Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve Sonali Ghosh received the Kenton R. Miller Award. The award is given by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). IUCN, founded in 1948, works globally for nature conservation and sustainable resource use. The Kenton R. Miller Award, established in 2006, is presented every two years for innovation in national park and protected area sustainability. It honours exceptional contributions in management, finance, monitoring, and communication and carries a cash prize of US $5,000.

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Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), received an award from the President of India for outstanding contribution to Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN). The felicitation took place at the National Conclave on ‘Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan’ held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The recognition highlights MoWCD’s key role in implementing PM-JANMAN, focused on tribal welfare and inclusion. More than 2,000 Anganwadi Centres have been made functional in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) areas under the scheme. The initiative aims to empower tribal communities at the last mile through better access to nutrition, education, and child care services.

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Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis, pioneering Indian space scientist, passed away on 22 October 2025 at age 100 in Pune, Maharashtra. He was born on 25 July 1925 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He received the Padma Bhushan in 1985 for his contributions to science and technology. He was a key architect of India’s early space programme and a close associate of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, founder of India’s space programme. He helped establish the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which evolved into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dr. Chitnis was instrumental in selecting Thumba, Kerala, for India’s first rocket launch.

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Queen Mother Sirikit of Thailand passed away at age 93 on 24 October at Chulalongkorn Hospital, Bangkok. She was the mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. King Vajiralongkorn has ordered a year-long mourning period for the royal family. She had been hospitalised since 2019, recently battling a blood infection. Queen Mother Sirikit was renowned for rural development, preserving traditional crafts, environmental protection, and forest conservation. Her birthday, August 12, is celebrated as Mother’s Day in Thailand.

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Recently, Sri Lankan author Vajra Chandrasekera won the 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction worth $25,000 (around ₹22 lakh) for his novel “Rakesfall.” The prize honours writers who “imagine real grounds for hope” and is run by the Ursula K. Le Guin Foundation. Rakesfall, published by Tor Books in April 2025, follows two souls, Annelid and Leveret, meeting during the Sri Lankan Civil War and reconnecting across lifetimes. The book explores power, memory, and moral responsibility, exposing the greed and control of the powerful. Chandrasekera described it as a story about “late capitalism’s death drive” and the moral cost of looking away.

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The ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak’ for 2025 has been announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was instituted in 2024 to promote professional excellence and morale among officers. The award recognizes outstanding work in Special Operations, Investigation, Intelligence, and Forensic Science. It was formed by merging four MHA awards. They are Special Operation Medal, Medal for Excellence in Investigation, Exceptional Intelligence Efficiency Medal, and Union Home Minister’s Award for Meritorious Service. It is announced every year on 31st October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

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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, Heritage Foods Limited (HFL), a private-sector dairy company, received the Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance (GPAECG) 2025. The award was presented by the Institute of Directors (IOD), India, during the IOD London Global Convention on Corporate Governance & Sustainability held from 4th to 7th November 2025 in London, United Kingdom (UK). Heritage Foods Limited (HFL) was among 11 national winners and the only Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firm to win the honour this year. The Golden Peacock Awards were instituted in 1991 by IOD India to promote ethical leadership, good governance, and sustainable business practices.

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In November 2025, David Szalay won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel “Flesh”, becoming the first Hungarian-British author to win the award. The Booker Prize is the world’s leading literary award for a single work of fiction. It was founded in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1969. Initially limited to Commonwealth writers, it is now open to authors worldwide. It honors the best English-language novel published in the UK or Ireland. The novel must be original, not a translation, and published by a registered UK or Irish imprint. The winner receives £50,000, while shortlisted authors get £2,500 each.

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The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2024 was awarded to Michelle Bachelet, the first and only woman President of Chile and former UN (United Nations) High Commissioner for Human Rights. Bachelet served two presidential terms in Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018) and led major education, tax, human rights, and gender equality reforms. It is awarded annually to any person or organisation regardless of nationality, race, or religion. It honours efforts promoting international peace, disarmament, racial equality, goodwill, and harmony. It recognises work supporting global economic cooperation and a new international economic order.