Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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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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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received the Living Bridge Award for promoting closer India-UK relations and securing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Seema Malhotra, Indian-origin Minister for the Indo-Pacific in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), accepted the award on his behalf. The Living Bridge Awards, organised by India Business Group (IBG), also honoured GMR Group, businessman G P Hinduja, KPMG UK chair Bina Mehta, and University of Southampton. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) aims to double bilateral trade to USD 120 billion by 2030.

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The Tamil Nadu government announced the Kalaimamani Awards for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023. The Kalaimamani Awards are the highest civilian honour in Tamil Nadu. They are presented by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram, a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. Awards cover categories such as vocal music, Thevaram recital, mridangam, harmonium, nadaswaram, thavil, religious discourse, Bharatanatyam teaching, drama, folk singing, Valli Oyil Kummi, small screen acting, and painting.

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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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Bidar district (Karnataka) won the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Award under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative was launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The initiative aims to enhance water recharge through rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, borewell recharge, and recharge shafts. The objective is to conserve every drop of water using a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach.

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In September 2025, the Union Minister of Education (MoE) unveiled the book “Living The Vivekananda Way – Practical Spirituality For Modern India” at Delhi University, New Delhi, Delhi. The book is authored by Ananya Awasthi and Nikhil Yadav. It explores Swami Vivekananda’s teachings and philosophy, focusing on oneness, unity of all religions, fearlessness, and democratic values. The book provides practical guidance for modern India, encouraging students to embrace Vivekananda’s values.

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Veteran journalist Harinder Baweja released her memoir “They Will Shoot You, Madam: My Life Through Conflict” on October 1, 2025, in Delhi. The memoir details over 40 years of fearless conflict reporting from regions like Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Major assignments covered include Operation Blue Star, 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and an interview with Chhota Rajan. The launch was attended by Captain Amarinder Singh, Omar Abdullah, and Rajdeep Sardesai. Speakers praised her bold journalism and its vital role in democracy. The book highlights the challenges and risks of reporting from conflict zones.

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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discovering how the immune system decides what to attack or protect. The prize was announced on 6 October 2025 at the Nobel Assembly, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. The research focuses on peripheral immune tolerance, which involves immune components outside the central nervous system (CNS). They identified regulatory T (Treg) cells, which prevent the immune system from attacking the body itself. Their work explained how autoimmune diseases develop and confirmed Treg cell function. Sakaguchi previously won the Canada Gairdner Award (2015) for the same discovery.

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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).

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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University), Richard Robson (University of Melbourne), and Omar M. Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley). They were recognised for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a novel molecular architecture. Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystals formed by metal ions as cornerstones linked with long organic (carbon-based) molecules, creating large cavities. These structures can capture/store specific substances, drive chemical reactions, and conduct electricity. Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded since 1901, with 195 individuals receiving it; only 8 women have won.