Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Former Odisha Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, aged 95, passed away on June 15. He was a senior Congress leader from Maharashtra, served three terms in the Rajya Sabha, and practiced as a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court. Bhandare’s tenure as Governor of Odisha spanned from August 2007 to March 2013. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and former CM Naveen Patnaik expressed deep sorrow at his demise.

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Ramesh Karthik Naik, a 26-year-old writer from Vivek Nagar, Nizamabad district, received the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for Telugu literature. Instituted in 2011, this award honors young writers under 35 for their creative works in 24 languages. It includes a plaque, shawl, citation, and a ₹50,000 cheque. The Sahitya Akademi, established in 1954, promotes literature in Indian languages autonomously under the Government of India, playing a pivotal role in literary discourse and publication.

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Mark Rutte, Netherlands Prime Minister, has been appointed as the next Secretary General of NATO. Approved by NATO’s 32 member countries on June 26 in Brussels, he will succeed Jens Stoltenberg on October 1, 2024. Rutte’s nomination came after overcoming opposition from Hungary and Turkey, and the withdrawal of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. He became the sole candidate and was elected to lead the Western military alliance after serving as Dutch Prime Minister since 2010.

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Bhupinder Singh Rawat, a former Indian footballer known for his speed as a winger in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away at 85. He represented India in the 1969 Merdeka tournament in Malaysia and played domestically for Delhi Garrison, Gorkha Brigade, and Mafatlal. Rawat also featured for Services and Maharashtra in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy.

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Senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch officer, has become the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, succeeding Durga Shankar Mishra. Singh previously held roles as the agriculture production commissioner, infrastructure and industrial development commissioner, and additional chief secretary of the Panchayati Raj department in Uttar Pradesh.

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The 15th Agriculture Leadership Awards Committee, chaired by Justice P Sathasivam, has named Maharashtra the Best Agriculture State for 2024. Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde will receive the award in New Delhi on July 10. Recognized for its innovative agricultural policies and programs, Maharashtra’s initiatives include the largest bamboo mission, extensive irrigation projects, and nano-technology fertilizer distribution. The award highlights significant contributions to agricultural advancement and rural prosperity.

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Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCLTech, was awarded France’s highest civilian honor, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur,” for her significant contributions to business and sustainability, as well as enhancing economic relations between France and India. The honor was presented by the French Ambassador to India, acknowledging her exceptional leadership and influence in international business and diplomacy, underscoring her impactful role in these sectors.

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The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative, launched by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) in 2016, has won the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. Awarded by Portugal-based Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the prize honors contributions to global food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem protection. APCNF shares the €1 million prize with soil scientist Rattan Lal and Egypt-based SEKEM. Selected from 181 nominations, the award jury was chaired by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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Vinay Mohan Kwatra has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to the United States, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs. A retired Indian Foreign Service diplomat, Kwatra has extensive expertise in relations with India’s neighbors, the US, China, and Europe.

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Kamala Pujari, a Padma Shri awardee and pioneering organic farmer, passed away at 74 due to kidney-related ailments. She was treated at SCB Medical College in Cuttack but succumbed on Saturday. Her death prompted condolences from leaders and state honors by the Odisha government. Pujari was hospitalized two days prior and attended by a four-member medical team after being transferred from Jeypore District Headquarters Hospital.