As of the early twenty first century, considering India born and Indian citizen Nobel laureates across all categories, how many Indians have been awarded the Nobel Prize?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: More than 4

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Nobel Prizes are considered the highest international recognition in fields such as Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. India and persons of Indian origin have contributed significantly to these areas over the last century. Exams often ask how many Indians have received the Nobel Prize, to test both factual knowledge and an awareness of India’s place in global achievements. The phrase more than 4 is used in many exam questions to give a safe, time independent way of expressing that the number is not small and has grown over time.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question asks how many Indians have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
  • Options include specific small numbers (2, 3, 4) and a broader category more than 4.
  • The question is framed in a way that remains correct over time, since additional Indians may receive the Nobel Prize in the future.
  • We consider both India born and Indian citizen laureates commonly counted in exam references.


Concept / Approach:
The main idea is to understand that India has produced several Nobel laureates in various categories. Early figures include Rabindranath Tagore in Literature, C. V. Raman in Physics, Har Gobind Khorana in Physiology or Medicine, Mother Teresa in Peace, and later names like Amartya Sen in Economics and Kailash Satyarthi in Peace, among others. Even by the late twentieth century and early twenty first century, the count had already exceeded four. Since the number has continued to grow, any fixed low number is likely to become outdated, but the statement more than 4 remains true and safe for exam purposes.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List some prominent Nobel laureates connected to India, such as Rabindranath Tagore, C. V. Raman, Har Gobind Khorana, Mother Teresa, and Amartya Sen. Step 2: Observe that this list already reaches five or more individuals without even including all later laureates. Step 3: Recognise that even conservative counts which include only certain categories or citizenship criteria go beyond four. Step 4: Compare this with the options 2, 3, and 4, all of which are clearly below the known count. Step 5: Conclude that the only option that can be correct and remain valid as time passes is more than 4.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by consulting standard general knowledge books or the Nobel Prize website and counting India related laureates. Depending on how strictly you define Indian (by birth, citizenship, or origin), the exact number may change, but it is consistently higher than four. Textbooks and exam compilers often avoid giving a precise figure because new laureates may be added. Instead, they safely state that more than four Indians have received the Nobel Prize. This method ensures that the answer remains correct even if the exact number rises in future years.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
2: This would imply that only two Indians have received the Nobel Prize, which is much lower than even the earliest counted list of Indian laureates across categories.
3: A count of three might have been correct very early in the Nobel Prize history for India, but it is long outdated and does not match modern information or exam standards.
4: Although closer to the real count than the other numbered options, four still underestimates the total number of Indian or India related Nobel laureates, so it is not accurate.


Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to rely on an old memory that there were three or four Indian Nobel laureates and to choose a fixed small number without updating knowledge. Another pitfall is confusion over whether persons of Indian origin but foreign citizenship are included. Exam questions of this style avoid that debate by using more than 4, which remains correct irrespective of minor variations in counting rules. Students should remember that the safe and exam friendly answer is that the number is greater than four.


Final Answer:
The number of Indians who have been awarded the Nobel Prize is more than 4, and this statement remains valid as new laureates are added over time.

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