Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan politician, as the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner. She was recognized for her work in promoting democratic rights. The laureate receives a cash prize of 11 million Swedish kronor (around USD 1.17 million), a diploma, and a medal. Among the six Nobel categories, the Peace Prize attracts the most global attention. US President Donald Trump was also nominated and campaigned for the award, citing ending seven wars. Nobel Committee President Jorgen Watne Frydnes emphasized decisions are based on work and Alfred Nobel’s will, not media or campaigns.

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Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. The award, formally called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million). Their work explains how innovation and “creative destruction” drive economic growth, replacing old products and methods with new ones. Sustained growth over the last two centuries has lifted millions out of poverty and improved living standards.

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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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Sunil Amrith, Indian-origin historian and Professor of History at Yale University, won the British Academy Book Prize 2025 for his book The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years. The prize awards £25,000 for outstanding non-fiction works in humanities and social sciences. Amrith was born in Kenya to South Indian parents, grew up in Singapore, and graduated from the University of Cambridge, England. The book explores 500 years of environmental history, linking human activity, colonisation, industrialisation, and settlement patterns to the current climate crisis.

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Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis, pioneering Indian space scientist, passed away on 22 October 2025 at age 100 in Pune, Maharashtra. He was born on 25 July 1925 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He received the Padma Bhushan in 1985 for his contributions to science and technology. He was a key architect of India’s early space programme and a close associate of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, founder of India’s space programme. He helped establish the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which evolved into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dr. Chitnis was instrumental in selecting Thumba, Kerala, for India’s first rocket launch.

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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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Queen Mother Sirikit of Thailand passed away at age 93 on 24 October at Chulalongkorn Hospital, Bangkok. She was the mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. King Vajiralongkorn has ordered a year-long mourning period for the royal family. She had been hospitalised since 2019, recently battling a blood infection. Queen Mother Sirikit was renowned for rural development, preserving traditional crafts, environmental protection, and forest conservation. Her birthday, August 12, is celebrated as Mother’s Day in Thailand.