UPSC Prelims 2006 Q143: Current Affairs – Awards & Honours
Consider the following statements:
1. The Nobel Prize Awarding Ceremony takes place on December 10 every year.
2. The Nobel Prize for Literature was added later on to the other five areas - Physics, Chemistry,
Physiology or Medicine, Peace and Economics.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation
Nobel Prize facts
| Statement | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The award ceremony is held on 10 December every year | True | 10 December is the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel |
| 2. The Literature prize was added later to the other five areas | False | The original five were Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace; it was Economics (1969) that was added later |
Only statement 1 is correct.
Answer: (a) 1 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. The ceremony is held on 10 December each year; Literature was among the original prizes.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 2 is false, since Economics, not Literature, was added later.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 2 is false, so both cannot be correct.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 1 is true, so it is not 'neither'.
Key point
The Nobel ceremony is held on 10 December, and it is Economics (1969), not Literature, that was added later.
Remember
Economics, not Literature, was the later Nobel addition.
Common mistakes
- Treating Literature as a later addition.
- Forgetting that the Economics prize is not an original Nobel prize.
- Not linking 10 December with Alfred Nobel's death date.
Exam tip
Original five prizes: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace; Economics added in 1969.
Sources
- Nobel Foundation — Statutes of the Nobel Foundation
- Sveriges Riksbank — The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (first awarded 1969)