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

Which author has won the Jnanpith Award for a work of drama?

  1. Amrita Pritam

  2. Girish Karnad

  3. Ravindra Kelekar

  4. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Girish Karnad is the only author to have won the Jnanpith Award for a work of drama, his 1998 play Tughlaq.

Multiple choice

Which author has won the Jnanpith Award for a work of fiction?

  1. Amrita Pritam

  2. Girish Karnad

  3. Ravindra Kelekar

  4. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Tarashankar Bandopadhyay is the only author to have won the Jnanpith Award for a work of fiction, his 1967 novel Ganadevata.

Multiple choice

Which author has won the Jnanpith Award for a work of translation?

  1. Amrita Pritam

  2. Girish Karnad

  3. Ravindra Kelekar

  4. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Ravindra Kelekar is the only author to have won the Jnanpith Award for a work of translation, his 1988 translation of the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi.

Multiple choice

Which author has won the Jnanpith Award for a work of children's literature?

  1. Amrita Pritam

  2. Girish Karnad

  3. Ravindra Kelekar

  4. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Amrita Pritam is the only author to have won the Jnanpith Award for a work of children's literature, her 1955 collection Chotte Mote Kadam.

Multiple choice

Which author has won the Jnanpith Award for a work of travel literature?

  1. Amrita Pritam

  2. Girish Karnad

  3. Ravindra Kelekar

  4. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Ravindra Kelekar is the only author to have won the Jnanpith Award for a work of travel literature, his 1988 book Sambhaji.

Multiple choice

Which of the following authors is considered a pioneer of Indian English literature?

  1. R.K. Narayan

  2. Raja Rao

  3. Mulk Raj Anand

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

R.K. Narayan, Raja Rao, and Mulk Raj Anand are all pioneers of Indian English literature, having made significant contributions to the development of the genre.

Multiple choice

Which of the following novels by R.K. Narayan is set in the fictional town of Malgudi?

  1. The Guide

  2. Swami and Friends

  3. The English Teacher

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

All of the mentioned novels by R.K. Narayan are set in the fictional town of Malgudi, which serves as a backdrop for many of his stories.

Multiple choice

Who is the protagonist of Raja Rao's novel "Kanthapura"?

  1. Achakka

  2. Moorthy

  3. Rangamma

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

Achakka is the central character and narrator of Raja Rao's novel "Kanthapura", a woman who witnesses the social and political changes in her village during the Indian independence movement.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a recurring theme in the works of Mulk Raj Anand?

  1. Social injustice

  2. Urban poverty

  3. The plight of the working class

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

Mulk Raj Anand's works often explore themes of social injustice, urban poverty, and the plight of the working class, reflecting the social realities of India during his time.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of the novel "Midnight's Children"?

  1. Salman Rushdie

  2. Arundhati Roy

  3. Vikram Seth

  4. Jhumpa Lahiri
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Salman Rushdie is the author of the novel "Midnight's Children", which won the Booker Prize in 1981 and is considered a landmark work of Indian English literature.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Indian English literary movement known as "The Hungry Generation"?

  1. Rejection of traditional values

  2. Experimental writing techniques

  3. Focus on urban life

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

The Hungry Generation was a literary movement in India during the 1960s and 1970s, characterized by a rejection of traditional values, experimentation with writing techniques, and a focus on urban life.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of the novel "The God of Small Things"?

  1. Arundhati Roy

  2. Vikram Seth

  3. Jhumpa Lahiri

  4. Amitav Ghosh
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Arundhati Roy is the author of the novel "The God of Small Things", which won the Booker Prize in 1997 and is known for its lyrical prose and exploration of themes such as love, loss, and family.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of the novel "The Namesake"?

  1. Jhumpa Lahiri

  2. Amitav Ghosh

  3. Aravind Adiga

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

Jhumpa Lahiri is the author of the novel "The Namesake", which explores the lives of Indian immigrants in the United States and the challenges they face in balancing their cultural heritage with their new surroundings.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of the novel "The White Tiger"?

  1. Aravind Adiga

  2. Kiran Desai

  3. Amitav Ghosh

  4. Vikram Seth
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Aravind Adiga is the author of the novel "The White Tiger", which won the Man Booker Prize in 2008 and is a satirical exploration of social inequality and class struggles in India.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of the novel "Sea of Poppies"?

  1. Amitav Ghosh

  2. Aravind Adiga

  3. Kiran Desai

  4. Jhumpa Lahiri
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Amitav Ghosh is the author of the novel "Sea of Poppies", which is the first book in the Ibis Trilogy and explores the opium trade in the Indian Ocean during the 19th century.