Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Before this appointment, he was serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. He replaced Rahul Singh, who has been transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as Additional Secretary. Varun Bhardwaj has been appointed as the new Secretary of CBSE.

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Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme won the 2026 Food Planet Prize, one of the world’s largest awards for sustainable food systems. The award is presented by the Curt Bergfors Foundation and carries a prize amount of $1.5 million. APCNF was launched in 2016 by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha under the Agriculture Department of Andhra Pradesh. The programme promotes natural farming by reducing dependence on synthetic inputs and improving soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

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Major Prabhat Mishra won two academic awards at the US Army Command and General Staff College in Kansas, USA. He received the Birrer-Brookes Award for Outstanding Master of Military Arts and Science Thesis. He also received the General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Award. The awards were presented during the graduation ceremony of the Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC). The 10-month programme included 951 officers, including 120 international military students from 92 countries. The college is located at Fort Leavenworth.

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MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat) has been awarded a Guinness World Records title for achieving the highest participation in an online quiz within one week. MY Bharat is an autonomous body established by the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The platform provides youth with access to opportunities, volunteering, and nation-building initiatives aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

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Veteran filmmaker Bharathi Rajaa recently passed away in Chennai at the age of 84. He was a renowned director, producer, and actor who transformed Tamil cinema by bringing rural life and natural landscapes to the silver screen. Bharathi Rajaa was widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the Kollywood film industry and introduced a new style of storytelling. During his illustrious career, he won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

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Gavri Devi, the renowned Mand folk singer from Rajasthan, passed away at the age of 98. Gavri Devi was widely recognized for her immense contribution to Mand folk music, one of Rajasthan’s oldest musical traditions. She played a major role in preserving and popularising Mand singing across India and internationally. Mand singing is a traditional music style of Rajasthan that combines melody, storytelling, and folk elements.

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Senior IPS officer Mahesh Dixit was appointed as the new Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on 25 June 2026. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for a two-year tenure. He succeeds outgoing IB Chief Tapan Kumar Deka. Mahesh Dixit is a 1993-batch IPS officer from the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana cadre and is a medical doctor by training. He is known for his expertise in counter-terrorism and extensive field experience in internal security operations.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’, the highest national honour of Seychelles. The honour was presented by Seychelles President Patrick Herminie during PM Modi’s three-day State Visit. The award recognises PM Modi’s contributions to environmental conservation, sustainable development, climate action, and cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a stable, secure, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region under the Joint Vision for Sustainability, Economic Growth and Security through Enhanced Linkages.

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Team India won 5 medals (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) at the Global Skills Challenge (GSC) Australia 2026, held from 23–29 June 2026. Gold Medalists are Pavan Bhadravati Suresha (Additive Manufacturing), Mausam Kumar Giri (Cloud Computing), and Vishnupriya Sunil (Health & Social Care). Harsh Ramesh Pawar (3D Digital Game Art) won silver medal. Muskan (Painting & Decorating) won bronze medal. India fielded a 30-member contingent (15 competitors and 15 experts) across 15 skill categories. The event served as a preparation for the 48th WorldSkills Competition to be held in Shanghai, China, later in 2026.

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The Financial Intelligence Unit–India (FIU-IND) secured the Runner-up position at the Best Egmont Case Award (BECA) 2026 during the Egmont Group Plenary held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Best Egmont Case Award recognises excellence in financial intelligence, international cooperation, and efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) was established under the Ministry of Finance. The recognition highlights India’s growing leadership in financial intelligence and its commitment to strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.