Step 1: Concept:
The question requires ordering Jnanpith Award recipients chronologically by the year they received the award. The Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honor.
Step 2: Explanation:
Determine the year each author received the Jnanpith Award:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(B) Mahadevi Verma: Awarded in 1982. } \\ \bullet & \text{(D) Girish Karnad: Awarded in 1998. } \\ \bullet & \text{(A) Amitav Ghosh: Awarded in 2018. } \\ \bullet & \text{(C) Nilamani Pookan: Awarded in 2021. } \\ \end{array}\]Chronological order based on the award year: Mahadevi Verma (B), Girish Karnad (D), Amitav Ghosh (A), Nilamani Pookan (C).
Step 3: Answer:
The correct order is (B), (D), (A), (C), which is option (B).