SSC
Who was the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Shri award?
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Answer: Option A — Balbir Singh Dosanjh (Senior)
Detailed Solution
Balbir Singh Dosanjh (1923-2020), better known as Balbir Singh Senior, became the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Shri, in 1957. He was one of India's greatest hockey players.
About Balbir Singh Senior:
- He was born in Haripur Khalsa, Punjab.
- He won three Olympic gold medals with the Indian hockey team: London 1948, Helsinki 1952 (as vice-captain) and Melbourne 1956 (as captain).
In the 1952 Helsinki final against the Netherlands, he scored five goals, which is still the Olympic record for the most goals by an individual in a men's hockey final. India won 6-1.
He was India's flag-bearer at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics.
He was the manager (and chief coach) of the Indian team that won the 1975 Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
In 2012, the International Olympic Committee included him among 16 "iconic Olympians" of the modern Olympic era, the only Indian on the list.
He died in May 2020 at the age of 96.
The Padma awards:
- They were instituted in 1954 and are announced every year on the eve of Republic Day.
- There are three Padma awards: Padma Vibhushan (exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of a high order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service in any field).
- Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey wizard, received the Padma Bhushan in 1956; this is sometimes given as the first Padma award to a sportsperson, but it was a Padma Bhushan, not a Padma Shri.
Some other "firsts":
- First sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna: Sachin Tendulkar (2014).
- First sportsperson to receive the Padma Vibhushan: Viswanathan Anand (2007).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Milkha Singh received the Padma Shri in 1959.
- ✗Major Dhyan Chand received the Padma Bhushan (1956), not the Padma Shri first.
- ✗Prakash Padukone received the Padma Shri in 1982.
Quick tip
Remember: First sportsperson with Padma Shri = Balbir Singh Senior (1957; 5 goals in the 1952 final); Dhyan Chand = Padma Bhushan 1956; first sports Padma Vibhushan = Viswanathan Anand (2007).
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.