Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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In July 2025, Marathi writer and critic Sarankumar Limbale was chosen for the Chintha Raveendran Award 2025. The award includes ₹50,000 cash, a memento, and a citation. It will be presented on July 26 at K.P. Kesavamenon Hall in Kozhikode. The award is part of the Chintha Raveendran commemoration event. Former Member of Parliament (MP) Subhashini Ali will deliver a lecture on the topic ‘Manuvadi Hindutva: When culture, history and equal rights are being deconstructed’. Writer N.S. Madhavan will preside over the event.

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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.

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Recently, the President of India will confer Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event is organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-Urban (SBA-U) to assess cleanliness, hygiene, and sanitation in urban India. It is implemented by MoHUA with Quality Council of India (QCI) as the partner. It rewards efforts of cities under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).

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President Droupadi Murmu paid tribute to Adikabi Sarala Das on his 600th birth anniversary. Sarala Das was a 15th-century poet and scholar of Odia literature. The President honored Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with the Kalinga Ratna Award-2024. The event marked a significant celebration of Odia literary heritage. Adikabi Sarala Das is known for composing the Mahabharata in Odia, enriching Indian literature.

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Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) received the National Geospatial Practitioner Award 2025. The award was given for its excellent use of open-source spatial technologies. It was presented during the Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) Day (Edition 02) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. The award was handed over by the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), A.S. Kiran Kumar. This recognition highlights INCOIS’s contribution to geospatial innovation and open-source solutions in ocean services.

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Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) was named the World’s Best Consumer Bank for 2025 by Global Finance magazine. The recognition was announced on July 18, 2025. SBI is India’s largest public sector bank. The award was based on Global Finance’s research and analysis, along with inputs from corporate finance experts, analysts, and bankers worldwide.

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Former Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on August 5, 2025, at the age of 79. He served as Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Goa, Odisha, and Meghalaya. He died at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, due to multiple organ failure following sepsis, pneumonia, and chronic kidney disease. Malik began politics in the 1960s, influenced by Ram Manohar Lohia’s socialist ideology. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004, became national vice-president in 2012. He belonged to the Jat community, originally from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, with roots in Haryana. As J&K Governor, he oversaw the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

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The Bibi Fatima Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) from Dharwad district won the Equator Initiative Award 2025. The award is presented every two years by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Equator Initiative. It supports Indigenous Peoples and local communities in tackling land degradation, conserving biodiversity, and improving livelihoods. The award is often called the Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation. Bibi Fatima SHG introduced millet-based mixed cropping on rainfed farms. They promoted climate-resilient farming, livestock rearing, horticulture, and popularised millets.

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On August 14, 2025, Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey player, passed away in Kolkata at the age of 80 after prolonged illness. He was suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. Born in 1945 in Goa, he combined careers as a medical practitioner and a hockey player. He made his international debut in 1966 at the Hamburg International Cup and later won a bronze at the 1971 World Cup and 1972 Olympics. He represented clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, winning multiple Beighton Cups and Calcutta League titles.

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The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, has invited nominations for the National Youth Award (NYA) 2024. The award is sponsored by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. The award is given to Indian youth for their outstanding work in social service and national development. The eligible age group for the award is between 15 and 29 years. The award is given in two categories: Individual and Organisation, with a maximum of 20 individual awards and 5 organisation awards each year. Prize money for individuals includes a medal, a certificate, and ₹1,00,000, while voluntary youth organisations receive a medal, a certificate, and ₹3,00,000.