In which year "Arjun Award" was introduced ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (2):
The Arjuna Award was officially introduced by the Government of India in the year 1961. It was established to recognize and honor outstanding achievement in sports and games by Indian sportspersons over a period of four consecutive years immediately preceding the year of the award. The name is derived from Arjuna, the skilled archer from the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, symbolizing excellence and dedication in one's craft. For three decades, until the inception of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 1991, the Arjuna Award remained India's highest national sporting honor, showcasing the importance of its 1961 launch in shaping the country's sports recognition framework.

The incorrect option is (1):
The year 1959 is incorrect because the Arjuna Award was not in existence yet. Although the post-independence era saw a growing focus on national sports development, the formal scheme to create a prestigious national award to recognize sporting heroes had not been institutionalized by 1959. Therefore, 1959 merely precedes the official establishment of the award by two years. The push for a national honor that encouraged excellence in various sporting disciplines culminated in the 1961 introduction.

The incorrect option is (3):
The year 1963 is incorrect because, by this time, the Arjuna Award was already a well-established annual prize. The inaugural awards were distributed in 1961, which means 1963 marked the third year of the award's regular presentation. Notable athletes like Stephie D’Souza and Chuni Goswami were among the recipients in 1963, demonstrating that the award's introductory year had already passed, as a number of sportspersons had already received the honor in 1961 and 1962.

The incorrect option is (4):
The year 1965 is incorrect. If the award had been introduced in 1965, the first recipients would have been honored in that year. Instead, the award had already completed four successful years of presentations by this time. In fact, many distinguished sports personalities, such as Elvera Britto and Vijay Manjrekar, were honored in the 1965 ceremony, confirming that it was a year of distribution for an established award, not the year of its inception.