Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Renowned folk singer Sharda Sinha, known as ‘Bihar Kokila,’ passed away at 72 on 5 November 2024. She was suffering from multiple myeloma and died at AIIMS, New Delhi, on the first day of Chhath Puja. Sinha was celebrated for her Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magadhi songs, especially for Chhath Puja and Vivah Geet, which resonated widely in Bihar. She received the Padma Bhushan (2018), Padma Shri (1991), and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

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Coal India Limited (CIL) received the Green World Environment Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) category and the title of Green World Ambassador. The award recognizes CIL’s exemplary CSR work through the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna, providing curative treatment for over 600 Thalassemia patients via stem cell or Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT). Launched in 2017, it was the first CSR project by a PSU for Thalassemia treatment in India. Financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakh is provided per patient under the scheme. CIL partners with 17 leading hospitals across India for the initiative.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Guyana’s highest national award, “The Order of Excellence,” on November 19, 2024, in Georgetown, conferred by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Modi became the fourth foreign dignitary to receive this prestigious award. He was also honored with Dominica’s highest national award, the “Dominica Award of Honour,” by President Sylvanie Burton on November 20, 2024. The Dominica award was presented during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown. Modi is the second foreign leader after Queen Elizabeth (1969) to receive Dominica’s highest national award.

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The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 started from November 23, 2024. A total of 38 teams participated for the domestic T20 cricket title. It is a Twenty20 championship organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The tournament is named after former Indian Test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali.

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The National Gopal Ratna Awards 2024 winners were announced by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying. It is one of the highest national honors in the livestock and dairy sector. The awards are presented to winners of the Best Dairy Farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds, Best Artificial Insemination Technician and Best Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS)/ Milk Producer Company/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organisation in the country.

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Jasleen Kaur, a Glasgow-born Scottish Sikh artist of Indian heritage, won the 2024 Turner Prize. Her exhibition Alter Altar explores personal, political, and spiritual themes. The jury praised her evocative use of sound and sculpture to highlight family memory and community struggles. A standout piece featured a Ford car, representing her father’s migrant aspirations. Actor James Norton presented the award at Tate Britain, marking the Turner Prize’s return to the venue after six years.

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The Ram Temple in Ayodhya won the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ award from the British Safety Council for excellence in safety management. This award requires a five-star safety audit and on-site assessment by the British Safety Council. Larsen & Toubro, the temple’s construction firm, earlier received the ‘Golden Trophy’ from the National Safety Council for safety measures. The temple’s construction, including its Shikhar and key statues, is in the final phase, set to finish by June 2025. Statues of Shri Ram Darbar and various sages will be completed by January 2025, using 15 lakh cubic feet of Bansi Paharpur stone.

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Hindi writer Suryabala won the 34th Vyas Samman 2024 for her novel Kaun Des Ko Vasi: Venu Ki Diary, published in 2018. The novel explores cultural conflicts and identity struggles of Indian youth in America. Vyas Samman, instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991, honors outstanding Hindi literary works from the past decade with ₹4 lakh, a citation, and a plaque. Suryabala, born in 1943 in Varanasi, has written over 50 socially themed works, reflecting cultural insights. The novel highlights the alienation and identity crisis faced by overseas Indians, struggling to connect with their roots.

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Eminent tabla player Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri from Kolkata received the ‘Rashtriya Tansen Samman’ for 2023. Sanand Nyas Sanstha from Indore was awarded the ‘Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman’ for 2023. The awards were presented during the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2024, held in Gwalior to mark the centenary year of legendary music maestro Tansen. The ‘Tansen Award’ is the highest national music honor in Indian classical music, instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government. Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri thanked the state government for the prestigious recognition.

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Gagan Gill (Hindi) and Easterine Kire (English) are among 21 winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024. Easterine Kire from Nagaland won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2024 for her novel Spirit Nights. Hindi poet Gagan Gill received the award for her poetry book Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar. The award honors outstanding books in 24 Indian languages, initiated in 1954, with the first awards given in 1955. Recipients receive a copper plaque (designed by Satyajit Ray), a shawl, and a cash prize. Sahitya Akademi, India’s national academy of letters, was established in 1954 under the Ministry of Culture. Based in New Delhi, it promotes Indian literature, preserves literary heritage, and encourages literary activities across languages.