Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the US, passed away at 100 in Plains, Georgia. President Joe Biden praised Carter’s life of principle, faith, and humility, calling him a man of courage and compassion. January 9 will be a national day of mourning in the US. Carter served from 1977 to 1981 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his peace efforts.

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Prativa Satpathy, renowned Odia poet, was awarded the Gangadhar National Award for Poetry 2023 by Sambalpur University. Satpathy gained prominence in the 1960s with her acclaimed work ‘Sesha Janha’. Her poems have been translated into several languages, gaining international recognition. The Gangadhar National Award, established in 1989, includes a citation, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000. Previous awardees include Gulzar, K Sachidanandan, and Jayanta Mohapatra.

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Eminent physicist Rajagopala Chidambaram, key figure in India’s nuclear tests of 1974 and 1998, passed away at 88. Born in 1936, Chidambaram studied at Presidency College, Chennai, and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.. He served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (2001-2018) and director of BARC (1990-1993). Chidambaram was chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, DAE (1993-2000). He also chaired the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1994-1995.

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Lionel Messi was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. Messi is the first Argentine and first male soccer player to receive this award. He could not attend the ceremony due to prior commitments, sending a letter expressing gratitude. The award recognizes significant contributions to society, world peace, or public welfare. Messi was honored for being the most decorated soccer player and his philanthropic work through the Leo Messi Foundation and as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

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São Tomé and Príncipe Prime Minister Ilza Amado Vaz resigned after her proposed cabinet list was publicly leaked before informing President Carlos Vila Nova. Amado Vaz, a former justice minister, was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of Patrice Trovoada’s government. São Tomé and Príncipe is a small archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea, covering just over 1,000 sq. km.

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Assam police chief Gyanendra Pratap Singh is appointed as Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The CRPF, India’s premier central police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, ensures internal security. It was established in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police during political unrest in princely states.

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Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad has been awarded the prestigious Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for 2025 in the Institutional Category. This award recognizes INCOIS’s significant contributions to disaster management in India, particularly in tsunami early warning, cyclone forecasting, and coastal risk mitigation. INCOIS operates the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), recognized globally by UNESCO. The organization has developed innovative tools like SARAT and SynOPS to enhance disaster response capabilities. This award highlights India’s advancements in disaster management and the crucial role of institutions like INCOIS in safeguarding lives and livelihoods.

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Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of Trinidad and Tobago, was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for her contributions to public affairs and promoting India’s global prestige. She served as the chief guest at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in January 2025. Kangaloo highlighted the deep historical ties between India and Trinidad, dating back to 1845 with the arrival of Indian indentured workers. She praised India’s global contributions in education, medicine, and mathematics, and acknowledged the Indian diaspora’s impact worldwide.

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Hariman Sharma, a farmer from Himachal Pradesh, received the Padma Shri for revolutionizing apple farming. He developed HRMN-99, a self-pollinating, low-chilling apple variety that grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions. HRMN-99 thrives in temperatures of 40-45°C, expanding apple cultivation across 29 Indian states and UTs. Sharma’s journey began in 1998 when he planted discarded apple seeds in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. His work was validated by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in 2012. The variety benefits farmers nationwide, especially in the North-East, where 100,000+ saplings have been planted.

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Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha received the Maharaja Hari Singh Award in Reforms and Planning at a grand ceremony in Jammu. The event was organized by Gulistan News Network as part of the Maharaja Hari Singh Peace and Harmony Award 2024-25 celebrations. The award recognized LG Sinha’s contributions to reforms and planning in Jammu and Kashmir. He paid tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh, highlighting his role in J&K’s integration with India. He also honored Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, Pandit Girdhari Lal Dogra, and Shri Devender Singh Rana for their dedication to public welfare. Maharaja Hari Singh was praised as a key architect of modern Jammu and Kashmir for his revolutionary reforms.