Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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World Fisheries Day 2024 was celebrated on November 21 in New Delhi. The Department of Fisheries honoured states, districts, and individuals for their contributions. Kerala won the Best Marine State award. Telangana was recognised as the Best Inland State. Uttarakhand received the Best Himalayan and Northeastern State award. Jammu & Kashmir was awarded Best Union Territory.

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The Indian Chemical Council won the 2024 Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) The Hague Award on November 25, 2024, in the Hague, Netherlands. D. Sothi Selvam, the council’s Director General, received the award. The award ceremony occurred during the 29th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP) of the OPCW. The CSP is being held from November 25-29, 2024, at the Hague. The CSP oversees the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, promotes its objectives, and reviews treaty compliance. The OPCW has 193 member countries working together to prohibit chemical weapons.

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Maharashtra’s ‘Shashan Aaplya Dari’ initiative won the SKOCH Award for its innovation and impact in governance. The program, meaning “government at your doorsteps,” delivers government schemes directly to people. It was launched in Satara in May 2023. More than 280 projects nationwide competed, showcasing its effectiveness. The initiative aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and will evolve into ‘Shashan Aaplya Dari 2.0’ under Eknath Shinde’s guidance for further growth. The SKOCH Award is an award that recognizes people, projects, and institutions that work to improve India. It was established in 2003 and is considered one of the highest civilian honors in the country.

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Jasleen Kaur, a Glasgow-born Scottish Sikh artist of Indian heritage, won the 2024 Turner Prize. Her exhibition Alter Altar explores personal, political, and spiritual themes. The jury praised her evocative use of sound and sculpture to highlight family memory and community struggles. A standout piece featured a Ford car, representing her father’s migrant aspirations. Actor James Norton presented the award at Tate Britain, marking the Turner Prize’s return to the venue after six years.

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The Vice President of India recently felicitated winners of the National Energy Conservation Award (NECA). NECA is organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power. Instituted in 1991, it coincides with National Energy Conservation Day on December 14. These awards recognize industries, institutions, and establishments for reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving efficiency. Applications are reviewed by a Technical Committee chaired by the Member (Thermal), CEA, and include experts from ministries and agencies. The Award Committee, led by the Secretary (Power), gives final approval, and winners are honored annually.

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The Russian team won the team event of the 13th Admiral Cup sailing regatta. The Admiral Cup is an offshore Laser Radial boat race organized by the Indian Navy. The event is held in the Arabian Sea near Ettikulam Beach, Kerala, where the Indian Naval Academy (INA) is located. The 13th edition took place from December 9-13, 2024. The Admiral Cup was first organized by the Indian Navy in 2010. It is inspired by the Admiral Cup of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, England, regarded as the unofficial World Cup for offshore racing.

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Tulsi Gowda, an 86-year-old Padma Shri awardee and environmentalist from Karnataka, passed away in her Honnali village home in Uttara Kannada district. Revered as the “tree goddess” by the Halakki tribal community, she was known for her dedication to environmental conservation. Born in 1944, Gowda overcame early hardships, including losing her father at two and growing up in poverty. She worked as a laborer at a forest nursery, gaining deep knowledge of forests despite no formal education. Known as the “encyclopedia of forest,” she identified mother trees and contributed significantly to afforestation, wildlife protection, and preventing forest fires. She served the Karnataka Forest Department for 50 years, 35 years as a daily wage worker and 15 as a permanent staff member.

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The Ram Temple in Ayodhya won the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ award from the British Safety Council for excellence in safety management. This award requires a five-star safety audit and on-site assessment by the British Safety Council. Larsen & Toubro, the temple’s construction firm, earlier received the ‘Golden Trophy’ from the National Safety Council for safety measures. The temple’s construction, including its Shikhar and key statues, is in the final phase, set to finish by June 2025. Statues of Shri Ram Darbar and various sages will be completed by January 2025, using 15 lakh cubic feet of Bansi Paharpur stone.

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Renowned Baiga tribal artist and Padma Shri awardee Jodhaiya Bai passed away on December 15, 2024, at 86 in Lodha village, Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh. The Baiga Tribe is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) primarily residing in central and eastern Indian states. Jodhaiya Bai gained international recognition for her artwork, showcasing Baiga tribal culture on canvas. She was honored with the Padma Shri in 2023 for her significant contributions to the arts. Her art has been exhibited globally, highlighting the rich traditions and heritage of the Baiga community.

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Gagan Gill (Hindi) and Easterine Kire (English) are among 21 winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024. Easterine Kire from Nagaland won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2024 for her novel Spirit Nights. Hindi poet Gagan Gill received the award for her poetry book Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar. The award honors outstanding books in 24 Indian languages, initiated in 1954, with the first awards given in 1955. Recipients receive a copper plaque (designed by Satyajit Ray), a shawl, and a cash prize. Sahitya Akademi, India’s national academy of letters, was established in 1954 under the Ministry of Culture. Based in New Delhi, it promotes Indian literature, preserves literary heritage, and encourages literary activities across languages.