Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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On October 24, 2025, Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat released a book titled “Modi’s Mission” in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The book is authored by Berjis Desai, a renowned lawyer and former journalist. It is published by Rupa Publications India Private Limited. The book traces the journey of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi from his early life in Vadnagar, Gujarat to the PM’s office in New Delhi, Delhi. It highlights how PM Modi’s formative years shaped his socioeconomic vision and governance style.

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Recently, the Central Government appointed Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai as the Chairperson of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). Justice Desai earlier headed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Committees in both Uttarakhand and Gujarat, playing a key role in drafting their UCC reports. She began her career as Government Pleader (Appellate Side) in the Bombay High Court in 1995 and became a Judge of the Bombay High Court in 1996. She was elevated to the Supreme Court of India in 2011 and retired in 2014. After retirement, she chaired the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (2014) and the Advance Ruling Authority (2018). She also headed the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir, which increased constituencies from 83 to 90

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Sahitya Akademi released the Hindi translation of the acclaimed Lithuanian novel The Last Day, titled “Antim Din”, in New Delhi. The event was held at Rabindra Bhawan in collaboration with the Embassy of Lithuania. The novel is written by Lithuanian-Ukrainian author Jaroslavas Melnikas. Madhav Kaushik, President of Sahitya Akademi, called it a milestone in promoting world literature in Indian languages. It is the first-ever translation of a Lithuanian fiction book into Hindi. The novel explores themes of existential change and cultural identity, fostering literary and cultural collaboration between India and Lithuania.

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Aamir Khan will receive the first-ever RK Laxman Award for Excellence on November 23, 2025, at the MCA Cricket Stadium, Pune. The award, instituted by the RK Laxman family, honours creative brilliance and celebrates RK Laxman’s legacy — the creator of The Common Man. Aamir Khan was chosen for his impactful films like Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, and Dangal, which address social issues and redefine Indian cinema. RK Laxman, one of India’s greatest cartoonists, is known for his cartoon strip “You Said It”, his work in Malgudi Days, and for receiving Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and other honours.

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Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations Specialized Agency for Tourism (UN Tourism). She is the first woman to lead the organization in its 50-year history. She will officially take office in January 2026 for a four-year term, marking a historic milestone for gender representation and global leadership.

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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 Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying recently announced winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025, highlighting current progress in India’s dairy sector. NGRA are the highest honours in the livestock and dairy sector and were launched under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission in 2021. They are given by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The awards promote excellence among farmers, Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), Milk Producer Companies (MPC), Dairy Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AIT).

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Rabih Alameddine won the National Book Award for Fiction for “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)”. Omar El Akkad won the Nonfiction prize for “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”. Patricia Smith won the Poetry award for “The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems”. Daniel Nayeri won for Young People’s Literature with “The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story”. Gabriela Cabezón Cámara was recognised in Translated Literature for “We Are Green and Trembling”, translated by Robin Myers. The 76th National Book Awards ceremony took place at Cipriani Wall Street, Manhattan, hosted by Jeff Heller with musical performance by Corinne Rae Bailey.

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Parveen Shaikh, a scientist with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), won the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2025 for leading community-based conservation of the endangered Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis). She began her research in 2016 at the National Chambal Sanctuary (National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary) located along the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Her work focused on understanding nesting behaviour, tracking survival rates, and identifying threats to the bird colonies. She found that Indian Skimmers nest on exposed sandbars, making eggs highly vulnerable to predators, livestock, and changing river flows.

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UN Environment Programme (UNEP) awarded IAS officer Supriya Sahu the 2025 UN Champions of the Earth award in the Inspiration and Action category. She was honoured for her long-standing leadership in plastic reduction, wildlife conservation, and especially sustainable cooling. Her key initiative, Tamil Nadu’s Cool Roof Project, lowered indoor temperatures by 5–8°C using high Solar Reflective Index paint, offering a low-cost cooling solution. UNEP called it a game changer for cities facing extreme heat, showing scalable climate action.