Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discovering how the immune system decides what to attack or protect. The prize was announced on 6 October 2025 at the Nobel Assembly, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. The research focuses on peripheral immune tolerance, which involves immune components outside the central nervous system (CNS). They identified regulatory T (Treg) cells, which prevent the immune system from attacking the body itself. Their work explained how autoimmune diseases develop and confirmed Treg cell function. Sakaguchi previously won the Canada Gairdner Award (2015) for the same discovery.

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On October 9, 2025, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 for László Krasznahorkai, a Hungarian author. He was awarded for his compelling and visionary works that explore art amidst apocalyptic terror. Born in 1954 near the Romanian border, he rose to fame with his first novel ‘Sátántangó’ (1985; English 2012). His latest work, ‘Herscht 07769’ (2025), portrays social unrest in a small town in Thüringen, Germany, blending violence and beauty. The Nobel Prize carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (~₹1.03 crore) and will be presented on December 10, 2025. Last year, the Literature Nobel was awarded to Han Kang, South Korea.

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The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has named Anant Goenka as its president-elect for 2025-26. Anant Goenka is currently the senior vice president of FICCI. He will take over from Harsha Vardhan Agarwal at FICCI’s 98th Annual General Meeting next month. Goenka is the vice chairman of RPG Group, a $5 billion conglomerate operating in tyre, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, IT, and other sectors. He served as managing director and CEO of CEAT from 2012 to 2023. Under his leadership, CEAT’s market capitalisation increased 25 times. He has also been chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA).

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Recently, Vivek Menon, an Indian wildlife conservationist, was elected Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) for 2025–2029. He is the first Asian to hold this position in the commission’s 75-year history. The SSC is a global network of over 11,000 experts working to protect biodiversity and ensure species survival. Menon is the founder of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and co-founder of five conservation groups. He has received awards like the Clark R. Bavin Award, Whitley Continuation Award, and is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (FLS).

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Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), received an award from the President of India for outstanding contribution to Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN). The felicitation took place at the National Conclave on ‘Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan’ held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The recognition highlights MoWCD’s key role in implementing PM-JANMAN, focused on tribal welfare and inclusion. More than 2,000 Anganwadi Centres have been made functional in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) areas under the scheme. The initiative aims to empower tribal communities at the last mile through better access to nutrition, education, and child care services.

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Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), released the book Civil-Military Fusion as a Metric of National Power and Comprehensive Security in October 2025. Lieutenant General Raj Shukla (Retired) authored the book. The book release event was held at the United Service Institution of India (USI), New Delhi, Delhi. The book was published by Notion Press. The book focuses on evolving civil-military relations into Civil-Military Fusion (CMF) for deeper integration of civilian industry, academia, and defense technology. The book emphasizes asset-based thinking rather than deficit-based thinking.

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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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Two Indian farmer-owned cooperatives — Amul and IFFCO — have been ranked as the world’s top cooperatives in the ICA World Cooperative Monitor 2025 released in Doha, Qatar. Amul (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd) ranked number one, and Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) ranked number two globally. Rankings were based on GDP per capita performance by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) headquartered in Brussels. The ICA, in partnership with EURICSE, analyses the global economic and social impact of cooperatives. The recognition coincides with the conclusion of the UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 in Doha.

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In November 2025, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, received the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award. The award was presented by the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) at Harvard University, USA. It recognizes his significant contributions to global peace-building, reconciliation, and humanitarian service. The 2025 award marks the 10th anniversary of the award (2015–2025), honoring leaders with moral courage, visionary leadership, and compassion. The focus of the 2025 award is on advancing 21st-century peace through inner harmony, interfaith dialogue, and ethical governance.

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In November 2025, Dr. Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor of Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka, received the 3rd Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award. He was honored for his exceptional work in computational materials science and advanced modeling of complex alloys. His research contributes to sustainable technologies and industrial innovation. The award will be formally presented on 13th December 2025 at the Manohar Parrikar Vigyan Mahotsav, held at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa.