Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Veteran sculptor Ram Sutar has been selected for the Maharashtra Bhushan 2024, the highest civilian award of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the award on March 20, 2025, in the state legislative assembly. A committee led by the Chief Minister unanimously chose him for the honor. Ram Sutar, a gold medalist from J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, is a master of bronze sculpting. He designed the Statue of Unity, a 182m tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Kevadia, Gujarat. He created the seated Mahatma Gandhi statue in India’s Parliament and Gandhi busts in 450+ cities worldwide. His 108-ft statue of Kempa Gowda stands at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Previously, he received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contributions to art.

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Ajay Seth, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been appointed as India’s next Finance Secretary. He succeeds Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who became the 11th Chairperson of SEBI. His appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is currently the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and was previously given additional charge of the Department of Revenue. He serves as India’s Alternate Governor on the ADB Board of Governors, where Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman represents India. He holds a BTech from IIT Roorkee and an MBA from Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines.

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Nikhil Singhal, Founder of Vigor Media Worldwide and President of the Noida High Rise Federation, received the Uttar Pradesh Anmol Ratan Award for his outstanding work in public relations and strategic communication. The award was presented by Shri Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, during a grand ceremony on March 31, 2025, at the Taj Lucknow, organized by the Tapasya Foundation Trust. The event gathered leading figures from media, corporate communications, and governance, recognizing Singhal’s role in transforming the public relations (PR) industry with innovative and impactful strategies.

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President Droupadi Murmu was honoured with the “Key of Honour” and made an honorary citizen of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on 7 April 2025. The award was presented by Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon, at the historic Câmara Municipal de Lisboa. This honour marks deepening ties between India and Portugal and acknowledges her role in promoting global friendship. President Murmu is on a two-nation official visit to Portugal and Slovakia from 7 to 10 April 2025.

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Researchers from Kerala received the Future Conservationist Award by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) for their work on saving the Malabar Grey Hornbill. The CLP is a global partnership between Fauna & Flora International, BirdLife International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The award supports young conservationists with less than five years of experience by offering funding and expert guidance. The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a bird found only in the Western Ghats of India, mostly at elevations above 50 meters from sea level. Its International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status is Vulnerable, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction.

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The Uttar Pradesh Police’s “Investigation, Prosecution, and Conviction Portal” recently won the SKOCH Award in the “Police & Safety” category. This in-house development by the Technical Services Unit of UP Police has been recognized for its role in enhancing justice delivery and public trust, particularly in identifying and monitoring serious crimes and facilitating timely convictions. The portal has led to nearly 85,000 convictions and resolved over 40,000 pending cases.

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Five military personnel were awarded the MacGregor Memorial Medal by the Chief of Defence Staff for their outstanding work in military reconnaissance, exploration, and adventure for the years 2023 and 2024. The medal was established on 3rd July 1888 to honour General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, who founded the United Service Institution of India (USI). It was originally given for military reconnaissance and exploratory missions during British Army campaigns in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Tibet, and Burma. After India’s independence, the scope was expanded to include adventure activities. The medal is open to all ranks, both serving and retired, from the Indian Armed Forces, Territorial Army, and Assam Rifles.

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On 17th Civil Services Day, the PoshanTracker App of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 under the Innovation category. The award was accepted by the Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD). A special session titled “Promoting Nutrition for Women and Children through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0” was held under Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi. The PoshanTracker also promotes citizen ownership and was praised for its impact.

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Former Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The Union Public Service Commission is a constitutional body under Part XIV of the Indian Constitution. Articles 315 to 323 define the composition, powers, functions, appointment, and removal of UPSC members. The Chairman and other members of the UPSC are appointed by the President of India. Each member holds office for six years or until reaching 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. A former member of a Public Service Commission cannot be reappointed to the same office.

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President Draupadi Murmu recently presented the 58th Jnanpith Award to Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and poet-lyricist Gulzar at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, despite being blind, has made great contributions to Sanskrit and Hindi literature by memorizing texts like ‘Ramcharitmanas’ and the ‘Gita’. Gulzar is a famous poet, songwriter, and Oscar and Grammy winner, known for his work in literature, cinema, and television. The Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary honour, established in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust. It is given to writers working in the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and in English. The award includes ₹11 lakh, a bronze statue of Goddess Saraswati, and a citation. The first award was given in 1965 to Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup for ‘Odakkuzhal’.