Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Kovalam beach in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, received the International Blue Flag certification for the fifth consecutive year in 2025-26. The certification is awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Denmark, and promotes sustainable tourism and responsible coastal management. Blue Flag recognition is based on 33 criteria, including water quality, environmental education, safety, waste management, cleanliness, and eco-friendly infrastructure. Kovalam beach first received the certification on September 21, 2021, becoming Tamil Nadu’s first Blue Flag beach.

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The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying recently announced winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025, highlighting current progress in India’s dairy sector. NGRA are the highest honours in the livestock and dairy sector and were launched under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission in 2021. They are given by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The awards promote excellence among farmers, Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), Milk Producer Companies (MPC), Dairy Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AIT).

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Velamala Simmanna has been selected for the Lok Nayak Foundation (LNF) Literary Award 2025. He has written over 100 books and is a former Head of Department of Telugu at Andhra University. The award carries a cash prize of 2 lakh rupees and will be given on 18 January 2026. The award is presented every year by the Lok Nayak Foundation. It commemorates the death anniversaries of N. T. Rama Rao and Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

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Kumari Kamala, early child prodigy of Indian cinema and Bharatanatyam dancer, died in the United States at 91. She performed worldwide and inspired many dancers, though very little documentation of her work exists. Kamala trained under Guru Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai, mastering nritta (pure dance) with grace and abhinaya (expression) with poetry. She collaborated closely with musicians like S. Rajeswari and learned music from Vidwan Ramnad Krishnan. She influenced seven decades of Bharatanatyam and respected tradition and the Thanjavur Quartet.

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Dr. Tessy Thomas, called the Missile Woman of India, received the 8th Dr. Paulos Mar Gregorios Award 2025 for excellence in science and women empowerment. She is a senior scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). She was the first Indian woman to lead a missile project and headed Agni-IV and Agni-V ballistic missile programmes. She is also known as “Agniputri”, meaning one born of fire. The award is given by the Sophia Society of the Malankara Orthodox Church in memory of Dr. Paulos Mar Gregorios.

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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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Anant Ambani, founder of Vantara, received the Global Humanitarian Award in the United States for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation and animal welfare. He was honoured for his leadership in the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and conservation of animals through the Vantara initiative. Anant Ambani is the youngest and the first Asian to ever receive this prestigious award. The award has brought global recognition to Vantara, which is considered one of the world’s largest and most unique wildlife conservation projects.

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UN Environment Programme (UNEP) awarded IAS officer Supriya Sahu the 2025 UN Champions of the Earth award in the Inspiration and Action category. She was honoured for her long-standing leadership in plastic reduction, wildlife conservation, and especially sustainable cooling. Her key initiative, Tamil Nadu’s Cool Roof Project, lowered indoor temperatures by 5–8°C using high Solar Reflective Index paint, offering a low-cost cooling solution. UNEP called it a game changer for cities facing extreme heat, showing scalable climate action.

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Elan Group, with Invincible Publishers, launched “The Art of Doing Nothing Right”, debut book by Ajit Navraj Hans, on 9th December 2025 at Elan Epic Mall, Gurugram. The event was attended by Daler Mehndi, Hans Raj Hans (Padma Shri), and Navraj Hans, celebrating creative legacy and family inspiration. The book explores embracing imperfections, learning from mistakes, and celebrating authenticity and resilience.

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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.