Correct Option: B

G. Sankara Kurup better known as Mahakavi G (The Great Poet G), was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary award. He won the prize in 1965 for his collection of poems in Malayalam Odakkuzhal (The bamboo flute, 1950). With part of the prize money he established the literary award Odakkuzhal in 1968. He was also the recipient of the Soviet Land Nehru Award, in 1967, and the Padma Bhushan in 1968. Note : The first recipient of the award was the Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup who received the award in 1965 for his collection of poems, Odakkuzhal (The Bamboo Flute), published in 1950. In 1976, Bengali novelist Ashapoorna Devi became the first woman to win the award for novel Pratham Pratisruti (The First Promise). The most recent 52nd Jnanpith Award recipient of the award is Bengali poet and critic Shankha Ghosh who was awarded for the year 2016.