Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Former Prime Minister and economist Dr. Manmohan Singh was posthumously awarded the P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Award for Economics. The award honoured his pivotal role in India’s economic transformation and nation-building. The award was received on his behalf by his wife Gursharan Kaur in New Delhi last week. It was presented by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. The award is instituted by the P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Foundation (PVNMF) to recognise outstanding contributions in economics.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received the Living Bridge Award for promoting closer India-UK relations and securing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Seema Malhotra, Indian-origin Minister for the Indo-Pacific in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), accepted the award on his behalf. The Living Bridge Awards, organised by India Business Group (IBG), also honoured GMR Group, businessman G P Hinduja, KPMG UK chair Bina Mehta, and University of Southampton. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) aims to double bilateral trade to USD 120 billion by 2030.

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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the 2025 Young Champions of the Earth award recognising innovators from India, Kenya , and the United States. The award is UNEP’s flagship youth engagement initiative for entrepreneurs under 30. The Young Champions program, founded by UNEP in 2017, was relaunched in 2025 with Mr. Kemper as UNEP’s Advocate for Partnerships. Jinali Mody (India) won the 2025 UNEP Young Champions of the Earth award for founding Banofi Leather, producing eco-friendly leather from banana crop waste, reducing water use, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions. Joseph Nguthiru (Kenya) won for HyaPak, converting invasive water hyacinth into biodegradable packaging and seedling wrappers, reducing single-use plastics. Noemi Florea (United States) won for Cycleau, developing a compact greywater reuse system that turns household wastewater into drinking water with low energy consumption.

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R. Arthur James, Professor and Chair, Department of Marine Science, Bharathidasan University (BDU), received the Tamil Nadu Government’s Scientist Award in Environmental Science 2022. The award was presented by Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TANSA) at the Resource Centre for Tribal Development, Udhagamandalam. The award includes a cash prize of ₹50,000 and a citation. Govi. Chezhiaan, Minister for Higher Education, and M. P. Saminathan, Minister for Tamil Development, Information and Publicity, presented the award. Prof. James is recognized for pioneering research on natural nanomaterials, including antibiotic agents for wound healing and food preservatives from extremophilic micro-organisms.

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Recently, U.S.-based scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for experiments that demonstrated quantum physics in action. Their work in the mid-1980s used superconducting electronic circuits to show that quantum mechanical properties could be applied on a macroscopic scale. The discoveries underpin modern quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors. The prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and includes 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million).

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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University), Richard Robson (University of Melbourne), and Omar M. Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley). They were recognised for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a novel molecular architecture. Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystals formed by metal ions as cornerstones linked with long organic (carbon-based) molecules, creating large cavities. These structures can capture/store specific substances, drive chemical reactions, and conduct electricity. Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded since 1901, with 195 individuals receiving it; only 8 women have won.

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On October 7, 2025, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), launched the book “Above and Beyond – Exploring the Amazing World of Aviation” in New Delhi. The book is authored by Shiv Kumar Mohanaka, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The 445-page book showcases India’s aviation journey, highlighting achievements from dreams to destinations. It draws on Shiv Kumar Mohanaka’s 30 years of experience in CISF, providing a detailed view of the Indian aviation sector. Research includes a survey of 1,500 Indian flyers and explores future evolution of India’s aviation ecosystem to meet global standards.

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The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has named Anant Goenka as its president-elect for 2025-26. Anant Goenka is currently the senior vice president of FICCI. He will take over from Harsha Vardhan Agarwal at FICCI’s 98th Annual General Meeting next month. Goenka is the vice chairman of RPG Group, a $5 billion conglomerate operating in tyre, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, IT, and other sectors. He served as managing director and CEO of CEAT from 2012 to 2023. Under his leadership, CEAT’s market capitalisation increased 25 times. He has also been chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA).

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Chhattisgarh was awarded the ‘Best Performing State’ under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) for effective implementation, transparency, and near-zero claim pendency. The award was presented at the National Health Authority (NHA) Conclave held in Bhopal. 97% of hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY in Chhattisgarh are active, the highest in India, compared to 62% in Madhya Pradesh and 52% national average. The state’s health department reforms included wide-ranging inspections, disciplinary actions, and over 32,000 field audits to curb irregularities and fraud.

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Eminent physicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar has been posthumously selected for the Vigyan Ratna Puraskar 2025 for his lifetime contributions in physics. The award is part of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025, the country’s highest recognition for excellence in science, technology, and innovation, modeled on the Padma Awards. A total of 23 individuals and one institution have been selected this year. Vigyan Yuva recognizes young scientists across similar domains for their research and innovation. The Vigyan Team Award has been conferred on Aroma Mission CSIR in agricultural science.