Who was the first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize, an international award for progress in religion and spiritual life?

Introduction / Context:
The Templeton Prize is an international award that honours individuals who have made exceptional contributions to affirming life spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works. It is sometimes called a prize for progress in religion. Several Indians have had deep influence in spiritual and ethical thought, but only some have received this particular award. This question asks you to identify the first Indian recipient of the Templeton Prize.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is the Templeton Prize, focused on spiritual progress and religion.
• The options include Baba Amte, Mother Teresa, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, and Vinoba Bhave.
• You must know which of these was first, in terms of receiving the Templeton recognition.

Concept / Approach:
Vinoba Bhave, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, is widely known for the Bhoodan movement, in which he persuaded landowners to voluntarily donate land to landless people. His work combined practical social reform with deep spiritual and ethical principles. He was the first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize in the early 1970s. Although Mother Teresa later received the Templeton Prize as well, she was not the first Indian recipient. Baba Amte and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan are important Indian figures in social work and philosophy respectively, but they were not the earliest Indians to be honoured with this particular prize.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the requirement: first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize. Step 2: Recall that Vinoba Bhave is strongly linked with both Gandhian philosophy and the Templeton Prize for progress in religion. Step 3: Remember that Mother Teresa did receive the Templeton Prize, but her award came after Vinoba Bhave, so she cannot be the first Indian recipient. Step 4: Recognise that Baba Amte and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, while influential, have different sets of awards and are not primarily associated with the Templeton Prize. Step 5: From this reasoning, select Vinoba Bhave as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Many GK references list Vinoba Bhave as the first Indian Templeton laureate. A typical pair of facts for exams is that Vinoba Bhave was the first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize and that Mother Teresa was one of the later Indian recipients. Remembering this simple chronological order (Vinoba before Mother Teresa) can be used to confirm that Vinoba Bhave must be the right option in questions about the first Indian awardee.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Baba Amte: Famous for his work among leprosy patients and for social activism, but not documented as the first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize.
Mother Teresa: She did receive the Templeton Prize, but not as the earliest Indian recipient; Vinoba Bhave received it earlier.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan: Known as a philosopher, academic, and second President of India; he is not associated with being the first Indian recipient of this particular award.

Common Pitfalls:
A major pitfall is to choose Mother Teresa because her name is strongly associated with international religious and humanitarian honours. However, the question specifically asks for the first Indian Templeton laureate, which is a precise historical fact. Another error arises when candidates are not familiar with Vinoba Bhaves connection to spiritual and ethical reforms and therefore underestimate the likelihood that he received a major religious progress prize.

Final Answer:
The first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize was Vinoba Bhave.