Which of the following Indian personalities is a winner of the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, an award that honours outstanding work for national unity and harmony?

Introduction / Context:
The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is a prestigious Indian award that honours individuals or institutions that have made significant efforts to promote national unity, secularism, and social harmony. Many aspirants encounter questions on this award in general knowledge and competitive examinations, because it links modern Indian history, public life, and constitutional values. This question asks which one among the listed personalities is actually a recipient of this award, so it tests both name recognition and the ability to recall the correct association between a person and a specific honour.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award mentioned is the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.
• The options list four well known Indian personalities from different fields.
• Only one of these has been formally honoured with this specific award.
• The learner is expected to remember the correct pairing of person and award.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this question correctly, you must connect the correct person with the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. A good method for such award based questions is to group personalities by field and by known honours. M. G. K. Menon was a famous physicist and policy maker who contributed to Indian science and national development. V. K. Gokak was a noted writer and academic, Firaq was a celebrated Urdu poet, and M. F. Husain was a legendary painter. Among these, the known recipient of the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is M. G. K. Menon, recognised for his contribution to national unity and public life.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full title carefully and note that the focus is the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. Step 2: Recall which field each option belongs to, because this helps you connect people with their awards. Step 3: Remember that M. G. K. Menon, a renowned scientist and administrator, received this award for his public service and role in promoting national integration. Step 4: Check mentally whether V. K. Gokak, Firaq, or M. F. Husain are ever mentioned in standard lists of recipients of this particular award. Step 5: Since standard references associate the award with M. G. K. Menon, select M. G. K. Menon as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification strategy in an exam is to recall at least one widely known public post or contribution connected with the value of national integration. M. G. K. Menon held important roles in Indian scientific and public institutions, including planning and advisory bodies, which aligns well with the spirit of the award. In contrast, the other options are primarily associated with literature and art. Even if you do not remember the exact year, remembering at least one confirmed pairing of award and recipient can help you verify the answer and avoid guesswork.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
V. K. Gokak was a noted writer and critic but is not generally listed as a recipient of this award.
Raghupati Sahai Firaq is famous as an Urdu poet and critic, with other honours, not this particular one.
M. F. Husain is associated with modern Indian painting and many controversies and awards, but again not with the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in standard lists.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to select a very famous name just because it feels familiar, without specifically recalling the connection to the award. Another pitfall is to confuse this award with other national level honours like the Bharat Ratna or Padma awards. Students also sometimes assume that a writer or artist is more likely to get such an award than a scientist, which is not necessarily true. To avoid these errors, link each award with at least one remembered recipient and one associated theme, such as science, literature, or public service.

Final Answer:
Thus, the personality among the options who has received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is M. G. K. Menon.