Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Vice-President of India, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, released the book Sanatan Sanskriti Ki Atal Drishti by Shri Vasudev Devnani, Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, at the Vice-President’s Enclave, New Delhi. The book is a tribute to former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his centenary birth anniversary. The Vice-President praised Vajpayee as an institution whose life embodied principles, values, and visionary leadership.

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Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) conferred the IFFCO Sahitya Samman 2025 on eminent Hindi writer Maitreyi Pushpa for her outstanding contribution to Hindi literature, especially rural life and agrarian realities. The IFFCO Young Literary Award 2025 was presented to Ankita Jain for her book “Oh Re! Kisan.” Maitreyi Pushpa (born 30 Nov 1944, Aligarh) has a master’s in Hindi literature and is renowned for novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and women-centric writings. IFFCO Sahitya Samman, instituted in 2011, honors writers reflecting rural and agricultural life and carries a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, citation, and memento.

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Renowned Indian ecologist Madhav Dhananjaya Gadgil passed away on 7 January 2026 in Pune at the age of 82. He was the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. He chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) in 2010, known as the Gadgil Commission. He played a key role in establishing India’s first biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986). He significantly contributed to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and People’s Biodiversity Registers. He received major honours including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and United Nations Champions of the Earth Award (2024).

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Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, an Indian Army officer from Bengaluru, received the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for gender-inclusive peacekeeping. She is currently serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Her project, “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace,” strengthens UNMISS’s gender-inclusive approach. The award recognises initiatives promoting gender parity and gender-responsive peacekeeping. Her project was selected from UN-wide nominations and won the Gender Category with the highest votes globally.

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Recently, former Special Secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs, Praveen Vashista, was appointed Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission. He is a 1991-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Bihar cadre. He took voluntary retirement before his scheduled superannuation in July. The appointment was made by the President of India under the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003. The Central Vigilance Commission consists of one Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners.

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Vice President Dr C. P. Radhakrishnan launched the book Chalice of Ambrosia: Ram Janmabhoomi–Challenge and Response in New Delhi. The book is authored by Surendra Kumar Pachauri, a former secretary to the Government of India. Dr Radhakrishnan stated that Ram Mandir at Ayodhya represents a defining moment in India’s civilisational journey, where faith, law, and democracy converged. The 2019 Supreme Court verdict fulfilled the aspirations of millions and highlighted the strength of Indian democracy.

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Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was conferred the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, by President Droupadi Murmu during the 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path. Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair will be awarded the Kirti Chakra. Shubhanshu Shukla travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2025 as part of the Axiom-4 mission, becoming the second Indian in space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma. The award recognises his exceptional courage, leadership, presence of mind and swift decision-making under demanding space mission conditions.

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The results of the Republic Day Parade 2026 for Best Marching Contingents and Best Tableaux have been officially announced. Among the three Services, the Indian Navy was adjudged the Best Marching Contingent. In the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Auxiliary Forces category, the Delhi Police won the award. In the States and Union Territories category for tableaux, Maharashtra secured first place with Ganeshotsav: A Symbol of Aatmanirbharta. Jammu and Kashmir stood second for Handicrafts and Folk Dances of Jammu & Kashmir, while Kerala was third for Water Metro and 100% Digital Literacy: Aatmanirbhar Kerala for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

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Uttarakhand won the national award for ‘Best State for Promotion of Aviation and Ecosystem’ at WINGS INDIA 2026. The event was held from 29–31 January at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad. The award was received by Uttarakhand’s Additional Secretary Ashish Chauhan from the Union Civil Aviation Minister. Recognition came for expanding air connectivity and managing a safe, smooth Char Dham Yatra. The state strengthened helicopter services to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, developing heliports and helipads.

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Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a Maharatna PSU and India’s largest public sector steel producer, has received the ‘Great Place to Work’ certification for February 2026–February 2027. This marks the third consecutive year SAIL has earned the prestigious recognition. The certification was awarded after a company-wide assessment by the Great Place to Work Institute, India, based on extensive employee feedback. SAIL recorded a significant improvement in its Trust Index score, reflecting growing employee confidence in leadership, policies, and work environment.