Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Meri Panchayat mobile app recently won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025 Champion Award. The award was given under the category “Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity and Local Content” at the WSIS+20 High-Level Event held in Geneva, Switzerland. Meri Panchayat App is developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The app provides real-time access to Panchayat budgets, payments, development plans, and details of elected representatives.

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Renowned economist and UK House of Lords member Lord Meghnad Desai passed away recently at age 85. He was born in 1940 in Vadodara, Gujarat as Meghnad Jagdishchandra Desai. He earned BA and MA in Economics from University of Mumbai and completed PhD from University of Pennsylvania in 1963. He authored over 200 academic papers and 8 books, including Marxian Economic Theory and The Rediscovery of India. He was a pioneer in Marxian economics, globalisation, and development economics. In 1991, he became the first Indian-origin Labour Party peer in the House of Lords.

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Former Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on August 5, 2025, at the age of 79. He served as Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Goa, Odisha, and Meghalaya. He died at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, due to multiple organ failure following sepsis, pneumonia, and chronic kidney disease. Malik began politics in the 1960s, influenced by Ram Manohar Lohia’s socialist ideology. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004, became national vice-president in 2012. He belonged to the Jat community, originally from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, with roots in Haryana. As J&K Governor, he oversaw the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi instituted a global award in memory of Professor M. S. Swaminathan, father of India’s Green Revolution, to honour scientists from developing nations working for “Food and Peace.” The first M. S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace was conferred to Nigerian scientist Prof. Ademola A. Adenle for combating hunger in Nigeria. Prof. Swaminathan, who passed away on 23 September 2023 at 98, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024.

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Karikot village in Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, won the Indian Subcontinental Responsible Tourism (ICRT) Award 2025. The award is presented by ICRT India Foundation with support from the Ministry of Tourism. The ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 13th September 2025. The award honors leaders in sustainable tourism, reducing negative impacts and enhancing positive outcomes. Karikot stood out for its Tharu tribal-led eco-tourism, homestays, and cultural immersion near Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

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The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, has invited nominations for the National Youth Award (NYA) 2024. The award is sponsored by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. The award is given to Indian youth for their outstanding work in social service and national development. The eligible age group for the award is between 15 and 29 years. The award is given in two categories: Individual and Organisation, with a maximum of 20 individual awards and 5 organisation awards each year. Prize money for individuals includes a medal, a certificate, and ₹1,00,000, while voluntary youth organisations receive a medal, a certificate, and ₹3,00,000.

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Non-Resident Indian businessman Younus Ahamed from Palakkad, Kerala, won the Camel International Award 2025. He is the Executive Director of Middle East Dotspace Coworking. The award was given by Arabian World Records for his contributions and business leadership. Arabian World Records also honoured 14 achievers from across the world in literature, art, fine arts, business, and social media.

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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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Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud has authored his debut book “Why the Constitution Matters”. The book is published by Penguin Random House and reflects on the Indian Constitution and its contemporary relevance. Justice Chandrachud served as the 50th CJI of India from November 2022 to November 2024. The book simplifies complex constitutional principles for the common citizen and emphasizes the Constitution as the foundation of democracy, justice, and equality. Key themes include right to privacy, dissent, gender equality, environmental justice, and freedom of speech, central to his landmark judgments. It is a civic guide, not a legal treatise, encouraging citizens to engage with the Constitution actively.

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Senior Advocate R. Venkataramani was re-appointed as Attorney General (AG) of India on September 26, 2025 for two years, effective October 1, 2025. His present three-year term ends on September 30, 2025. He had succeeded K.K. Venugopal as AG on September 30, 2022. The Attorney General is a constitutional post appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Union Government. The Attorney General can appear in any court of India and advises the government on complex legal matters. His expertise covers constitutional law, indirect taxes, human rights, civil, criminal, consumer, and service laws.