Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Amshi Prasannakumar, senior journalist from Mysuru, has been selected for the Hombale Samhita Harinikumar Alumni Krishi Media Award – 2025. The award recognises journalists in print and electronic media for their contribution to agricultural reporting and creating awareness among farmers. The award will be presented on 11 October 2025 at the Alumni Association (R), University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Veterinary College Campus, Hebbal. Prasannakumar is the former president of Mysore District Journalists’ Association. The award highlights the importance of media in promoting agriculture and farmer awareness.

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Renowned Gandhian and freedom fighter G.G. Parikh passed away on October 2, 2025, at the age of 101 years. He participated in the Quit India Movement (1942) and was imprisoned for 10 months. He was also jailed during the Emergency and was linked to the Baroda dynamite case. He was founder of Yusuf Meherally Centre, which now operates in 12 states promoting rural industries and youth empowerment. He led a Bharat Yatra in 2005 for communal harmony and youth involvement. In recent years, promoted the zero-carbon movement and sustainable livelihoods.

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Veteran journalist Harinder Baweja released her memoir “They Will Shoot You, Madam: My Life Through Conflict” on October 1, 2025, in Delhi. The memoir details over 40 years of fearless conflict reporting from regions like Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Major assignments covered include Operation Blue Star, 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and an interview with Chhota Rajan. The launch was attended by Captain Amarinder Singh, Omar Abdullah, and Rajdeep Sardesai. Speakers praised her bold journalism and its vital role in democracy. The book highlights the challenges and risks of reporting from conflict zones.

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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discovering how the immune system decides what to attack or protect. The prize was announced on 6 October 2025 at the Nobel Assembly, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. The research focuses on peripheral immune tolerance, which involves immune components outside the central nervous system (CNS). They identified regulatory T (Treg) cells, which prevent the immune system from attacking the body itself. Their work explained how autoimmune diseases develop and confirmed Treg cell function. Sakaguchi previously won the Canada Gairdner Award (2015) for the same discovery.

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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University), Richard Robson (University of Melbourne), and Omar M. Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley). They were recognised for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a novel molecular architecture. Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystals formed by metal ions as cornerstones linked with long organic (carbon-based) molecules, creating large cavities. These structures can capture/store specific substances, drive chemical reactions, and conduct electricity. Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded since 1901, with 195 individuals receiving it; only 8 women have won.

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Chhattisgarh was awarded the ‘Best Performing State’ under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) for effective implementation, transparency, and near-zero claim pendency. The award was presented at the National Health Authority (NHA) Conclave held in Bhopal. 97% of hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY in Chhattisgarh are active, the highest in India, compared to 62% in Madhya Pradesh and 52% national average. The state’s health department reforms included wide-ranging inspections, disciplinary actions, and over 32,000 field audits to curb irregularities and fraud.

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Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), received an award from the President of India for outstanding contribution to Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN). The felicitation took place at the National Conclave on ‘Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan’ held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The recognition highlights MoWCD’s key role in implementing PM-JANMAN, focused on tribal welfare and inclusion. More than 2,000 Anganwadi Centres have been made functional in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) areas under the scheme. The initiative aims to empower tribal communities at the last mile through better access to nutrition, education, and child care services.

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Sunil Amrith, Indian-origin historian and Professor of History at Yale University, won the British Academy Book Prize 2025 for his book The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years. The prize awards £25,000 for outstanding non-fiction works in humanities and social sciences. Amrith was born in Kenya to South Indian parents, grew up in Singapore, and graduated from the University of Cambridge, England. The book explores 500 years of environmental history, linking human activity, colonisation, industrialisation, and settlement patterns to the current climate crisis.

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Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis, pioneering Indian space scientist, passed away on 22 October 2025 at age 100 in Pune, Maharashtra. He was born on 25 July 1925 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He received the Padma Bhushan in 1985 for his contributions to science and technology. He was a key architect of India’s early space programme and a close associate of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, founder of India’s space programme. He helped establish the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which evolved into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dr. Chitnis was instrumental in selecting Thumba, Kerala, for India’s first rocket launch.

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Padma Shri awardee Sanjeev Kapoor was honoured as a Top Agri-Food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa, during the Borlaug Dialogue Week 2025. The event gathered global leaders, scientists, policymakers, and innovators to discuss food security, climate resilience, and nutrition. Kapoor was recognised for promoting healthy and sustainable eating, supporting Indian agriculture, and encouraging the use of local, nutrient-rich ingredients. He dedicated the honour to India’s farmers and culinary heritage, calling it a privilege to represent India on a global platform.