Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) was named the World’s Best Consumer Bank for 2025 by Global Finance magazine. The recognition was announced on July 18, 2025. SBI is India’s largest public sector bank. The award was based on Global Finance’s research and analysis, along with inputs from corporate finance experts, analysts, and bankers worldwide.

Notes:
Shashi Prakash Goyal, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, assumed charge as the new Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh (UP) on 1st August 2025. He replaced Manoj Kumar Singh, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch, who retired from service. Goyal earlier served as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister (CM), handling Protocol, Civil Aviation, and Estate departments.

Notes:
Pratyaya Amrit, a 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Bihar. He is currently serving as Development Commissioner and also holds additional charge of Health and Disaster Management Department. He will replace Amrit Lal Meena, a 1989-batch IAS officer, who is set to retire on August 31, 2025. Pratyaya will assume charge as Chief Secretary on September 1, 2025. Till then, he will serve as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Chief Secretary’s office.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi instituted a global award in memory of Professor M. S. Swaminathan, father of India’s Green Revolution, to honour scientists from developing nations working for “Food and Peace.” The first M. S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace was conferred to Nigerian scientist Prof. Ademola A. Adenle for combating hunger in Nigeria. Prof. Swaminathan, who passed away on 23 September 2023 at 98, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024.

Notes:
The Bibi Fatima Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) from Dharwad district won the Equator Initiative Award 2025. The award is presented every two years by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Equator Initiative. It supports Indigenous Peoples and local communities in tackling land degradation, conserving biodiversity, and improving livelihoods. The award is often called the Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation. Bibi Fatima SHG introduced millet-based mixed cropping on rainfed farms. They promoted climate-resilient farming, livestock rearing, horticulture, and popularised millets.

Notes:
On August 14, 2025, Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey player, passed away in Kolkata at the age of 80 after prolonged illness. He was suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. Born in 1945 in Goa, he combined careers as a medical practitioner and a hockey player. He made his international debut in 1966 at the Hamburg International Cup and later won a bronze at the 1971 World Cup and 1972 Olympics. He represented clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, winning multiple Beighton Cups and Calcutta League titles.

Notes:
Karikot village in Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, won the Indian Subcontinental Responsible Tourism (ICRT) Award 2025. The award is presented by ICRT India Foundation with support from the Ministry of Tourism. The ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 13th September 2025. The award honors leaders in sustainable tourism, reducing negative impacts and enhancing positive outcomes. Karikot stood out for its Tharu tribal-led eco-tourism, homestays, and cultural immersion near Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

Notes:
The 8th National Anubhav Awards were held in New Delhi in 2025, marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative. The scheme was launched in 2015 by the Government of India under the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare. It aims to record experiences of retiring officials as institutional memory through the Anubhav Portal. Awards recognise memoirs highlighting significant contributions and promote transparency, citizen-centric governance, and better human resource management. This year, 15 awardees from 11 ministries were honoured, including one-third women.

Notes:
The 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners were announced on September 2, 2025, with the award ceremony held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The seven winning projects, including Khudi Bari in Bangladesh and Vision Pakistan, were selected from a shortlist of 19 projects and address themes like community resilience and climate-responsive design. For the 2025 award cycle, India did not have any projects on the final shortlist. The Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) continue to be active in India. In 2024, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture partnered with the Archaeological Survey of India to develop a modern sunken museum at the 16th-century Humayun’s Tomb Complex in Delhi.

Notes:
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, launched a new category “National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) for Content Creators and Influencers” under National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025. The initiative supports Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) by spreading awareness on energy efficiency and sustainable living. NECA, instituted in 1991, is a prestigious platform recognizing excellence in energy conservation across industries, institutions, and buildings. For the first time, NECA includes the digital community to leverage influencers’ reach for nationwide awareness.