Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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In July 2025, Marathi writer and critic Sarankumar Limbale was chosen for the Chintha Raveendran Award 2025. The award includes ₹50,000 cash, a memento, and a citation. It will be presented on July 26 at K.P. Kesavamenon Hall in Kozhikode. The award is part of the Chintha Raveendran commemoration event. Former Member of Parliament (MP) Subhashini Ali will deliver a lecture on the topic ‘Manuvadi Hindutva: When culture, history and equal rights are being deconstructed’. Writer N.S. Madhavan will preside over the event.

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Recently, Sonali Mishra was appointed as the first woman Director General (DG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). She is a 1993 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Her appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. She will serve as DG, RPF till her superannuation on October 31, 2026. The RPF ensures the security of railway property and passengers. RPF was created by an Act of Parliament in 1957. It got the power to enquire, arrest, and prosecute in 1966. It was declared an armed force of the Union on September 20, 1985.

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Recently, the President of India will confer Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event is organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-Urban (SBA-U) to assess cleanliness, hygiene, and sanitation in urban India. It is implemented by MoHUA with Quality Council of India (QCI) as the partner. It rewards efforts of cities under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).

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President Droupadi Murmu paid tribute to Adikabi Sarala Das on his 600th birth anniversary. Sarala Das was a 15th-century poet and scholar of Odia literature. The President honored Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with the Kalinga Ratna Award-2024. The event marked a significant celebration of Odia literary heritage. Adikabi Sarala Das is known for composing the Mahabharata in Odia, enriching Indian literature.

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The Meri Panchayat mobile app recently won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025 Champion Award. The award was given under the category “Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity and Local Content” at the WSIS+20 High-Level Event held in Geneva, Switzerland. Meri Panchayat App is developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The app provides real-time access to Panchayat budgets, payments, development plans, and details of elected representatives.

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Recently, G P Birla Memorial Award was conferred on V. Narayanan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. The award was presented by Nirmala Birla, Chairperson of G P Birla Archaeological Astronomical and Scientific Institute. The award has a prestigious legacy and has earlier been given to 32 Nobel laureates. Past recipients include Nobel Prize winner Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, physicist Jogesh Pati, former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and former ISRO chief Kasturirangan. The award recognises global leaders for their contributions to scientific progress and innovation.

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Pratyaya Amrit, a 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Bihar. He is currently serving as Development Commissioner and also holds additional charge of Health and Disaster Management Department. He will replace Amrit Lal Meena, a 1989-batch IAS officer, who is set to retire on August 31, 2025. Pratyaya will assume charge as Chief Secretary on September 1, 2025. Till then, he will serve as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Chief Secretary’s office.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi instituted a global award in memory of Professor M. S. Swaminathan, father of India’s Green Revolution, to honour scientists from developing nations working for “Food and Peace.” The first M. S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace was conferred to Nigerian scientist Prof. Ademola A. Adenle for combating hunger in Nigeria. Prof. Swaminathan, who passed away on 23 September 2023 at 98, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024.

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L. Ganesan, Governor of Nagaland and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Tamil Nadu, passed away in Chennai on August 15, 2025, at the age of 80. He had earlier served as Governor of Manipur and held additional charge as Governor of West Bengal. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during school days and became its chief organiser in Tamil Nadu during the Emergency. He was admired for his role in Hindu unity during Meenakshipuram conversions and Mandaikkadu riots. In 1991, he shifted to BJP, serving as Tamil Nadu unit president, general secretary, and later as BJP vice-president. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in 2017.

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Ajay Singh was re-elected as Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president for a third consecutive term on August 21, 2025. Singh defeated Olympian boxer Jaslal Pradhan with 40 votes against 26 in Gurugram. Pramod Kumar elected as Secretary-General and Pon Baskaran as Treasurer. Election was overseen by Justice (Retd) Rajesh Tandon and Fairuz Mohammed, WB (World Boxing) representative. Ajay Singh prioritized grassroots development, empowering junior and youth athletes, and strengthening India’s international boxing presence.