Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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President Droupadi Murmu approved 103 Gallantry awards for Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces on Independence Day. The awards include four Kirti Chakras (three posthumous), 18 Shaurya Chakras (four posthumous), and one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry). Additional awards include 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry, two posthumous), 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), and six Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). 39 Mention-in-Despatches were approved, including for Army Dog Kent. The President also approved one President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service), one Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry), and two Tatrakshak Medals (Meritorious Service) for the Indian Coast Guard, along with the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services and Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

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Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Rakesh Pal passed away in Chennai at age 59 due to a cardiac arrest. He was in Chennai for an event with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He had over 30 years of service, joining the Coast Guard in January 1989 and becoming the 25th Director-General in July 2023. He held key positions, including commanding the Coast Guard Region (North West) and significant roles at ICG headquarters. He led major operations and was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, President Tatrakshak Medal, and Tatrakshak Medal.

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The winners of the 70th National Film Awards were recently announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The National Film Awards was established in 1954 to encourage films of aesthetic, technical excellence, and social relevance, promoting cultural appreciation across India. Initially called ‘State Awards,’ they included President’s Gold Medals and certificates of merit. Awards are given in three sections: Feature Films, Non-Feature Films, and Best Writing in Cinema.
Since 1973, the Directorate of Film Festivals has administered these awards, promoting Indian films and cultural exchange through various events and international participation.

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The President of India will present the National Geoscience Awards 2023 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. These awards are among the oldest and most prestigious in geosciences, established in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines. Initially called the National Mineral Awards, the name changed in 2009. The awards honor individuals and teams for exceptional contributions in geosciences, including mineral discovery, mining technology, and fundamental/applied geosciences. Any Indian citizen with significant contributions in geosciences is eligible for the award.

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Kerala Tourism won the PATA Gold Award 2024 for its ‘Holiday Heist’ online contest in the Digital Marketing Campaign category. The campaign, launched in July 2023, used a bidding game on the WhatsApp ChatBot ‘Maya’ to attract tourists. Over 80,000 bids were made by travellers across India to visit Kerala’s prime destinations at low prices. The campaign generated more than 45 million impressions and over 13 million video views. Some participants won tour packages worth ₹30,000 for just ₹5. Kerala Tourism received the award in Bangkok on August 28, 2024.

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The Ministry of Women and Child Development won the National Award for e-Governance 2024 (Gold) for the Poshan Tracker initiative. The Poshan Tracker monitors the growth of children aged 0-6 years using real-time data and WHO growth charts to ensure proper nutrition. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) assess children’s health and intervene when growth issues arise. Advanced ICT tools and Growth Measuring Devices (GMD) are used at Anganwadi Centers for accurate monitoring. The app improves child health outcomes, covering millions under Mission Poshan 2.0. It also manages services for pregnant women, mothers, and children, digitizing Anganwadi workers’ records.

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A senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Odisha cadre, Amrit Mohan, has been appointed Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). He is currently serving as Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). His appointment is approved until his superannuation on August 31, 2025. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan, preventing cross-border crime and smuggling. SSB’s headquarters, Force Headquarters (FHQ), is located in New Delhi, led by a Director-General. The Director-General is supported by an Additional Director-General and various directorates managed by senior officers.

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Alexander Dunn won the 2024 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize. The prize was instituted in 2005 by SASTRA University in Tamil Nadu.
It is awarded annually on Ramanujan’s birth anniversary, December 22, to mathematicians under 32. The age limit honors Ramanujan’s achievements during his short life. The award includes a citation and a cash prize of $10,000. The prize has gained international recognition, with past recipients including Manjul Bhargava and Akshay Venkatesh.

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Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin became the first woman to serve as Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS). The DGAFMS oversees medical policy matters for the Armed Forces and reports to the Ministry of Defence.
Before this role, she held key positions, including DG Medical Services for the Navy and Air Force, and Director of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. Over her 38-year career, she served in all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces. She has received several awards, including the Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 2024.

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The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their groundbreaking work in machine learning with artificial neural networks. Machine Learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) focused on creating systems that learn from data. ML enables systems to adapt and improve as they gain more experience. Algorithms in ML identify relationships and patterns in data, making predictions and classifying information.