Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Two Indian farmer-owned cooperatives — Amul and IFFCO — have been ranked as the world’s top cooperatives in the ICA World Cooperative Monitor 2025 released in Doha, Qatar. Amul (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd) ranked number one, and Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) ranked number two globally. Rankings were based on GDP per capita performance by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) headquartered in Brussels. The ICA, in partnership with EURICSE, analyses the global economic and social impact of cooperatives. The recognition coincides with the conclusion of the UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 in Doha.

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In November 2025, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, received the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award. The award was presented by the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) at Harvard University, USA. It recognizes his significant contributions to global peace-building, reconciliation, and humanitarian service. The 2025 award marks the 10th anniversary of the award (2015–2025), honoring leaders with moral courage, visionary leadership, and compassion. The focus of the 2025 award is on advancing 21st-century peace through inner harmony, interfaith dialogue, and ethical governance.

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In November 2025, the Government of Himachal Pradesh (HP) received the “People First Integration Award” from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India (GoI). The award was presented during the National Workshop and Conference on DigiLocker 2025 held in New Delhi. Ashish Singhmar, Secretary of the Department of Digital Technologies and Governance (DDT&G), accepted the award from S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY. The integration enhances citizen-centric governance by enabling secure, paperless, and transparent digital service delivery. It marks a key step toward building a unified and efficient digital ecosystem for public access in Himachal Pradesh

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The 6th National Water Awards 2024 highlighted India’s push for better water management in the recent context of rising water challenges. Maharashtra ranked 1st in the Best State category, followed by Gujarat and Haryana. The National Water Awards are given by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The awards aim to create awareness about the importance of water and promote best water-use practices. They are presented in 10 categories, including Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best School or College, Best Industry, Best Water User Association, Best Institution, Best Civil Society and Best Individual.

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Mohan Chandra Kandpal becomes the first person from Uttarakhand to receive the National Water Award for Best Individual in the Water Sector (North Zone). President Droupadi Murmu presented the award at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. He has worked over 36 years reviving springs, naulas and water sources in Himalayan villages. He leads the grassroots campaign “Pani Boao–Pani Uggao” (Sow Water–Grow Water). His efforts replenished water in nearly 40 villages in the Riskan river belt, combating deforestation and soil degradation.

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Rabih Alameddine won the National Book Award for Fiction for “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)”. Omar El Akkad won the Nonfiction prize for “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”. Patricia Smith won the Poetry award for “The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems”. Daniel Nayeri won for Young People’s Literature with “The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story”. Gabriela Cabezón Cámara was recognised in Translated Literature for “We Are Green and Trembling”, translated by Robin Myers. The 76th National Book Awards ceremony took place at Cipriani Wall Street, Manhattan, hosted by Jeff Heller with musical performance by Corinne Rae Bailey.

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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar assumes the chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for 2026. India is elected as Chair under the rotational system and will hold the post till 2033. India is among the 14 founding member states of International IDEA. The charge is assumed in Stockholm, Sweden, in the presence of Ambassador Anurag Bhushan. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is globally recognised as a credible Election Management Body (EMB). India has 900+ million voters across 28 States and 8 Union Territories (UTs).

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Union Minister for Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, praised the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) for winning the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE SA) Corporate Award 2025. C-DOT is the first organisation from India and only the fifth globally to receive this award in the 140-year history of IEEE. The award recognises C-DOT’s contributions to advancing IEEE standards in wireless broadband, rural 5G, telecom education, and developing globally recognised, standards-based innovation frameworks from India.

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The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), under the Ministry of Culture, won two PRSI National Awards 2025 from the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI). One award was for the Har Ghar Museum initiative in the Best Use of Social Media in a Corporate Campaign category. The second award was for the “Waste to Art” publication under the Special/Prestige Publication category. “Waste to Art” documents NCSM’s initiative under Special Campaign 4.0 and Swachhata Hi Sewa, transforming around 1,250 kg of waste into art installations across NCSM units. The installations served as educational exhibits promoting circular economy principles, and workshops and competitions engaged students and communities.

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Renowned Indian ecologist Madhav Dhananjaya Gadgil passed away on 7 January 2026 in Pune at the age of 82. He was the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. He chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) in 2010, known as the Gadgil Commission. He played a key role in establishing India’s first biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986). He significantly contributed to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and People’s Biodiversity Registers. He received major honours including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and United Nations Champions of the Earth Award (2024).