Among the following who was conferred Padma Vibhushan in 2013?

The correct answer is D, Prof. R. Narasimha. He was among the Padma Vibhushan awardees announced in January 2013, in the Science and Engineering category. He was a leading aerospace scientist and former Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories, known for his work on computational fluid dynamics and for leading the development of the Hansa and other aircraft programmes.

• Adi B. Godrej is an industrialist. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in the Trade and Industry category, not the Padma Vibhushan.
• Dr. Kanak Rele is a noted Odissi dancer and guru. Her recognition is in the arts, and she should not be confused with the 2013 Vibhushan list in the Science and Engineering field.
• Dr. V. K. Saraswat is a scientist in defence research and development. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2013, a lower tier than the Vibhushan.

The core concept is the Padma award structure: Bharat Ratna is the highest, followed by Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, with the awards given in fields such as Art, Science and Engineering, Trade and Industry and Public Affairs. For Mains, this links to discussions on state recognition of science and institutional capacity in aerospace and defence.

Trap: Candidates often mix up the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan lists for the same year, because several names from the same announcement appear in both. Check the tier of the award for each name, not only the year.