The first winners of the United Nations Population Award were which pair of leaders recognised for their contribution to population issues?

Introduction / Context:
The United Nations Population Award is a prestigious honour given to individuals or institutions that have made significant contributions to awareness, policy, or programmes relating to population and reproductive health. Knowing about its first recipients is a common general knowledge question, especially in exams that focus on international organisations and world leaders. This question asks which pair of leaders were the first winners of this award.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is the United Nations Population Award.
• The question is about the first winners, that is, the earliest recipients.
• The options present combinations of leaders, including Indira Gandhi, Qian Xangzhong, Ronald Reagan, and Yuri Andropov.
• You need to identify the correct pair recognised for their role in population related policies.

Concept / Approach:
Historically, the first United Nations Population Awards were given in the early 1980s. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, was honoured for her leadership in population policies and family planning initiatives. Qian Xangzhong (often transliterated as Qian Xinzhong), a Chinese health official, was similarly recognised for his role in the administration of family planning programmes in China. Together, they formed the first pair of recipients of the UN Population Award. The other combinations in the options include leaders who were not associated with this specific award.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key requirement: first winners of the United Nations Population Award. Step 2: Recall that Indira Gandhi of India and Qian Xangzhong of China are frequently mentioned together in connection with early UN population policy recognition. Step 3: Note that Ronald Reagan, although President of the United States, is not associated with this particular award. Step 4: Understand that Yuri Andropov was a Soviet leader and also not known as a recipient of the UN Population Award. Step 5: From this, conclude that the correct pair is Indira Gandhi and Qian Xangzhong.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling that questions about UN awards often highlight the involvement of large developing countries such as India and China, whose population policies have significant global impact. In many GK reference books, the names Indira Gandhi and Qian Xinzhong are clearly listed as the first winners of the UN Population Award. Since none of the other pairs combine two recognised population policy leaders, this provides a strong cross check for your answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ronald Reagan and Indira Gandhi: Reagan was a United States president and is not mentioned as a recipient of the UN Population Award, so this pair is incorrect.
Qian Xangzhong and Ronald Reagan: Again, Reagan did not receive this award, so this combination is not valid.

Yuri Andropov and Qian Xangzhong: Andropov was a leader of the Soviet Union and is not recorded as a UN Population Award recipient, making this pair incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to treat the question as a guess and select any option that includes one known name such as Indira Gandhi or Qian Xangzhong without checking the second name. Examiners sometimes deliberately mix one correct name with one incorrect name to test careful reading. The safer approach is to remember that the first awards went to leaders from India and China together, which points clearly to the Indira Gandhi and Qian Xangzhong pair.

Final Answer:
The first winners of the United Nations Population Award were Indira Gandhi and Qian Xangzhong.