Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Prime Minister recently concluded a four-day visit to Brazil, strengthening South-South cooperation and India-Brazil strategic ties. The Prime Minister was conferred Brazil’s highest civilian honour, the “Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross,” for strengthening bilateral relations. The Prime Minister announced plans for adopting India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Brazil.

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Recently, Telangana won the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Industry Excellence Award 2025 in the State Leadership – Battery Manufacturing category. The award was presented at the 11th India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2025 held in New Delhi. It highlights Telangana’s leadership in building a strong ecosystem for battery manufacturing and new energy technologies. The state has become a hub for advanced energy manufacturing due to its proactive industrial policies and innovation support.

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Recently, Sonali Mishra was appointed as the first woman Director General (DG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). She is a 1993 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Her appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. She will serve as DG, RPF till her superannuation on October 31, 2026. The RPF ensures the security of railway property and passengers. RPF was created by an Act of Parliament in 1957. It got the power to enquire, arrest, and prosecute in 1966. It was declared an armed force of the Union on September 20, 1985.

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The Meri Panchayat mobile app recently won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025 Champion Award. The award was given under the category “Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity and Local Content” at the WSIS+20 High-Level Event held in Geneva, Switzerland. Meri Panchayat App is developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The app provides real-time access to Panchayat budgets, payments, development plans, and details of elected representatives.

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Renowned economist and UK House of Lords member Lord Meghnad Desai passed away recently at age 85. He was born in 1940 in Vadodara, Gujarat as Meghnad Jagdishchandra Desai. He earned BA and MA in Economics from University of Mumbai and completed PhD from University of Pennsylvania in 1963. He authored over 200 academic papers and 8 books, including Marxian Economic Theory and The Rediscovery of India. He was a pioneer in Marxian economics, globalisation, and development economics. In 1991, he became the first Indian-origin Labour Party peer in the House of Lords.

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Recently, Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh of the Parachute Regiment has been appointed as the Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He succeeded Lt. Gen. NS Raja Subramani, who became Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) on 1st July 2024. Lt. Gen. Pushpendra Singh has over 35 years of service in the Indian Army. He is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned into 4 Para (Special Forces) in December 1987. He participated in several operations like Pawan, Meghdoot, Rakshak, and Orchid. He served in UN Peacekeeping Missions in Lebanon and Sri Lanka. He was the General Officer Commanding of the Rising Star Corps since April 2022.

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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.

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The Assam Olympic Association (AOA) launched the Bhogeswar Baruah National Sports Award on September 3, 2025 in Guwahati. The awards honour Bhogeswar Baruah, Assam’s first Asian Games gold medallist and Arjuna Awardee. Awards will be given annually in six categories: Best Sportsperson, Emerging Player, and Lifetime Achievement at National and State levels. National awardees are Manu Bhaker (Best Sportsperson), Sunil Chhetri (Lifetime Achievement) and Bedabrat Bharali (Emerging Player). Assam awardees are Lovlina Borgohain (Best Sportsperson), Dipankar Bhattacharya (Lifetime Achievement) and Priyanuj Bhattacharya (Emerging Player).

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Non-Resident Indian businessman Younus Ahamed from Palakkad, Kerala, won the Camel International Award 2025. He is the Executive Director of Middle East Dotspace Coworking. The award was given by Arabian World Records for his contributions and business leadership. Arabian World Records also honoured 14 achievers from across the world in literature, art, fine arts, business, and social media.

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Former Prime Minister and economist Dr. Manmohan Singh was posthumously awarded the P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Award for Economics. The award honoured his pivotal role in India’s economic transformation and nation-building. The award was received on his behalf by his wife Gursharan Kaur in New Delhi last week. It was presented by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. The award is instituted by the P V Narasimha Rao Memorial Foundation (PVNMF) to recognise outstanding contributions in economics.