On 18 July 2026, the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards (for the year 2024) were announced — India's highest honours in cinema. Article 370 won Best Feature Film, Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) and Mammootty (Bramayugam) shared Best Actor, and Yami Gautam (Article 370) was named Best Actress. For a CDS/OTA aspirant, awards are a dependable art-and-culture / general-awareness area, and the National Film Awards — with their history, categories and the iconic Dadasaheb Phalke Award — are exactly the kind of factual GK the exam favours.
The news in one frame
The essentials:
- What: the 72nd National Film Awards (for 2024) were announced.
- Best Feature Film: Article 370.
- Best Actor: Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) and Mammootty (Bramayugam).
- Best Actress: Yami Gautam (Article 370); Best Non-Feature Film: Bhangaar.
What are the National Film Awards?
Start with the institution. The National Film Awards are the most prestigious film awards in India, honouring artistic and technical excellence across Indian cinema. Key facts:
- They were instituted in 1954, making them among India's oldest cultural awards.
- They are administered by the government's film body — historically the Directorate of Film Festivals (until 2020), and now the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
- Winners are chosen by an independent national jury appointed by the government.
- The awards are presented by the President of India at a ceremony in New Delhi.
Crucially, the awards cover all of India's languages (not just Hindi), reflecting the country's diverse film industries — a point the exam likes. This cultural framework is exactly what the CDS/OTA history and culture notes build.
The categories and the "Lotus" medals
Know the structure — a favourite factual set. The National Film Awards are organised into three broad sections:
- Feature Films,
- Non-Feature Films (documentaries, shorts), and
- Best Writing on Cinema (film criticism/books).
The top winners receive the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) award, while other category winners get the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) — along with a cash prize and certificate. This Golden Lotus / Silver Lotus distinction is frequently tested. These themes recur in the CDS/OTA daily current affairs.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The single most examined element is the Dadasaheb Phalke Award — India's highest award in cinema:
- It is a lifetime achievement award for outstanding contribution to the growth of Indian cinema.
- It is named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke ("Dadasaheb Phalke"), the "Father of Indian Cinema", who made India's first full-length feature film Raja Harishchandra (1913).
- It was instituted in 1969, and its first recipient was Devika Rani.
- It is announced along with the National Film Awards but stands apart as the supreme honour.
The revision hook: National Film Awards — instituted 1954, under the Ministry of I&B (now via NFDC), presented by the President; three sections (Feature, Non-Feature, Writing on Cinema); Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal) / Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal); Dadasaheb Phalke Award = lifetime achievement, since 1969, first to Devika Rani, named after the maker of Raja Harishchandra (1913).
India's cinema in the cultural landscape
Round out with the wider context the exam pairs with film:
- India is the world's largest producer of films by number, across many languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, etc.).
- Other film honours: the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held annually in Goa (organised by the NFDC/Ministry of I&B).
- Soft power: Indian cinema is a major instrument of cultural diplomacy and soft power abroad.
- Regulation & promotion: the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certifies films; the NFDC promotes good cinema.
A quick map of Indian cinema history
A little background the exam rewards:
- India's first full-length feature film was Raja Harishchandra (1913) by Dadasaheb Phalke — the silent era's landmark.
- The first Indian "talkie" (sound film) was Alam Ara (1931).
- Satyajit Ray — India's most globally honoured director (Pather Panchali) — won an honorary Academy Award (Oscar) and the Bharat Ratna.
- India's cinema is a federation of industries — Hindi ("Bollywood"), plus powerful Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali film industries — which is why the National Awards deliberately honour all languages.
Knowing these firsts (1913 feature, 1931 talkie) and the all-language character of the awards rounds out a strong answer on Indian cinema.
Why it matters
For the essay/interview and bigger picture:
- Cultural recognition: the awards celebrate artistic merit beyond box-office success, encouraging quality and regional cinema.
- Unity in diversity: honouring films in many languages reflects India's cultural plurality.
- GK value: award winners, the Phalke Award, and film institutions are staple current-affairs and static GK for competitive exams.
Exam relevance in one paragraph
For CDS/OTA GK, retain: the National Film Awards (instituted 1954) are India's top film honours, administered under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (now via the NFDC) and presented by the President; they have three sections — Feature Films, Non-Feature Films and Best Writing on Cinema — with the Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal) as the top prize and Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) for others; the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (since 1969, first to Devika Rani) is the highest lifetime honour, named after the maker of Raja Harishchandra (1913); at the 72nd awards, Article 370 won Best Feature Film. For the essay/interview, frame cinema as soft power and cultural unity.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The National Film Awards were instituted in: (a) 1954 (b) 1913 (c) 1969 (d) 1991 → (a) — 1954.
Q2. The National Film Awards are presented by the: (a) President of India (b) Prime Minister (c) I&B Minister (d) Chief Justice → (a) — the President of India.
Q3. The highest lifetime-achievement award in Indian cinema is the: (a) Dadasaheb Phalke Award (b) Bharat Ratna (c) Golden Globe (d) Filmfare Award → (a) — the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Q4. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in: (a) 1969 (b) 1954 (c) 1980 (d) 2000 → (a) — 1969.
Q5. The first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was: (a) Devika Rani (b) Lata Mangeshkar (c) Satyajit Ray (d) Prithviraj Kapoor → (a) — Devika Rani.
Q6. Dadasaheb Phalke is remembered as the maker of India's first feature film: (a) Raja Harishchandra (1913) (b) Alam Ara (c) Mother India (d) Pather Panchali → (a) — Raja Harishchandra (1913).
Q7. The top National Film Award medal is the: (a) Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) (b) Silver Lotus only (c) Golden Globe (d) Golden Bear → (a) — the Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal).
Q8. The National Film Awards fall under which ministry? (a) Information & Broadcasting (b) Culture (c) Education (d) External Affairs → (a) — the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Q9. Which body now administers the National Film Awards (since 2021)? (a) NFDC (b) CBFC (c) UGC (d) NITI Aayog → (a) — the National Film Development Corporation.
Q10. The National Film Awards have how many broad sections? (a) three (b) two (c) five (d) one → (a) — three (Feature, Non-Feature, Writing on Cinema).
Q11. Which film won Best Feature Film at the 72nd National Film Awards? (a) Article 370 (b) Kalki 2898 AD (c) Chandu Champion (d) Stree 2 → (a) — Article 370.
Q12. The body that certifies films for public exhibition in India is the: (a) CBFC (b) NFDC (c) TRAI (d) SEBI → (a) — the Central Board of Film Certification.
Q13. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is held annually in: (a) Goa (b) Mumbai (c) Chennai (d) Kolkata → (a) — Goa.
Q14. Category winners other than the top honour receive the: (a) Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) (b) Bronze Lotus (c) Golden Bear (d) Padma Shri → (a) — the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal).
Q15. India is the world's largest producer of films by: (a) number of films made (b) box-office revenue (c) number of cinemas only (d) budget → (a) — number of films produced annually.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Awards and culture are a reliable CDS/OTA GK set. The reliable framings are the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (lifetime honour, 1969, first recipient), who presents/administers the awards, and the Golden vs Silver Lotus. A common trap confuses the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (cinema) with the Bharat Ratna, or misplaces the founding year. The fresh 2026 hook is the 72nd awards and Best Feature Film winner — ideal for "which award / which year / which film" items. We reference the pattern, not any exact past question.
Preparing for CDS or OTA? Awards, cinema and culture are high-yield GK and good essay material on India's soft power. Follow our daily CDS/OTA current affairs and train with serving-officer faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
✍️ Written by Hitendra Deswal — Polity, history & culture faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk. The Cavalier, founded by ex-Army officers, has trained NDA/CDS/SSB aspirants since 2001 (Facebook · YouTube).
Source: PIB / Ministry of Information & Broadcasting release, 18 July 2026. Facts cross-verified with independent sources.