Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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President Droupadi Murmu felicitated winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025 and the National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025 in New Delhi. In the Best Performing State Awards for energy efficiency 2025, Karnataka won the first prize in Group 1, Andhra Pradesh secured the first prize in Group 2, Kerala was awarded first prize in Group 3, Assam achieved the first position in Group 4, and Chandigarh won the first prize in Group 5. In the National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025, Anuj Prince from Ambala was awarded the first prize in Group A, while Soumya Jeet Malik from Odisha emerged as the winner in Group B.

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The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), under the Ministry of Culture, won two PRSI National Awards 2025 from the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI). One award was for the Har Ghar Museum initiative in the Best Use of Social Media in a Corporate Campaign category. The second award was for the “Waste to Art” publication under the Special/Prestige Publication category. “Waste to Art” documents NCSM’s initiative under Special Campaign 4.0 and Swachhata Hi Sewa, transforming around 1,250 kg of waste into art installations across NCSM units. The installations served as educational exhibits promoting circular economy principles, and workshops and competitions engaged students and communities.

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The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment organised the programme ‘Celebration of Intergenerational Bonds’ on 22 December 2025 in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. The event aimed to strengthen emotional, social, and cultural ties between generations and promote active, dignified ageing. The programme promoted dialogue, affection, cooperation, and mutual respect between generations to preserve values, traditions, and social cohesion. The event reinforced intergenerational harmony, social cohesion, community participation, and inclusive, elder-friendly society building.

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Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, passed away at 80 after a prolonged illness. She was the Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). She played a major role in restoring democracy following periods of military rule. She dominated Bangladesh’s political landscape for several decades.

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Major Swathi Shantha Kumar, an Indian Army officer from Bengaluru, received the UN Secretary-General’s Award 2025 for gender-inclusive peacekeeping. She is currently serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Her project, “Equal Partners, Lasting Peace,” strengthens UNMISS’s gender-inclusive approach. The award recognises initiatives promoting gender parity and gender-responsive peacekeeping. Her project was selected from UN-wide nominations and won the Gender Category with the highest votes globally.

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Senior Indian diplomat DB Venkatesh Varma has been nominated by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to chair the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters for 2026–27. This is the first time an Indian has been appointed as chair of the board, established in 1978. Indian diplomats have previously served as members, but never as chair. DB Venkatesh Varma is a leading expert on disarmament and Russia, with key roles in India’s Prime Minister’s Office, including during India–US nuclear deal negotiations. He also served as India’s ambassador to Russia, managing bilateral ties during Covid-era coordination and launching India’s Act Far East policy from Vladivostok in 2019.

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Sukhatme National Award in Statistics is instituted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). It recognises outstanding lifetime contributions to statistics and improvement of official statistical systems. The award is given every alternate year since 2000 to eminent Indian statisticians aged 45 years and above. The award will be presented on Statistics Day, 29 June 2026.

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Recently, former Special Secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs, Praveen Vashista, was appointed Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission. He is a 1991-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Bihar cadre. He took voluntary retirement before his scheduled superannuation in July. The appointment was made by the President of India under the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003. The Central Vigilance Commission consists of one Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners.

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Bakul Limbasiya, founder of Bhathwari Technologies, received the APO National Award for productivity, innovation, and leadership. The award is instituted by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and administered in India by the National Productivity Council (NPC) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It is among India’s highest recognitions for advancing productivity and competitiveness. The award marks a milestone for India’s lab-grown diamond (LGD) industry. Limbasiya produced India’s first lab-grown diamond in 2004 and pioneered the sector since 1998.

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The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar is an annual award instituted by the Government of India to recognize individuals and institutions for outstanding contribution in the field of disaster management. The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke of the Indian Army received the award in the Individual Category for her exceptional leadership during disaster response operations. She led large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts in Wayanad, Kerala, during the 2024 floods and landslides. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) was awarded in the Institutional Category for its outstanding institutional approach to disaster preparedness and response.