories in English in 1955 for his collection of short stories, 'Malgudi Days'.

Multiple choice

Which of the following short story writers has won the Jnanpith Award?

  1. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai

  2. Premchand

  3. Ismat Chugtai

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Premchand, and Ismat Chugtai have all won the Jnanpith Award for their contributions to Indian literature, including their short stories.

Multiple choice

Which of the following short story writers has won the Padma Bhushan?

  1. Ruskin Bond

  2. Anita Desai

  3. Raja Rao

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Ruskin Bond, Anita Desai, and Raja Rao have all been awarded the Padma Bhushan for their contributions to Indian literature, including their short stories.

Multiple choice

Which of the following short story writers has won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Short Stories in Hindi?

  1. Premchand

  2. Ismat Chugtai

  3. Krishan Chander

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Premchand, Ismat Chugtai, and Krishan Chander have all won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Short Stories in Hindi for their outstanding contributions to Hindi literature.

Multiple choice

The Yuva Puraskar is given to young writers who have shown promise in which of the following genres?

  1. Novel

  2. Short Story

  3. Poetry

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Yuva Puraskar is given to young writers who have shown promise in novel, short story, and poetry writing.

Multiple choice

Which of the following short story writers has won the Yuva Puraskar?

  1. Jhumpa Lahiri

  2. Amitav Ghosh

  3. Vikram Chandra

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Jhumpa Lahiri, Amitav Ghosh, and Vikram Chandra have all won the Yuva Puraskar for their outstanding short stories.

Multiple choice

Which of the following short story writers has won the Crossword Book Award?

  1. Arundhati Roy

  2. Kiran Desai

  3. Anita Desai

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai, and Anita Desai have all won the Crossword Book Award for their outstanding works of fiction, including short stories.

Multiple choice

Which of the following short story writers has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature?

  1. Jeet Thayil

  2. Aravind Adiga

  3. Amitav Ghosh

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Jeet Thayil, Aravind Adiga, and Amitav Ghosh have all won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for their outstanding works of fiction, including short stories.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Indian short story writers has won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award?

  1. Jhumpa Lahiri

  2. Amitav Ghosh

  3. Vikram Chandra

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Jhumpa Lahiri is the only Indian short story writer to have won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.

Multiple choice

Who is credited with introducing the concept of 'New Criticism' in Indian literary criticism?

  1. M.K. Naik

  2. G.N. Devy

  3. K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar

  4. C.D. Narasimhaiah
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

M.K. Naik is widely recognized for introducing the concept of 'New Criticism' in Indian literary criticism through his influential book 'The Ironic Vision: A Study of the Novels of Henry James'.

Multiple choice

Which Indian literary scholar is known for his work on the 'theory of relevance' in literary criticism?

  1. R.S. Crane

  2. W.K. Wimsatt

  3. M.H. Abrams

  4. Mukund Lath
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Mukund Lath, an Indian literary scholar, is known for his work on the 'theory of relevance' in literary criticism, which emphasizes the importance of the reader's response and experience in understanding a literary text.

Multiple choice

Who among the following is considered a prominent figure in the field of postcolonial literary criticism in India?

  1. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

  2. Homi K. Bhabha

  3. Edward Said

  4. Aijaz Ahmad
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak is a renowned Indian literary scholar and theorist who has made significant contributions to postcolonial literary criticism, particularly through her work on the subaltern and the politics of representation.

Multiple choice

Which Indian literary scholar is known for his work on the concept of 'cultural nationalism' in Indian literature?

  1. Rabindranath Tagore

  2. Sri Aurobindo

  3. Mahatma Gandhi

  4. Jawaharlal Nehru
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Sri Aurobindo, an Indian philosopher, poet, and literary critic, is known for his work on the concept of 'cultural nationalism' in Indian literature, emphasizing the importance of preserving and promoting India's cultural heritage.

Multiple choice

Who among the following is considered a pioneer in the study of Indian English literature?

  1. K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar

  2. C.D. Narasimhaiah

  3. M.K. Naik

  4. G.N. Devy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar is widely regarded as a pioneer in the study of Indian English literature, having written extensively on Indian writers in English and contributing to the establishment of Indian English literature as a distinct field of study.

Multiple choice

Who among the following is considered a prominent figure in the field of feminist literary criticism in India?

  1. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

  2. Kamala Das

  3. Mahasweta Devi

  4. Urvashi Butalia
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak is a renowned Indian literary scholar and theorist who has made significant contributions to feminist literary criticism, particularly through her work on the subaltern and the politics of representation.