Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a five-nation tour, was awarded Ghana’s highest civilian honour, the Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over 30 years. With this, PM Modi has now received top civilian honours from 24 countries, the highest for any Indian leader. PM Modi dedicated this award to 1.4 billion Indians, especially the youth, cultural heritage, and diversity.

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Recently, Manipuri classical dancer and Padma Shri awardee Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi passed away at age 85 after prolonged illness at her home in Keishampat, Imphal West. She was one of the 113 Padma Shri recipients this year. She joined Aryan Theatre as a child artist and performed in the Soviet Union in 1954. Later, she performed in China, Japan, South Korea, and other countries. She trained under Padma Meishnam Amubi and joined Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA).

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The government has recently appointed Nitin Gupta, former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), as the new Chairperson of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). NFRA was established in 2018 by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 2013. It is headquartered in New Delhi. NFRA recommends accounting and auditing policies and standards for companies. It monitors and ensures compliance with these standards across companies. It oversees the quality of services provided by professionals in the accounting and auditing field.

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Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) received the National Geospatial Practitioner Award 2025. The award was given for its excellent use of open-source spatial technologies. It was presented during the Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) Day (Edition 02) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. The award was handed over by the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), A.S. Kiran Kumar. This recognition highlights INCOIS’s contribution to geospatial innovation and open-source solutions in ocean services.

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Recently, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari received the 43rd Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune. The award was instituted in 1983 by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. It is given annually on 1st August, the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak. The award honours individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the progress and development of the nation. Lokmanya Tilak was born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak and was a key figure in India’s freedom struggle. He was a nationalist, social reformer, and strong advocate of Swaraj or Self-Rule.

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Shashi Prakash Goyal, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, assumed charge as the new Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh (UP) on 1st August 2025. He replaced Manoj Kumar Singh, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch, who retired from service. Goyal earlier served as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister (CM), handling Protocol, Civil Aviation, and Estate departments.

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Laura Dahlmeier, a 31-year-old German mountaineer and Olympic biathlon champion, died during an expedition on Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountains. She was caught in a rockfall at around 5,700 metres (18,700 feet) altitude. She was a double Olympic gold medallist in biathlon at Pyeongchang 2018 and won 15 World Championship medals.

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Former Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on August 5, 2025, at the age of 79. He served as Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Goa, Odisha, and Meghalaya. He died at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, due to multiple organ failure following sepsis, pneumonia, and chronic kidney disease. Malik began politics in the 1960s, influenced by Ram Manohar Lohia’s socialist ideology. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004, became national vice-president in 2012. He belonged to the Jat community, originally from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, with roots in Haryana. As J&K Governor, he oversaw the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

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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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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.