Explore India’s famous literary and cultural personalities along with their fields of achievements. This guide is designed for AISSEE Class 6 GK preparation, featuring important questions and answers to help students excel in the exam.
General Knowledge is an important section in the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) Class 6. Questions related to famous literary and cultural personalities of India are frequently asked. Below are some important questions and answers to help students prepare effectively.
GK India: Literary and Cultural Personalities – Names and Fields of Achievements for All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) Class 6 GK Section
Q1. Who is known as the ‘Nightingale of India’ and what is her contribution?
A. Sarojini Naidu – She was a poet and freedom fighter, famous for her literary works like The Golden Threshold and The Broken Wing.
Q2. Who is called the ‘Father of Indian Cinema’?
A. Dadasaheb Phalke – He is regarded as the pioneer of Indian cinema and directed India’s first full-length film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).
Q3. Who is the author of the epic ‘Ramcharitmanas’?
A. Goswami Tulsidas – He wrote Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi language, which narrates the story of Lord Rama.
Q4. Who wrote ‘Discovery of India’ and what is it about?
A. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – The book is about India’s rich history, culture, and civilization from ancient to modern times.
Q5. Who is the first Indian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature?
A. Rabindranath Tagore – He won the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his book of poems, Gitanjali.
Q6. Which famous Indian classical dancer is known for reviving Bharatanatyam?
A. Rukmini Devi Arundale – She played a crucial role in bringing Bharatanatyam to the global stage.
Q7. Who composed India’s National Song ‘Vande Mataram’?
A. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay – He wrote Vande Mataram, which became an inspiration during India’s freedom struggle.
Q8. Who is known as the ‘Shakespeare of India’?
A. Kalidasa – He was a great Sanskrit poet and playwright known for works like Abhijnanasakuntalam and Meghadutam.
Q9. Who is the author of the famous book ‘Malgudi Days’?
A. R.K. Narayan – He wrote Malgudi Days, a collection of short stories set in the fictional town of Malgudi.
Q10. Who is a well-known Indian painter famous for modern art?
A. M.F. Husain – He is regarded as one of India’s greatest modern painters, known for his vibrant and bold paintings.
Q11. Who is known as the ‘Missile Man of India’ and what is his contribution?
A. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam – He was a scientist, the 11th President of India, and played a key role in India’s missile and nuclear programs.
Q12. Who wrote ‘Train to Pakistan’ and what is it about?
A. Khushwant Singh – The book describes the Partition of India and its impact on people’s lives.
Q13. Who is the first woman to receive the Jnanpith Award?
A. Ashapoorna Devi – She won the award for her outstanding contributions to Bengali literature.
Q14. Which Indian musician is known as the ‘Sitar Maestro’?
A. Pandit Ravi Shankar – He was a legendary sitar player who introduced Indian classical music to the world.
Q15. Who is the famous poet of the ‘Ghazal’ genre in India?
A. Mirza Ghalib – He was a renowned Urdu and Persian poet, known for his deep and philosophical poetry.
Q16. Who was India’s first female playback singer in Bollywood?
A. Rajkumari Dubey – She was one of the early playback singers in the Hindi film industry.
Q17. Who is the famous Indian author known for the novel ‘God of Small Things’?
A. Arundhati Roy – She won the Booker Prize for her novel The God of Small Things.
Q18. Who is the famous Indian actor known as the ‘Tragedy King’?
A. Dilip Kumar – He was a legendary actor known for his serious and tragic roles in Bollywood.
Q19. Who is the author of ‘The Guide’ and what is its significance?
A. R.K. Narayan – The Guide is a novel that explores spirituality and transformation in a man’s life.
Q20. Who introduced Kathak dance form in modern India?
A. Birju Maharaj – He was a great exponent of the Kathak dance form and contributed significantly to its popularity.
Did You Know?
✅ The Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary honor, awarded annually for exceptional literary work.
✅ The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is India’s highest honor for performing arts.
✅ India’s first talking movie was Alam Ara (1931), directed by Ardeshir Irani.
Additional Literary and Cultural Facts
✅ Lata Mangeshkar, the ‘Nightingale of India,’ recorded more than 25,000 songs in her lifetime.
✅ Amrita Pritam was the first prominent female Punjabi writer, known for Pinjar and Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu.
✅ Shiv Kumar Batalvi is one of the most celebrated Punjabi poets, famous for his romantic poetry.
✅ Ustad Bismillah Khan was a renowned Shehnai maestro who received the Bharat Ratna.
✅ Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest filmmakers, was the first Indian to receive an Honorary Oscar.
Q21. Who was the first Indian to win an Oscar?
A. Bhanu Athaiya – She won an Oscar for Best Costume Design in Gandhi (1982).
Q22. Who is known as the ‘Grand Old Man of Indian Literature’?
A. R.K. Narayan – He was one of India’s greatest English-language novelists, known for Swami and Friends.
Q23. Who was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award?
A. G. Sankara Kurup – He received the award in 1965 for his Malayalam literary works.
Q24. Which Indian author is famous for the novel ‘A Suitable Boy’?
A. Vikram Seth – He wrote the widely acclaimed novel A Suitable Boy.
Q25. Who was the first Indian filmmaker to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award?
A. Devika Rani – She was the first recipient of the award for her contributions to Indian cinema.
Q26. Who composed India’s National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’?
A. Rabindranath Tagore – He composed Jana Gana Mana, which was later adopted as India’s national anthem.
Q27. Which Indian poet is known as the ‘People’s Poet’?
A. Subramania Bharati – A Tamil poet and freedom fighter known for his inspiring nationalist poetry.
Q28. Who is known as the ‘King of Bollywood’?
A. Shah Rukh Khan – He is regarded as one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema.
Q29. Who was the first Indian woman to direct a feature film?
A. Fatma Begum – She directed Bulbul-e-Paristan in 1926.
Q30. Who is the famous Indian cartoonist known for creating ‘Common Man’?
A. R.K. Laxman – He created the popular cartoon series Common Man.
Did You Know?
✅ The Saraswati Samman is one of the highest literary awards in India.
✅ India has 22 official languages, but Hindi and English are the most widely used.
✅ The first full-length Indian feature film was Raja Harishchandra (1913).
✅ The Padma Awards recognize contributions in art, literature, and culture.
Q31. Who is the first Indian author to win the Man Booker Prize?
A. Arundhati Roy – She won the Man Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel The God of Small Things.
Q32. Who is known as the ‘Father of Modern Hindi Literature’?
A. Bharatendu Harishchandra – He played a key role in developing modern Hindi prose and poetry.
Q33. Who is the famous Indian classical dancer known for Odissi dance?
A. Kelucharan Mohapatra – He is regarded as the most important figure in the revival of the Odissi dance form.
Q34. Which Indian author wrote ‘Midnight’s Children’?
A. Salman Rushdie – He won the Booker Prize for Midnight’s Children in 1981.
Q35. Who is the first Indian woman to receive the Nobel Prize?
A. Mother Teresa – She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work.
Q36. Who is known as the ‘Father of Indian Painting’?
A. Raja Ravi Varma – He is known for his exquisite paintings that blend Indian traditions with European techniques.
Q37. Who is the first Indian woman to receive the Bharat Ratna?
A. Indira Gandhi – She received the Bharat Ratna in 1971 for her contributions to Indian politics.
Q38. Which Indian musician is known as the ‘Ghazal King’?
A. Jagjit Singh – He is widely regarded as the greatest ghazal singer in India.
Q39. Who was the first Indian to receive a Grammy Award?
A. Ravi Shankar – He won the Grammy Award for his contributions to Indian classical music.
Q40. Who is the famous Indian poet known for ‘Madhushala’?
A. Harivansh Rai Bachchan – He wrote Madhushala, one of the most celebrated Hindi poetry collections.
Did You Know?
✅ The Man Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world.
✅ Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography is titled The Story of My Experiments with Truth.
✅ The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award for exceptional service.
✅ India’s first talkie film was Alam Ara (1931).
✅ The Kalidas Samman is awarded for outstanding work in classical arts.
Q41. Who is the first Indian author to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for an English novel?
A. R.K. Narayan – He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1960 for his novel The Guide.
Q42. Who is known as the ‘Emperor of Pop’ in India?
A. Bappi Lahiri – He was a legendary Indian music composer known for introducing disco music in Bollywood.
Q43. Who was the first woman to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award?
A. Amrita Pritam – She won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956 for her Punjabi novel Sunehade.
Q44. Which Indian classical musician is known as the ‘Tabla Maestro’?
A. Ustad Zakir Hussain – He is regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time.
Q45. Who was the first Indian to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival?
A. Chetan Anand – His film Neecha Nagar won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1946.
Q46. Who is known as the ‘Father of Indian Theatre’?
A. Ebrahim Alkazi – He was a prominent theatre director and the longest-serving director of the National School of Drama.
Q47. Who was the first Indian writer to be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature?
A. Rabindranath Tagore – He was nominated multiple times and won in 1913 for Gitanjali.
Q48. Which Indian author wrote the famous novel ‘The White Tiger’?
A. Aravind Adiga – He won the Man Booker Prize in 2008 for The White Tiger.
Q49. Who is the famous Indian artist known for abstract painting?
A. Tyeb Mehta – He was a celebrated modern artist known for his abstract and expressionist works.
Q50. Who is known as the ‘Father of Indian Folk Theatre’?
A. Jaswant Thakar – He contributed significantly to the development and promotion of Indian folk theatre.
Did You Know?
✅ The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary award in India.
✅ Lata Mangeshkar has recorded songs in over 36 languages.
✅ The Gandhi Peace Prize is awarded for contributions towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence.
✅ Satyajit Ray was awarded an Honorary Academy Award (Oscar) in 1992 for his contribution to cinema.
✅ Kumar Gandharva was a famous Hindustani classical vocalist known for his unique singing style.
Q51. Who is known as the ‘Queen of Melody’ in India?
A. Lata Mangeshkar – She was one of India’s greatest playback singers and recorded thousands of songs in multiple languages.
Q52. Who is the author of the famous book ‘Train to Pakistan’?
A. Khushwant Singh – His book Train to Pakistan is based on the partition of India.
Q53. Who composed the famous patriotic song ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’?
A. Muhammad Iqbal – He was a poet and philosopher who wrote this iconic song in 1904.
Q54. Who is known as the ‘Father of Indian Journalism’?
A. James Augustus Hickey – He started India’s first newspaper, The Bengal Gazette, in 1780.
Q55. Who was the first Indian to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism?
A. Ramon Magsaysay Award – It was awarded to P. Sainath for his contributions to rural journalism.
Q56. Who is known as the ‘Shakespeare of Punjab’?
A. Shiv Kumar Batalvi – He was a renowned Punjabi poet known for his deep and emotional poetry.
Q57. Who wrote the famous novel ‘Gora’?
A. Rabindranath Tagore – Gora is one of his most celebrated novels that explores social and religious themes in India.
Q58. Which Indian author wrote ‘Five Point Someone’, which inspired the Bollywood film ‘3 Idiots’?
A. Chetan Bhagat – His novel Five Point Someone was adapted into the Bollywood movie 3 Idiots.
Q59. Who is the famous Indian filmmaker known for the ‘Apu Trilogy’?
A. Satyajit Ray – He directed the Apu Trilogy, which includes Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and Apur Sansar.
Q60. Who was the first Indian woman to win the Booker Prize?
A. Arundhati Roy – She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel The God of Small Things.
Did You Know?
✅ The Gitanjali Express is a train named after Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poetry collection.
✅ The Filmfare Awards were first introduced in 1954, making them one of India’s oldest film awards.
✅ Premchand is known as the ‘Father of Hindi Literature’ for his contributions to modern Hindi and Urdu literature.
✅ Gulzar, an acclaimed lyricist, has won an Academy Award (Oscar) for his song Jai Ho in Slumdog Millionaire.
✅ The Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1953 to promote performing arts in India.
Q61. Who is known as the ‘Nightingale of India’?
A. Sarojini Naidu – She was a renowned poet and an important figure in India’s freedom movement.
Q62. Which Indian author wrote the famous novel ‘Malgudi Days’?
A. R.K. Narayan – His book Malgudi Days is a collection of short stories set in a fictional town.
Q63. Who was the first Indian to win the Grammy Award?
A. Pandit Ravi Shankar – He won multiple Grammy Awards for his contributions to Indian classical music.
Q64. Who is known as the ‘Father of Modern Indian Theatre’?
A. Badal Sircar – He revolutionized Indian theatre with his experimental and politically engaging plays.
Q65. Which Indian poet wrote the famous poem ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’?
A. Rabindranath Tagore – This poem is from his book Gitanjali.
Q66. Who directed the first full-length Indian feature film?
A. Dadasaheb Phalke – He directed Raja Harishchandra (1913), India’s first silent feature film.
Q67. Which Indian classical dancer is known for promoting Bharatanatyam?
A. Rukmini Devi Arundale – She played a key role in reviving and popularizing Bharatanatyam.
Q68. Who was the first Indian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature?
A. Rabindranath Tagore – He won the Nobel Prize in 1913 for Gitanjali.
Q69. Who is the famous Indian cartoonist known for creating ‘Chacha Chaudhary’?
A. Pran Kumar Sharma – He created the iconic comic character Chacha Chaudhary.
Q70. Which Indian author wrote ‘The Namesake’?
A. Jhumpa Lahiri – She is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer known for The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies.
Did You Know?
✅ The Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary honor and was first awarded in 1965.
✅ The National Film Awards were established in 1954 to recognize excellence in Indian cinema.
✅ Amrita Pritam was the first woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for Punjabi literature.
✅ The Nataraja Award is given to outstanding performers in Indian classical dance.
✅ Mirza Ghalib is one of the greatest Urdu poets, known for his deep and philosophical ghazals.
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