Under the Constitution of India, which Article abolishes titles and is cited in connection with the civilian awards?
- A.Article 14
- B.Article 16
- C.Article 18
- D.Article 21
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Article 18, which abolishes titles and forbids the State from conferring any title except a military or academic distinction. Because of it, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma awards may not be used as a prefix or suffix to a recipient's name, and the awards were challenged on this ground before the Supreme Court upheld them in the Balaji Raghavan case.
Option A, Article 14, guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws. Option B, Article 16, provides for equality of opportunity in matters of public employment. Option D, Article 21, protects life and personal liberty and is the most litigated Article of the Constitution. All three belong to the Fundamental Rights, as does Article 18, which is why they appear together, but only Article 18 deals with titles. Remember the pair: Article 18 and the rule that an award is not a title.
Read the full article: Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards: Rules and Firsts
Practice Questions
View allThe Bharat Ratna and the Padma awards were instituted in which year?
- A.1950
- B.1952
- C.1954
- D.1955
Show answer
Both honours were instituted on 2 January 1954 by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and the first Bharat Ratna was conferred in the same year on C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman.
Read the full explanation →Which civilian award of India ranks immediately below the Bharat Ratna?
- A.Padma Shri
- B.Padma Vibhushan
- C.Padma Bhushan
- D.Ashoka Chakra
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The order of precedence of the civilian honours runs Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, and the Padma Vibhushan is given for exceptional and distinguished service.
Read the full explanation →Who were the first recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 1954?
- A.Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Rajendra Prasad
- B.C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman
- C.B. R. Ambedkar, C. V. Raman and Zakir Husain
- D.Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari
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All three were honoured in 1954, the first year of the award. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India, Radhakrishnan was a philosopher who later became President, and Raman was the physicist who discovered the effect that carries his name.
Read the full explanation →Who was the first person to be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously?
- A.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- B.Lal Bahadur Shastri
- C.B. R. Ambedkar
- D.Subhas Chandra Bose
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Until then the honour had been given only to living persons.
Read the full explanation →Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna?
- A.Mother Teresa
- B.Sarojini Naidu
- C.Indira Gandhi
- D.M. S. Subbulakshmi
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She was Prime Minister at the time, and the award followed the events of that year.
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