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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
All three statements are wrong, so the answer is 1, 2 and 3. The awards are not 'titles' (they cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the name), the Padma Awards were interrupted twice (1978-79 and 1993-97), and Bharat Ratna is limited to three a year, not five.
- ✗ 1. Article 18(1) bars the State from conferring titles. The Ministry of Home Affairs states that the Padma award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardee's name; Bharat Ratna is treated the same way.
- ✗ 2. The Padma Awards were instituted in 1954 but were interrupted in 1978-79 and again from 1993 to 1997, so they were suspended twice, not once.
- ✗ 3. The number of Bharat Ratna awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year, not five.
Remember · Bharat Ratna: maximum three a year. Padma Awards (1954) were interrupted in 1978-79 and 1993-97. Neither is a 'title' under Article 18(1); neither may be a name prefix or suffix.
Sources
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Padma Awards scheme note ↗ “Padma Awards were instituted in the year 1954. Except for brief interruption(s) during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997, these awards have been announced every year on Republic Day. … The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardee’s name on letterheads, invitation cards, posters, books etc.”
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Bharat Ratna scheme note ↗ “The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.”
- Constitution of India, Article 18(1) (Abolition of titles) ↗ “No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·