Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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India has received the Certificate of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem from the World Health Organisation (WHO) during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. This marks a major success for India’s long-term efforts in disease elimination and preventive healthcare. WHO had earlier confirmed on October 8th that India had met the criteria for elimination of Trachoma as a public health issue. India is now the third country in the Southeast Asia region to achieve this milestone. The National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI) played a key role in tackling Trachoma. Since 2019, NPCBVI has used a special WHO format to collect Trachoma case data from all districts. A National Trachomatous Trichiasis survey was carried out in 200 endemic districts between 2021 and 2024, as required by WHO.

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On June 6, 2025, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances launched a new category in the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025. The category is called “Grassroots Level Initiatives for Deepening Service Delivery at Gram Panchayats or Equivalent Traditional Local Bodies.” It honors Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for their digital efforts to improve ease of living and citizen-centric service delivery. From more than 1.45 lakh entries, four Gram Panchayats were awarded: Rohini (Maharashtra) won Gold; West Majlishpur (Tripura) won Silver; and Palsana (Gujarat) and Suakati (Odisha) won Jury Awards. Winners receive a trophy, certificate, and up to ₹10 lakh to further improve their public welfare projects.

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Philosopher and author Acharya Prashant received the ‘Most Impactful Environmentalist’ award on World Environment Day. The award was given by the Green Society of India for his work in linking spiritual clarity with environmental awareness. At the World Environment Conference 2025 in Greater Noida, he said climate crisis starts in our minds, not just nature. He launched “Operation 2030,” a national initiative educating youth to meet the UN’s 1.5°C climate target by 2030.

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Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has received the United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction. The award, started in 1986 with support from The Nippon Foundation, is the highest international honor in the disaster risk field. The 2025 theme, “Connecting science to people,” highlights his efforts in making cyclone forecasts accessible to vulnerable communities. Known as the “Cyclone Man of India,” Dr. Mohapatra helped reduce cyclone-related deaths across the north Indian Ocean region.

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Dr. Srinivas ‘Bobby’ Mukkamala has been elected as the first Indian-origin president of the American Medical Association (AMA) in its 178-year history. He will serve as the 180th president of the AMA, the largest association of physicians in the United States. Dr. Mukkamala, an ENT specialist from Michigan, has led the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. He has advocated evidence-based policies to address the overdose epidemic in the U.S. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed residency at Loyola University, Chicago.

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Renowned environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Maruti Chitampalli, also known as ‘Aranya Rishi’, passed away at 93 in Solapur, Maharashtra due to age-related issues. He devoted his life to forests, wildlife, and environmental literature, earning national recognition. He was honoured with the Padma Shri by the President of India on April 30, 2025. Chitampalli served in the Forest Department for 36 years and travelled over 5 lakh kilometres across India for research. His scientific works include ‘Pakshikosha’ (Birds), ‘Pashukosha’ (Animals), and ‘Matsyakosha’ (Fish).

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Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, announced 23 winners for the Yuva Puraskar and 24 for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar awards. Sahitya Akademi is the central institution for literary promotion in 24 Indian languages, including English. There is no award in Dogri this year. Notable winners include Advait Kottary (English), Parvati Tirkey (Hindi), Latshmihar (Tamil), and Prasad Suri (Telugu).

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Recently, China’s former Vice Finance Minister Zou Jiayi was named as the next president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, known as AIIB, during its 10th Annual Meeting. Zou will take over from Jin Liqun, the founding president, starting her five-year term on January 16, 2026. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank focused on sustainable infrastructure, and started in 2016. China is the largest shareholder with 26.54% voting shares, while India holds 7.58%, followed by Russia and Germany.

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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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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.