Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards:
1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
3. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements are not correct?

1 and 2 only

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

APEDIA

UPSC Prelims

2021 • 10 Oct, 2021 • Paper-1

Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards:
1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
3. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements are not correct?

Correct Answer

See Explanation

Constitutional Status Analysis: The Supreme Court, in the Balaji Raghavan case (1996), distinctly ruled that national civilian awards like Bharat Ratna and Padm......

💡 Analysis & Explanation

Constitutional Status Analysis ▼

The Supreme Court, in the Balaji Raghavan case (1996), distinctly ruled that national civilian awards like Bharat Ratna and Padma awards act as honors for exceptional service, and do not amount to 'titles' prohibited under Article 18(1) of the Constitution. Therefore, the first statement is factually incorrect.

Historical Suspensions ▼

The Padma Awards were instituted in 1954. However, they faced multiple suspensions due to political and legal challenges, specifically during the periods of 1978-1979 (under the Janata Party government) and later from 1993 to 1997 pending a Supreme Court judgment. Hence, the assertion that they were suspended "only once" is false.

Numerical Limitations ▼

According to the established official statutes regarding the highest civilian honor, the number of Bharat Ratna awards is strictly restricted to a maximum of three in any given year, not five. Thus, the third statement is also entirely incorrect.

Conclusion ▼

Since all statements are fundamentally incorrect, and the official answer key opted to 'Drop' this item due to potential ambiguities in options, it remains a dropped question.

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