Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Indian-origin rapper and singer-songwriter Raja Kumari won an American Music Award (AMA) 2025. She was nominated at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles for the song from Arcane League of Legends: Season 2. This made her the first Indian-origin musician ever nominated for an AMA. The song Renegade (We Never Run) was a collaboration with Stefflon Don and Jarina de Marco. It was nominated under the Favourite Soundtrack category. She was chosen for the song as the film character is Indian, and she represents Indian culture with powerful music.

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Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was elected President of the 80th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on June 2. She won the secret ballot with 167 votes, while 14 countries chose to abstain. Baerbock is the first woman from the Western European group and the fifth woman overall to lead the UN General Assembly. The 80th session begins on September 9, 2025, and will focus on global crises and reforms like the UN80 initiative and choosing the next Secretary-General before 2026.

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On June 16, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, Cyprus’s highest civilian honour. The award was conferred by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides during PM Modi’s visit to the country. The honour is named after the first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, and represents strong bilateral ties. PM Modi dedicated the award to the 1.4 billion people of India and the friendship between India and Cyprus.

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Renowned environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Maruti Chitampalli, also known as ‘Aranya Rishi’, passed away at 93 in Solapur, Maharashtra due to age-related issues. He devoted his life to forests, wildlife, and environmental literature, earning national recognition. He was honoured with the Padma Shri by the President of India on April 30, 2025. Chitampalli served in the Forest Department for 36 years and travelled over 5 lakh kilometres across India for research. His scientific works include ‘Pakshikosha’ (Birds), ‘Pashukosha’ (Animals), and ‘Matsyakosha’ (Fish).

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Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, announced 23 winners for the Yuva Puraskar and 24 for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar awards. Sahitya Akademi is the central institution for literary promotion in 24 Indian languages, including English. There is no award in Dogri this year. Notable winners include Advait Kottary (English), Parvati Tirkey (Hindi), Latshmihar (Tamil), and Prasad Suri (Telugu).

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Recently, China’s former Vice Finance Minister Zou Jiayi was named as the next president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, known as AIIB, during its 10th Annual Meeting. Zou will take over from Jin Liqun, the founding president, starting her five-year term on January 16, 2026. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank focused on sustainable infrastructure, and started in 2016. China is the largest shareholder with 26.54% voting shares, while India holds 7.58%, followed by Russia and Germany.

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Recently, Kasaragod district won the Fisheries Department Excellence Award 2025 under the Popular Fish Farming Project in Kerala. It was declared the best district for achievements in the fisheries sector. The award is part of the annual State Farmer Awards to honour aquaculture excellence. Kasaragod earlier won the Matsya Karshaka Award and Best Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) Award in 2023. Its District Panchayat was the first in India to declare a tree, flower, and bird as district biodiversity symbols.

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Recently, Telangana won the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Industry Excellence Award 2025 in the State Leadership – Battery Manufacturing category. The award was presented at the 11th India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2025 held in New Delhi. It highlights Telangana’s leadership in building a strong ecosystem for battery manufacturing and new energy technologies. The state has become a hub for advanced energy manufacturing due to its proactive industrial policies and innovation support.

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Dr. Abhijat Sheth has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC) in July 2025. The appointment comes amid rising concerns over regulatory loopholes and a recent corruption probe in medical college approvals. The National Medical Commission (NMC) is India’s top regulatory body for medical education and professionals. It was established under the NMC Act, 2019, replacing the Medical Council of India (MCI). NMC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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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.