1. Who were the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award 2025?
[A] Amitav Ghosh and Mahasweta Devi
[B] Gulzar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya
[C] R Rajashree and Anwar Ali
[D] Amrita Pritam and Krishna Sobti
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gulzar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya]
Notes:
President Draupadi Murmu recently presented the 58th Jnanpith Award to Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and poet-lyricist Gulzar at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, despite being blind, has made great contributions to Sanskrit and Hindi literature by memorizing texts like ‘Ramcharitmanas’ and the ‘Gita’. Gulzar is a famous poet, songwriter, and Oscar and Grammy winner, known for his work in literature, cinema, and television. The Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary honour, established in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust. It is given to writers working in the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and in English. The award includes ₹11 lakh, a bronze statue of Goddess Saraswati, and a citation. The first award was given in 1965 to Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup for ‘Odakkuzhal’.
2. Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, who recently passed away, was associated with which profession?
[A] Astrophysicist
[B] Industrialist
[C] Politician
[D] None of the Above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Astrophysicist]
Notes:
Eminent astrophysicist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar passed away in Pune on May 20, 2025, at the age of 87. He was known for his pioneering work in cosmology, science communication, and institution-building in India. In 1988, he founded the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and served as its Director until 2003. He received the Kalinga Award from UNESCO in 1996 for popularising science through books, articles, and media. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1965, Padma Vibhushan in 2004, and Maharashtra Bhushan in 2011. In 2014, his Marathi autobiography won the Sahitya Akademi Award for regional literature.
3. Who has become the first CISF personnel to conquer the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest?
[A] Ritika Singh
[B] Preeti Sinha
[C] Nilanjana Chauhan
[D] Geeta Samota
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Geeta Samota]
Notes:
Sub Inspector Geeta Samota has become the first personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to climb Mount Everest in the 56-year history of the force. She reached the summit of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, which stands at 8,849 metres, on Monday. This achievement marks a proud moment of courage and strength for both the CISF and the nation. Geeta is from Chak village in Sikar district, Rajasthan, and started her journey as a hockey player during college. She joined CISF in 2011 and is currently posted at the Udaipur airport unit.
4. Who has become first Indian-origin musician to win American Music Award 2025?
[A] Rasika Sekhar
[B] Raja Kumari
[C] Aditi Ramesh
[D] Manju Mehta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Raja Kumari ]
Notes:
Indian-origin rapper and singer-songwriter Raja Kumari won an American Music Award (AMA) 2025. She was nominated at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles for the song from Arcane League of Legends: Season 2. This made her the first Indian-origin musician ever nominated for an AMA. The song Renegade (We Never Run) was a collaboration with Stefflon Don and Jarina de Marco. It was nominated under the Favourite Soundtrack category. She was chosen for the song as the film character is Indian, and she represents Indian culture with powerful music.
5. Who has become the first person of Indian origin to be elected as the President of American Medical Association (AMA)?
[A] Srinivas Mukkamala
[B] Paresh Dandona
[C] Rahul Gupta
[D] Jayanta Debnath
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Srinivas Mukkamala]
Notes:
Dr. Srinivas ‘Bobby’ Mukkamala has been elected as the first Indian-origin president of the American Medical Association (AMA) in its 178-year history. He will serve as the 180th president of the AMA, the largest association of physicians in the United States. Dr. Mukkamala, an ENT specialist from Michigan, has led the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. He has advocated evidence-based policies to address the overdose epidemic in the U.S. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed residency at Loyola University, Chicago.
6. Who has become the first woman and first African President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)?
[A] Joyce Banda
[B] Wangari Maathai
[C] Bonang Matheba
[D] Kirsty Coventry
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kirsty Coventry]
Notes:
Recently, Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe made history by becoming the first female and first African President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in its 130-year history. Coventry, a seven-time Olympic medallist in swimming, won the election in one round with 49 out of 97 votes, beating Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and other candidates. She aims to focus on athlete rights, gender equality, and the sustainability of the Games. She has pledged to expand Olympic participation, especially in Africa, and engage youth.
7. The JCB Prize, which has been discontinued recently, is associated with which field?
[A] Journalism
[B] Sports
[C] Literature
[D] Agriculture
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Literature]
Notes:
Recently, the Indian literary world was shocked as the JCB Prize for Literature has been officially discontinued. The award, worth Rs 25 lakh for the best fiction work by an Indian author, ended with no future editions planned. It was established in 2018 by JCB India. The prize promoted Indian fiction and translations, awarding five out of seven winners for translated works in languages like Malayalam, Tamil, and Urdu. The JCB Prize, though short-lived, made a strong impact on regional literature and India’s literary ecosystem.
8. Who has been appointed as the next Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)?
[A] Parag Jain
[B] Amarendra Singh
[C] Rajeev Krishna
[D] Ajay Pal Sharma
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Parag Jain]
Notes:
Recently, the government appointed Parag Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Punjab cadre, as the new Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) for two years. Jain will replace Ravi Sinha, a 1988-batch IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, whose term ends on June 30, with Jain taking charge on July 1. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his posting under the Cabinet Secretariat as per service rules. Jain currently leads the Aviation Research Centre, which gathered key intelligence during Operation Sindoor on Pakistan’s terror camps.
9. Who won the 2025 Shakti Bhatt Prize for her debut memoir The Lucky Ones?
[A] Kiran Desai
[B] Shashi Deshpande
[C] Geetanjali Shree
[D] Zara Chowdhary
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Zara Chowdhary]
Notes:
The Shakti Bhatt Prize 2025 was awarded to debut author Zara Chowdhary for her memoir The Lucky Ones, about surviving the 2002 Gujarat riots. She will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh with the award. This year marks the final Shakti Bhatt Prize, which started in 2008 to honour debut authors in memory of publisher Shakti Bhatt, who died in 2007. The prize celebrated South Asian literature from countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, remaining independent and free from corporate sponsorship.
10. Which country recently honoured PM Narendra Modi with its highest civilian award, “Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross”?
[A] Indonesia
[B] Brazil
[C] Ghana
[D] Nigeria
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Brazil]
Notes:
The Prime Minister recently concluded a four-day visit to Brazil, strengthening South-South cooperation and India-Brazil strategic ties. The Prime Minister was conferred Brazil’s highest civilian honour, the “Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross,” for strengthening bilateral relations. The Prime Minister announced plans for adopting India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Brazil.