Today in History (October 16^th, 1968)

Hargobind Khurana was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Har Gobind Khorana, an Indian-American biochemist, received global acclaim for his groundbreaking contributions to molecular biology. In the 1960s, Har Gobind Khorana, in collaboration with his team, unravelled the mysteries of the genetic code, elucidating how DNA sequences determine amino acid arrangements in proteins. This monumental achievement earned him, along with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley, the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Let’s Revise

A) Who is the author awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature?

1. Kim Jong Un
2. Han Kang
3. Deborah Smith
4. The Swedish Academy

Answer: B)
Explanation: Han Kang is mentioned as the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature.

B) What is the name of Han Kang’s breakthrough novel?

1. Human Acts
2. Gitanjali
3. The Vegetarian
4. Manasi

Answer: C)
Explanation: The Vegetarian, published in 2007, is noted as her breakthrough novel.

C) When was the International Booker Prize established?

1. 2000
2. 2005
3. 2010
4. 2015

Answer: B)
Explanation: The International Booker Prize was established in 2005.

D) Where did the Gwangju massacre take place?

1. China
2. Japan
3. South Korea
4. Pyongyang

Answer: C)
Explanation: The Gwangju massacre refers to events that took place in Gwangju, South Korea.

E) Why is Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win considered historic?

1. She is the first woman to win it
2. She is the first South Korean writer to win it
3. She is the youngest winner
4. She has written the most books

Answer: B)
Explanation: Her win marks a historic moment for South Korea’s literary scene.

F) What literary work by Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature?

1. Manasi
2. Sadhana
3. Gitanjali
4. Chitra

Answer: C)
Explanation: Gitanjali is the work for which Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

G) Which year did Rabindranath Tagore win the Nobel Prize?

1. 1910
2. 1913
3. 1920
4. 1925

Answer: B)
Explanation: Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

Summary of Today’s News

India and the Nobel Prizes from 1901 to 2024-Part-1

• The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious award given to reward the discoveries that have conferred the “greatest benefit to humankind.”
• From Literature and Politics to Economics and Medicine, this eminent prize is awarded for the highest stature of achievement in a particular field.
• It was founded in 1895 by the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, who is most famous for the invention of dynamite.
• The first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901 across
• 5 fields –

• Physics,
• Chemistry,
• Medicine,
• Literature and
• Nobel Peace Prize.

• Since 1901, then, the award ceremony is held annually to recognize groundbreaking innovations and contributions in various fields.
• The Nobel Prize is an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, and
• the prize is based on the fortune of Alfred Nobel, Swedish inventor and entrepreneur.
• In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
• Each prize consists of a medal, a personal diploma, and a cash award.


• The Nobel Prize amount for 2024 is set at Swedish kronor (SEK) 11.0 million per full Nobel Prize.
• Between 1901 and 2024, the Nobel Prizes and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel were awarded 627 times to 1012 people and organisations.
• A person or organisation awarded the Nobel Prize is called Nobel Prize laureate.
• The word “laureate” refers to being signified by the laurel wreath.

Indians and Nobel Prizes

Out of the 1012 Nobel Prize winners, there are 13 Nobel Laureates in India ranging from Indian-origin scientists, scholars and social activists, who have been awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize.
• Indians have been able to win the prize in each of the six categories
• The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on December 1st, 1999, that Mahatma Gandhi had been nominated for the Peace Prize five times but had been rejected each time (from 1937 to 1939, in 1947)

Indian Nobel Laureates
• Five Indian Citizens at the time of receiving award
I. Rabindranath Tagore,
II. Sir CV Raman,
III. Mother Teresa,
IV. Amartya Sen, and
V. Kailash Satyarthi, had Indian citizenship while receiving the award,

• Whereas Overseas citizens of Indian origin at the time of receiving award
o H. Khorana,
o S. Chandrasekhar,
o Venkat Ramakrishnan, and
o Abhijit Banerjee
• were Indians by birth but later became non-citizens of India.

Note:
In part-2 we will discuss all the Indian Nobel Laureates in detail one by one