Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Dr. Subbanna Ayyappan, a renowned fisheries scientist and Padma Shri awardee, was found dead in the Cauvery River near Srirangapatna, Karnataka, on May 10, 2025. He was known as the architect of India’s Blue Revolution, which boosted fish production through scientific aquaculture. He was 70 years old at the time of his death.

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Recently, Brazilian microbiologist Mariangela Hungria was named the 2025 World Food Prize Laureate. She developed seed and soil treatments using beneficial bacteria like rhizobia and Azospirillum brasilense. These innovations help soybeans fix nitrogen naturally and boost root growth in crops like corn for better nutrient and water uptake. The World Food Prize is the top international award for those improving food quality, quantity, or access. It was established in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. Often called the Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture, it carries a $500,000 reward and is given in October.

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Dr M.R. Srinivasan, a key architect of India’s civilian nuclear programme, passed away at the age of 95 on 20 May. He was a technocrat with strong engineering skills and a vision for building scientific institutions. He joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1955, just a year after it was formed. He worked closely with Dr Homi Bhabha, the father of India’s nuclear programme, to develop Apsara, India’s first nuclear research reactor, which became operational in 1956. In 1959, he became Principal Project Engineer and led India’s early efforts in nuclear power generation. He received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, for his contributions to nuclear energy. His legacy reflects excellence in engineering and dedication to national scientific self-reliance.

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Banu Mushtaq, an Indian writer, lawyer, and activist, became the first author writing in Kannada to win the International Booker prize 2025. She won for her short story collection Heart Lamp. Heart Lamp is the first short story collection to win the £50,000 prize. The International Booker Prize began in 2005 as the Man Booker International Prize. It is awarded annually for a single book translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. Its goal is to encourage reading quality fiction from non-English languages. The prize promotes global fiction among English-speaking readers, covering novels and short story collections.

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Recently, the President of India presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2025 to nurses at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The National Florence Nightingale Award was started in 1973 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It is a prestigious national honour given to outstanding nursing personnel from Central Government, State and Union Territories, and Voluntary Organizations. The award recognizes the meritorious services of nurses in hospitals, communities, education, or administration. The award includes a Certificate of Merit, a Cash Award of ₹1,00,000, and a medal.

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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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Prominent writer Sarah Joseph has received the 2024 Mathrubhumi Literary Award. The award was presented by Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray in Kozhikode. It includes ₹3 lakh cash, a citation, and a sculpture by M. V. Devan. Sarah Joseph was appreciated for her fearless voice in Malayalam literature and social issues. She earlier won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Sahitya Akademi Awards.

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The Swedish startup NitroCapt won the 2025 Food Planet Prize for their innovative green fertilizer technology. This technology uses plasma and renewable energy to extract nitrogen from the air, eliminating the need for fossil fuels in fertilizer production. The $2 million prize, awarded by the Curt Bergfors Foundation, will help NitroCapt scale up its operations and further disrupt the global nitrogen fertilizer industry.

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Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, a renowned journalist and President of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Trust, was recently awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan’ by Shri Satpal Chauhan, Director General, Ministry of Home Affairs. As Shri Rai could not attend the official ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the award was presented at the IGNCA office in the presence of Director Shri Pandey Pradeep Kumar and senior officials. The award included a citation with the signature and seal of the President of India and a medal. Shri Rai also serves as Chancellor of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University, Gurugram, and guides many other institutions.

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Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a five-nation tour, was awarded Ghana’s highest civilian honour, the Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over 30 years. With this, PM Modi has now received top civilian honours from 24 countries, the highest for any Indian leader. PM Modi dedicated this award to 1.4 billion Indians, especially the youth, cultural heritage, and diversity.