UPSC Prelims 2005 Q148: Current Affairs – Awards & Honours
Consider the following statements:
1. The Man Booker Prize is awarded to citizens of any of the countries of the British
Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland.
2. A leading London - based software company underwrites the Man Booker Prize presently.
3. The winner of the Man Booker Prize in the year 2004 is a South Asian.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 3
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation
Man Booker Prize
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 1. Open to Commonwealth and Irish citizens | True |
| 2. Underwritten by a London-based software company | False: underwritten by the Man Group, a financial (hedge fund) firm |
| 3. 2004 winner is South Asian | False: the 2004 winner was Alan Hollinghurst (British) |
Only statement 1 is correct.
Answer: (a) 1 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Only statement 1 is correct.
- (b) Incorrect. The 2004 winner was British.
- (c) Incorrect. Statements 2 and 3 are false.
- (d) Incorrect. Statements 2 and 3 are false.
Key point
Booker: 2004 Hollinghurst (The Line of Beauty), 2005 John Banville, 2006 Kiran Desai.
Remember
Man Group, a financial firm, sponsors the Man Booker Prize.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the sponsor is a software firm.
- Naming a South Asian winner of 2004.
- Forgetting Irish citizens are eligible.
Exam tip
South Asian winners: Salman Rushdie (1981), Arundhati Roy (1997), Kiran Desai (2006), Aravind Adiga (2008).
Sources
- The Booker Prize Foundation — Eligibility and previous winners (2004: The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst; 2005: The Sea by John Banville)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Booker Prize