Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, has invited nominations for the National Youth Award (NYA) 2024. The award is sponsored by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. The award is given to Indian youth for their outstanding work in social service and national development. The eligible age group for the award is between 15 and 29 years. The award is given in two categories: Individual and Organisation, with a maximum of 20 individual awards and 5 organisation awards each year. Prize money for individuals includes a medal, a certificate, and ₹1,00,000, while voluntary youth organisations receive a medal, a certificate, and ₹3,00,000.

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The 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners were announced on September 2, 2025, with the award ceremony held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The seven winning projects, including Khudi Bari in Bangladesh and Vision Pakistan, were selected from a shortlist of 19 projects and address themes like community resilience and climate-responsive design. For the 2025 award cycle, India did not have any projects on the final shortlist. The Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) continue to be active in India. In 2024, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture partnered with the Archaeological Survey of India to develop a modern sunken museum at the 16th-century Humayun’s Tomb Complex in Delhi.

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Former Prime Minister and economist Dr. Manmohan Singh was posthumously awarded the P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Award for Economics. The award honoured his pivotal role in India’s economic transformation and nation-building. The award was received on his behalf by his wife Gursharan Kaur in New Delhi last week. It was presented by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. The award is instituted by the P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Foundation (PVNMF) to recognise outstanding contributions in economics.

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Recently, Muzaffarpur district of Bihar secured first rank in the INSPIRE Award Scheme of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. A record 7,403 students submitted innovative ideas, surpassing Bengaluru Urban (7,306) and Bagalkot, Karnataka (6,826). Under INSPIRE, students from Class 6–10 get ₹10,000 to develop innovative models, later exhibited up to the National Level Exhibition (NLEPC). Selected top 60 ideas are displayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the President honours students. Ideas must be novel, practical, socially useful, and eco-friendly, e.g., water conservation, renewable energy, pollution control, and assistive devices.

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The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, launched a new category “National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) for Content Creators and Influencers” under National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025. The initiative supports Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) by spreading awareness on energy efficiency and sustainable living. NECA, instituted in 1991, is a prestigious platform recognizing excellence in energy conservation across industries, institutions, and buildings. For the first time, NECA includes the digital community to leverage influencers’ reach for nationwide awareness.

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The National Geoscience Awards (NGA) 2024 were conferred by President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi, on 26th September 2025. The award was instituted in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines. These awards were earlier called National Mineral Awards till 2009. They honour excellence in mineral discovery, mining technology, beneficiation, and applied geosciences. For 2024, 208 nominations were received, and 12 awards were finalized through a three-stage process. A total of 20 geoscientists received the awards, including 9 individual and 3 team awards.

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The 31st Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environmental Protection was held by Rotary Club of Madras East (RCME). The award honours individuals, NGOs, or companies contributing to environmental protection and awareness. First award went to Sahaja Samrudha, Mysore, for conserving traditional farming practices, paddy varieties, millets, and indigenous crop biodiversity. Second award given to Veerappan, 60-year-old Irular fisherman from Kalaignar Nagar, for mud crab and fish propagation, and training college students in aquaculture.

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Renowned Gandhian and freedom fighter G.G. Parikh passed away on October 2, 2025, at the age of 101 years. He participated in the Quit India Movement (1942) and was imprisoned for 10 months. He was also jailed during the Emergency and was linked to the Baroda dynamite case. He was founder of Yusuf Meherally Centre, which now operates in 12 states promoting rural industries and youth empowerment. He led a Bharat Yatra in 2005 for communal harmony and youth involvement. In recent years, promoted the zero-carbon movement and sustainable livelihoods.

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Recently, the President of India presented the MY Bharat–National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for 2022–23 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The award was instituted in 1993–94 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The main objective is to honour youth for their exceptional work in social service, community development, and nation-building. The awards recognise and reward outstanding voluntary community service. They are given every year to NSS Volunteers, NSS Units, and Programme Officers for their exemplary contribution to society. The initiative highlights youth participation in building a responsible and service-oriented nation.

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Recently, U.S.-based scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for experiments that demonstrated quantum physics in action. Their work in the mid-1980s used superconducting electronic circuits to show that quantum mechanical properties could be applied on a macroscopic scale. The discoveries underpin modern quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors. The prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and includes 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million).