Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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N. Alim Yusuf has received the World Wide Fund for Nature National Award for developing an AI-based application to detect invasive plant species in Kerala. The application, Neophyte ID, is a mobile tool that identifies invasive plants by analyzing images captured by users. It is powered by the YOLOv11 (You Only Look Once version 11) machine learning model, enabling real-time object detection. The app can identify around 100 invasive plant species found in Kerala.

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Oscar Schmidt, one of basketball’s greatest scorers, has passed away at the age of 68 after battling a brain tumor. He had a remarkable 30-year professional career across Brazil and Europe, retiring in 2003 at the age of 45. Schmidt represented Brazil in five Olympic Games and four World Cups, setting all-time scoring records in both tournaments. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, recognising his extraordinary contribution to the sport. The record was surpassed in 2024 by LeBron James, marking a new milestone in basketball history.

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Sadhvi Satish Sail was crowned Miss India World 2026 at the 61st Femina Miss India held in Bhubaneswar. She hails from Goa and is a model and entrepreneur with experience in fashion shows and brand campaigns. She was crowned by her predecessor Nikita Porwal. Rajnandini Pawar from Maharashtra secured the first runner-up position.

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Dr Ch Srinivasa Rao, Director and Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, received the 9th Prof. M.S. Swaminathan Award. The award is instituted by the Retired ICAR Employees Association in collaboration with Nuziveedu Seeds Limited to recognise contributions to India’s food security. It coincides with the birth centenary of M S Swaminathan. Dr Rao was honoured for his work in climate-resilient agriculture and natural resource management. His initiatives have scaled resource conservation technologies across millions of hectares.

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Recently, the Guntur Municipal Corporation won UNIDO’s 4th Gender Equality Mobilisation (GEM) Award in Vienna. The award was presented by United Nations Industrial Development Organization during the International Day of Women in Industry 2026. GMC was recognised for deploying 200+ women as electric auto drivers for door-to-door garbage collection. The initiative promotes women empowerment and zero-emission waste management under the Sustainable Cities Integrated Approach Pilot (SCIAP).

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Recently, Manoj Mukund Naravane launched his book “The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries.” He served as the 28th Chief of Army Staff (2019–2022). The book is a non-fiction work exploring myths, traditions, and lesser-known stories of the Indian armed forces. It highlights military history, culture, courage, and folklore. It traces origins of the popular cheer “Chak de Phatte” and discusses legends like Baba Harbhajan Singh.

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Prasoon Joshi has been appointed as the Chairman of Prasar Bharati. Prasar Bharati is India’s autonomous public service broadcaster functioning under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It was established under the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990 and became operational in 1997. Prasar Bharati comprises two major divisions: All India Radio and Doordarshan.

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Narendra Modi was conferred Sweden’s prestigious Royal Order of the Polar Star Commander Grand Cross honour during his visit to Sweden. The award is among Sweden’s highest honours given to foreign leaders for contributions to diplomacy, international cooperation, and bilateral relations. PM Modi received the honour during talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Discussions focused on trade, green transition, technology, innovation, and strategic cooperation between India and Sweden. The honour reflects strengthening India–Sweden relations and India’s growing global diplomatic influence.

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Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book The Library Man of India: The Story of P.N. Panicker at Uprashtrapati Bhavan. The book was authored by P. P. Sathyan and highlights the life and contributions of P. N. Panicker. P. N. Panicker is regarded as the father of Kerala’s cultural renaissance and literacy movement. He founded the Sanatana Dharma Library and promoted the message “Read and Grow” across villages and tribal areas of Kerala.

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President Droupadi Murmu conferred the President’s Police Colour on the Sikkim Police at Paljor Stadium. Sikkim became the 15th state in India and the third northeastern state to receive the honour. The President’s Police Colour, also known as “Nishaan,” is awarded for exceptional service, bravery, and professionalism.