For which contribution was Indian Olympic Association President N. Ramachandran awarded the Olympic Order?

Introduction / Context:
The Olympic Order is one of the highest honours awarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It recognises individuals who have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause. In India, N. Ramachandran, who served as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), was awarded the Olympic Order. This question checks whether you know the specific reason for this honour: it was not for a single sport, but for his overall services to the Olympic movement.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The person mentioned is N. Ramachandran, President of the Indian Olympic Association at the time.
• The award is the Olympic Order, conferred by the IOC.
• Options include specific sports (athletics, hockey, football) and a broader category “the Olympic movement”.
• We assume the award followed standard IOC practice of honouring contributions to the wider Olympic ideal.

Concept / Approach:
The Olympic Order is not usually given for performance in a single sport; athletes normally receive medals and other accolades instead. The Order typically recognises administrators, organisers, and individuals who have significantly contributed to promoting the Olympic spirit, fair play, and development of sports structures. As IOA President, N. Ramachandran worked in sports administration and Olympic governance, so it makes sense that his award cites “outstanding services to the Olympic movement” rather than to a specific discipline like athletics or hockey.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the award type: the Olympic Order, an IOC honour. Step 2: Note the role of N. Ramachandran as President of the Indian Olympic Association, dealing with multiple sports and Olympic participation. Step 3: Recall that news reports explicitly mentioned he was honoured “for his contribution to the Olympic movement”. Step 4: Evaluate the options: individual sports (athletics, hockey, football) are too narrow for this citation. Step 5: Select “The Olympic movement” as the correct and comprehensive description.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look at similar honours given to other sports administrators globally, the wording almost always refers to “services to the Olympic movement” or “services to the Olympic cause”. The IOA President does not confine work to one sport; he coordinates India's participation across disciplines. This pattern matches the broader option in the list. Exam reference books and current affairs compendiums also consistently state that N. Ramachandran received the Olympic Order for his services to the Olympic movement.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Athletics: While athletics is a core Olympic sport, the award was not given for coaching or competing in this single discipline.
• Hockey: India has a rich Olympic hockey legacy, but the citation for this award does not restrict itself to hockey.
• Football: Football is globally popular, but again, the Indian Olympic Association President is not primarily associated with football-specific achievements.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to assume that any Olympic-related award must be tied to a particular sport, especially one in which India has notable history such as hockey. Another pitfall is ignoring the wording of such honours: administrative awards almost always reference the overall movement, not a single game. Paying attention to the job role (IOA President) and the pattern of past Olympic Order citations helps avoid incorrect guesses.

Final Answer:
N. Ramachandran received the Olympic Order for his outstanding services to the Olympic movement.