Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Manchester United Football player Denis Law passed away at the age of 84 on January 18. He began his football career with Huddersfield Town before gaining fame at Manchester United. He spent 11 years at the club, winning league titles in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968. He scored 237 goals in 404 appearances, making him the club’s third-highest goalscorer after Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton. He formed the iconic ‘holy trinity’ with Charlton and George Best, revered by Manchester United fans. He is the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d’Or, earning it in 1964.

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Doordarshan received an award for its voter awareness campaign during the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. It won in the Electronic Media category for its special series “Chunav Ka Parv Desh Ka Garv”. The initiative helped educate first-time voters and strengthened India’s democratic process. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to Doordarshan’s Director-General Kanchan Prasad on Republic Day 2025. The award recognizes Doordarshan’s commitment to responsible media outreach across India.

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Latika Katt, a renowned Indian sculptor, passed away at 76 in Jaipur. She was known for larger-than-life sculptures, public busts, and capturing nature’s organic forms. Her works include a 20-ft bronze sculpture of Jawaharlal Nehru at Jawahar Bhawan, Delhi. She experimented with terracotta, papier-mâché, stone, and bronze over five decades. She won the Beijing Art Biennale Award (2010) for Makarsankranti Nahan at Dashaswamedh Ghat.

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Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), replacing Rajiv Kumar. He is a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre and senior to the other commissioners. Vivek Joshi has been appointed as Election Commissioner; he was the former Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner. This is the first appointment under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioner Act, 2023.

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Purnima Devi Barman, an Indian biologist and wildlife conservationist, is named in TIME Magazine’s Women of the Year 2025 list. She is the only Indian woman on the list, alongside global figures like Nicole Kidman and Gisele Pelicot. The award recognizes extraordinary leaders working for a more equitable and sustainable world. Barman is known for her efforts in conserving the greater adjutant stork (Hargila). Her work has transformed both environmental and social landscapes, making a significant impact on wildlife conservation.

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The Ministry of Ayush conferred the National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards to three distinguished practitioners. Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav presented the awards in Mumbai on 20.02.2025. Awardees include Vaidya Tara Chand Sharma, an expert Nadi Vaidya and author; Vaidya Maya Ram Uniyal, a Dravyaguna Vigyana scholar with 60 years of service; and Vaidya Sameer Govind Jamadagni, founder of Vishwa Vyakhyanmala. Each recipient received a citation, a trophy featuring Lord Dhanwantari, and ₹5 Lakh. The awards highlight India’s commitment to holistic healthcare and preserving traditional medicine.

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The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion held a discussion on Diyaslai. Diyaslai is the autobiography of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, detailing his journey from Vidisha to his fight for child rights. Kailash Satyarthi, born in 1954 in Madhya Pradesh, has led global efforts against child slavery and exploitation in 140 countries. His organization has rescued over 1,38,000 children from child labour and trafficking. He highlighted that compassion is the key to solving global issues.

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Dr. Anju Rathi Rana has become the first woman Secretary of the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice. Her appointment marks an important step for gender diversity in top government positions. She has represented India at international forums, including the BRICS Ministers of Justice Meeting. She has contributed to legal reforms and gender representation in the judiciary.

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Jayshree Vencatesan, co-founder of Care Earth Trust, is the first Indian to receive the Ramsar award for ‘Wetland Wise Use.’ She is among 12 women changemakers in wetlands, recognized by the Ramsar secretariat in Geneva. She has dedicated decades to conserving India’s wetlands, especially Chennai’s Pallikaranai Marsh. She leads an all-women research team and mentors future conservationists. She dedicates her award to her late father and advocates for women’s technical roles in wetland management. She stresses persistence in conservation efforts despite bureaucratic challenges. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is a global treaty for wetland conservation.

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Garimella Balakrishna Prasad, noted classical singer and former Asthana Vidwan (court musician) of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), passed away at 76 due to a heart attack in Tirupati. Served TTD from 1978 to 2006 and composed music for 1,000+ compositions of saint-poet Tallapaka Annamacharya. His famous works include Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnukatha, Pidikita Thalambrala Pellikoothuru, and Jagadapu Chanavula Jajara, also featured in the Telugu film Annamayya.