Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak’ for 2025 has been announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was instituted in 2024 to promote professional excellence and morale among officers. The award recognizes outstanding work in Special Operations, Investigation, Intelligence, and Forensic Science. It was formed by merging four MHA awards. They are Special Operation Medal, Medal for Excellence in Investigation, Exceptional Intelligence Efficiency Medal, and Union Home Minister’s Award for Meritorious Service. It is announced every year on 31st October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

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France’s oldest living Olympic champion, Charles Coste, passed away at the age of 101, marking the end of a golden era in Olympic history. Born on February 8, 1924, in Ollioules, France, he symbolized strength, dedication, and post-war recovery through sport. Coste won gold in team cycling at the 1948 London Olympics with teammates Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson, and Fernand Decanali, bringing pride to post-war France. In 1949, he triumphed in the Grand Prix des Nations, defeating Italy’s Fausto Coppi. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, just before his 100th birthday, he carried the Olympic torch, earning worldwide applause.

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Aamir Khan will receive the first-ever RK Laxman Award for Excellence on November 23, 2025, at the MCA Cricket Stadium, Pune. The award, instituted by the RK Laxman family, honours creative brilliance and celebrates RK Laxman’s legacy — the creator of The Common Man. Aamir Khan was chosen for his impactful films like Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, and Dangal, which address social issues and redefine Indian cinema. RK Laxman, one of India’s greatest cartoonists, is known for his cartoon strip “You Said It”, his work in Malgudi Days, and for receiving Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and other honours.

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In November 2025, an eminent author Salman Rushdie was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (DLPP) event held in Ohio, United States. The award recognized outstanding literary contribution and advocacy for freedom of expression, tolerance, and human dignity. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize celebrates writers who promote peace through literature, with separate awards for fiction, nonfiction, and lifetime achievement. The 2025 edition marked the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian War.

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Kovalam beach in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, received the International Blue Flag certification for the fifth consecutive year in 2025-26. The certification is awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Denmark, and promotes sustainable tourism and responsible coastal management. Blue Flag recognition is based on 33 criteria, including water quality, environmental education, safety, waste management, cleanliness, and eco-friendly infrastructure. Kovalam beach first received the certification on September 21, 2021, becoming Tamil Nadu’s first Blue Flag beach.

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Hollywood actor Tom Cruise received the Academy Honorary Award, also known as the honorary Oscar, at the 16th Governors Awards in Hollywood, California. The 63-year-old, a four-time Oscar nominee, was honoured by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is collaborating with him on a 2026 film.

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The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) launched the book “Bharat: That Is India – Reclaiming Our Real Identity” by Abhijeet Joag in New Delhi. The book explores India’s nationhood, rooted in an ancient cultural consciousness that predates the modern nation-state. It emphasizes the Indian tradition of dharma as a framework for duty and responsibility.

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Anant Ambani, founder of Vantara, received the Global Humanitarian Award in the United States for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation and animal welfare. He was honoured for his leadership in the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and conservation of animals through the Vantara initiative. Anant Ambani is the youngest and the first Asian to ever receive this prestigious award. The award has brought global recognition to Vantara, which is considered one of the world’s largest and most unique wildlife conservation projects.

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President Droupadi Murmu felicitated winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025 and the National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025 in New Delhi. In the Best Performing State Awards for energy efficiency 2025, Karnataka won the first prize in Group 1, Andhra Pradesh secured the first prize in Group 2, Kerala was awarded first prize in Group 3, Assam achieved the first position in Group 4, and Chandigarh won the first prize in Group 5. In the National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025, Anuj Prince from Ambala was awarded the first prize in Group A, while Soumya Jeet Malik from Odisha emerged as the winner in Group B.

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The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), under the Ministry of Culture, won two PRSI National Awards 2025 from the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI). One award was for the Har Ghar Museum initiative in the Best Use of Social Media in a Corporate Campaign category. The second award was for the “Waste to Art” publication under the Special/Prestige Publication category. “Waste to Art” documents NCSM’s initiative under Special Campaign 4.0 and Swachhata Hi Sewa, transforming around 1,250 kg of waste into art installations across NCSM units. The installations served as educational exhibits promoting circular economy principles, and workshops and competitions engaged students and communities.