The prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding is instituted and administered by which organisation?

Introduction / Context:
The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding is an international civilian award established by the Government of India to honour individuals who have made outstanding contributions to friendship and cooperation among nations. Questions about who administers or institutes such awards are common in examinations related to general knowledge and international relations. This question asks which organisation is responsible for instituting and administering this award. The correct answer is the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, often abbreviated as ICCR.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The award named is the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. - It is an international award with a focus on promoting international understanding and goodwill. - The options list various cultural and governmental bodies, including ICCR. - Only one of these organisations actually administers this award.

Concept / Approach:
The award was instituted in 1965 to honour Jawaharlal Nehru's lifelong commitment to international peace and cooperation. It is administered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, which is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of External Affairs and is dedicated to cultural diplomacy. Exam guides and reputable online sources consistently mention that ICCR looks after the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. Hence, the approach is to recall this connection and avoid confusing it with other institutions that may also carry Nehru's name or be involved with cultural activities.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify that the question is specifically about the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. 2. Recall that this award recognises contributions to international goodwill and friendship. 3. Remember that the Indian Council for Cultural Relations is responsible for cultural diplomacy and for administering this award. 4. Review the options and locate Indian Council for Cultural Relations among them. 5. Select Indian Council for Cultural Relations as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A candidate can verify this by recalling study material that lists the sponsor or administrator of the award along with basic details like the year of institution and prize amount. In such tables, the sponsor field for the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding clearly mentions ICCR. Another check is to remember that the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is mainly an archival and research institution, not the body administering this international award. Seeing ICCR's repeated association with cultural exchange and international awards further confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The National Centre for Art and Culture is not recognised as the administering body for this award and is included mainly as a distractor. The Department of Youth and Sports focuses on youth welfare and sports promotion and does not manage this international understanding award. The Nehru Memorial Museum, while related to Jawaharlal Nehru, is a research and archival institution and does not administer the award. The Ministry of External Affairs is the parent ministry for ICCR but does not directly administer the award in the manner specified; that function is delegated to ICCR.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes assume that any award named after Jawaharlal Nehru must be handled by an organisation that also directly carries his name, such as the Nehru Memorial Museum. Another pitfall is to think that because the award deals with international understanding, the Ministry of External Affairs must be the administrator, ignoring the autonomous role of ICCR. To avoid these errors, it is useful to remember that ICCR is the key institution for India's cultural diplomacy and is specifically mentioned as administering this award in authoritative sources.

Final Answer:
The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding is instituted and administered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.