Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the President of India appointed Shri T. Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as a part-time member of the 16th Finance Commission (XVIFC). He will serve either till the Commission submits its report or until 31st October 2025, whichever comes earlier. His appointment follows the resignation of Shri Ajay Narayan Jha, a full-time member, due to personal reasons. The 16th Finance Commission (XVIFC) was formed on 31st December 2023.

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Prominent writer Sarah Joseph has received the 2024 Mathrubhumi Literary Award. The award was presented by Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray in Kozhikode. It includes ₹3 lakh cash, a citation, and a sculpture by M. V. Devan. Sarah Joseph was appreciated for her fearless voice in Malayalam literature and social issues. She earlier won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Sahitya Akademi Awards.

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Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has received the United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction. The award, started in 1986 with support from The Nippon Foundation, is the highest international honor in the disaster risk field. The 2025 theme, “Connecting science to people,” highlights his efforts in making cyclone forecasts accessible to vulnerable communities. Known as the “Cyclone Man of India,” Dr. Mohapatra helped reduce cyclone-related deaths across the north Indian Ocean region.

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On June 16, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, Cyprus’s highest civilian honour. The award was conferred by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides during PM Modi’s visit to the country. The honour is named after the first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, and represents strong bilateral ties. PM Modi dedicated the award to the 1.4 billion people of India and the friendship between India and Cyprus.

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The Swedish startup NitroCapt won the 2025 Food Planet Prize for their innovative green fertilizer technology. This technology uses plasma and renewable energy to extract nitrogen from the air, eliminating the need for fossil fuels in fertilizer production. The $2 million prize, awarded by the Curt Bergfors Foundation, will help NitroCapt scale up its operations and further disrupt the global nitrogen fertilizer industry.

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Renowned environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Maruti Chitampalli, also known as ‘Aranya Rishi’, passed away at 93 in Solapur, Maharashtra due to age-related issues. He devoted his life to forests, wildlife, and environmental literature, earning national recognition. He was honoured with the Padma Shri by the President of India on April 30, 2025. Chitampalli served in the Forest Department for 36 years and travelled over 5 lakh kilometres across India for research. His scientific works include ‘Pakshikosha’ (Birds), ‘Pashukosha’ (Animals), and ‘Matsyakosha’ (Fish).

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Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, announced 23 winners for the Yuva Puraskar and 24 for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar awards. Sahitya Akademi is the central institution for literary promotion in 24 Indian languages, including English. There is no award in Dogri this year. Notable winners include Advait Kottary (English), Parvati Tirkey (Hindi), Latshmihar (Tamil), and Prasad Suri (Telugu).

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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.

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Recently, Kasaragod district won the Fisheries Department Excellence Award 2025 under the Popular Fish Farming Project in Kerala. It was declared the best district for achievements in the fisheries sector. The award is part of the annual State Farmer Awards to honour aquaculture excellence. Kasaragod earlier won the Matsya Karshaka Award and Best Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) Award in 2023. Its District Panchayat was the first in India to declare a tree, flower, and bird as district biodiversity symbols.

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Recently, Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese-Scottish author, won the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize for her bold and truthful literary voice. The award was announced at English PEN’s summer party in London, with live readings of her work by actors Khalid Abdalla and Amira Ghazalla. She writes from a Muslim and immigrant perspective, exploring faith, migration, and cultural identity. Aboulela will receive the prize on October 10 at the British Library, where she will also announce the Writer of Courage for 2025. Past Writers of Courage include Alaa Abd el-Fattah (2024) and Rahile Dawut (2023), both persecuted for defending free speech.