Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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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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The Government of Assam presented the Srimanta Sankardeva Award to Dr. Sonal Mansingh, a renowned classical dancer and cultural icon. The award was conferred by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati. It honors the legacy of 15th-century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, who promoted unity, harmony, and ecological balance. Dr. Mansingh, a Padma Vibhushan recipient, was praised for using dance to highlight women’s empowerment, social justice, and environmental issues.

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Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, a renowned journalist and President of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Trust, was recently awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan’ by Shri Satpal Chauhan, Director General, Ministry of Home Affairs. As Shri Rai could not attend the official ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the award was presented at the IGNCA office in the presence of Director Shri Pandey Pradeep Kumar and senior officials. The award included a citation with the signature and seal of the President of India and a medal. Shri Rai also serves as Chancellor of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University, Gurugram, and guides many other institutions.

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Recently, the government appointed Parag Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Punjab cadre, as the new Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) for two years. Jain will replace Ravi Sinha, a 1988-batch IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, whose term ends on June 30, with Jain taking charge on July 1. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his posting under the Cabinet Secretariat as per service rules. Jain currently leads the Aviation Research Centre, which gathered key intelligence during Operation Sindoor on Pakistan’s terror camps.

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The Shakti Bhatt Prize 2025 was awarded to debut author Zara Chowdhary for her memoir The Lucky Ones, about surviving the 2002 Gujarat riots. She will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh with the award. This year marks the final Shakti Bhatt Prize, which started in 2008 to honour debut authors in memory of publisher Shakti Bhatt, who died in 2007. The prize celebrated South Asian literature from countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, remaining independent and free from corporate sponsorship.

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Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed Kesavan Ramachandran as Executive Director (ED) from July 1, 2025. As Executive Director, he will oversee the Department of Regulation (Prudential Regulation Division). Earlier, Kesavan was Principal Chief General Manager in the Risk Monitoring Department. He has over 30 years of experience in currency management, banking and non-banking supervision, training, and administration. He served as RBI’s nominee on the Board of Canara Bank for more than five years.

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Recently, Kasaragod district won the Fisheries Department Excellence Award 2025 under the Popular Fish Farming Project in Kerala. It was declared the best district for achievements in the fisheries sector. The award is part of the annual State Farmer Awards to honour aquaculture excellence. Kasaragod earlier won the Matsya Karshaka Award and Best Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) Award in 2023. Its District Panchayat was the first in India to declare a tree, flower, and bird as district biodiversity symbols.

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Recently, Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese-Scottish author, won the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize for her bold and truthful literary voice. The award was announced at English PEN’s summer party in London, with live readings of her work by actors Khalid Abdalla and Amira Ghazalla. She writes from a Muslim and immigrant perspective, exploring faith, migration, and cultural identity. Aboulela will receive the prize on October 10 at the British Library, where she will also announce the Writer of Courage for 2025. Past Writers of Courage include Alaa Abd el-Fattah (2024) and Rahile Dawut (2023), both persecuted for defending free speech.

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Recently, Indian women’s rights activist Varsha Deshpande received the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the individual category for promoting gender equality and reproductive rights. She is the secretary of Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal, a Maharashtra-based organisation she founded in 1990 to empower marginalised women. The award includes a gold medal, diploma, and monetary prize.

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Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) was named the World’s Best Consumer Bank for 2025 by Global Finance magazine. The recognition was announced on July 18, 2025. SBI is India’s largest public sector bank. The award was based on Global Finance’s research and analysis, along with inputs from corporate finance experts, analysts, and bankers worldwide.