Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha appointed Shantmanu, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, as State Election Commissioner. The appointment is for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It was made under sub-section 3 of Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. He will hold office for five years or until he attains 70 years of age, whichever is earlier. The appointment will be effective from the date he assumes charge. The government will separately notify the detailed terms and conditions of his service.

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Microsoft appointed Indian-origin Asha Sharma as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft Gaming. She joins growing list of Indian-origin leaders heading global companies. Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced her appointment. She earlier helped build and scale services reaching billions of users at Microsoft. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Instacart. She also worked as Vice President at Meta.

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The Manipuri film Boong, produced by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, won the BAFTA Award for Best Children’s & Family Film in London. The film was directed by debutant Lakshmipriya Devi, who made an emotional appeal for peace during her acceptance speech. She received the award from Paddington Bear, the lead character of Paddington The Musical. Producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, along with assistant director Rahul Sharda, joined her on stage.

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Bhumika Shrestha has become Nepal’s first transgender woman lawmaker, marking a historic step toward inclusivity in South Asia. She officially entered Parliament on 16 March 2026 through the proportional representation system and is associated with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Her achievement follows political changes after 2025 protests, which led to fresh elections and the rise of new leadership in Nepal. It represents a major breakthrough for LGBTQ representation, giving the community a voice at the highest political level.

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Gandey MLA Kalpana Soren, wife of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, received the Women Empowerment Trailblazers Award. The award was given at the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) WE Annual Women Summit and Felicitation 2026 in New Delhi. It recognises her efforts in promoting women’s empowerment and leadership. She dedicated the award to women of Jharkhand and beyond for their role in society and economy. She highlighted women’s growing role in business, sports, science, and governance.

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The Bengali novel “Hara Parbati Katha” by Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay has been selected for the Saraswati Samman 2025. Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation. It is awarded annually for outstanding literary work written in any Indian language by an Indian citizen. Eligible works must be published within the last 10 years. The award carries a cash prize of ₹15 lakh, along with a citation and a plaque. It is one of India’s most prestigious literary awards recognizing excellence in literature.

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The Government of India has opened nominations for Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) 2026, a top national science award. It recognises scientists, technologists, and innovators for contributions to science, technology, and innovation. It honours path-breaking research, innovation, and discoveries benefiting national development. It is administered by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR – Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) under Ministry of Science and Technology.

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Businessman R.T. Chari released the updated edition of the autobiography A Road Well Travelled by R.K. Raghavan in Chennai in April 2026. The first copy of the book was received by Nandini Azad, head of the Indian Cooperative Network for Women. The autobiography, first published in 2020 by Westland Publications, has been reissued by Creative Workshop. The book traces R.K. Raghavan’s career from the Indian Police Service to roles in the Intelligence Bureau and as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

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Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy took oath as a Member of Rajya Sabha on 6 April 2026. She was nominated by Trinamool Congress and became India’s first openly queer Member of Parliament (MP). She was a key lawyer in the Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India case leading to decriminalisation of homosexuality under Section 377 of IPC in 2018. Oath ceremony was conducted by Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan in presence of Kiren Rijiju. She is a Rhodes Scholar from University of Oxford and alumna of Harvard Law School.

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Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for the third consecutive term, and was elected unopposed. He is the first nominated member to hold this position, having been nominated by Droupadi Murmu after the retirement of Ranjan Gogoi. The motion for his election was moved by J. P. Nadda, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. His unanimous election reflects consensus and cooperation in Indian parliamentary democracy and confidence across party lines.