Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Harjit Singh Grewal was recently appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Minority Affairs. It became a statutory body through the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. The NCM advises the Central and State Governments on the welfare and development of minority communities. Six notified minority communities are: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians), and Jains. The Commission consists of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and five Members, all nominated by the Central Government.

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India won 1 Gold and 3 Silver medals at the 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2026 held in Vilnius, Lithuania (12–19 July 2026). Bhavyaa Gunwal (Haryana) won the Gold medal, while Soumil Maity (West Bengal), Nishit Kalani (Rajasthan), and Anmol Kumar (Punjab) won Silver medals. All four Indian participants won medals, competing against 307 students from 78 countries. The Olympiad tested students through practical and theoretical examinations in advanced biology.

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Recently, Kanishka Narayan became the United Kingdom’s first dedicated Cabinet-level Minister for Artificial Intelligence. He was appointed in July 2026. His appointment was announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a government reshuffle. Kanishka Narayan is a British politician of Indian origin. He was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and raised in Cardiff, Wales. He represents the Vale of Glamorgan constituency. His appointment highlights the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence in governance and public administration.

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The Fields Medal 2026, the highest honour in mathematics, was awarded to Hong Wang, Yu Deng, John Pardon, and Jacob Tsimerman. The awards were presented at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2026. Hong Wang became one of the first Chinese nationals to receive the Fields Medal, while Yu Deng also won the award, marking a significant achievement for China. The Fields Medal is awarded every four years to mathematicians below the age of 40 for outstanding research and future potential.

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National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026 in Pune, Maharashtra. The award was presented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The ceremony coincided with the 106th death anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Doval joined the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in 1972 and later became its Director. He played key roles in security operations in the Northeast, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Pakistan.

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Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja has been appointed as the next Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS). He will assume the tri-service medical appointment under the Ministry of Defence, succeeding Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin. Air Marshal Thareja is an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He has expertise in gastroenterology and extensive experience in military medical administration. The DGAFMS is the highest medical authority of the Indian Armed Forces and oversees medical policies, planning, and logistics for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.

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Indian astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam has been awarded the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026 at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy. Annapurni Subramaniam is the Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru. The COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal is awarded to scientists from developing countries for outstanding contributions to space research. COSPAR is an international scientific body affiliated with the International Science Council (ISC) and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS). The medal was instituted in 1990 in honour of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme.

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Prof. Karthikeyan Lanka of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay received the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award 2026 in the Earth Sciences category. He is an Associate Professor at the Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE) and is also associated with the Centre for Climate Studies at IIT Bombay. His research focuses on ecohydrology, satellite remote sensing, land-atmosphere interactions, soil moisture, the Indian monsoon, heatwaves, and agricultural droughts. His team develops algorithms using data from NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission to estimate soil moisture.

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Shah Muhammad Ansari of Uttar Pradesh was conferred the prestigious Sant Kabir Handloom Award 2025 for his exquisite craftsmanship in weaving the Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdhani saree. The Jamdhani technique is a traditional, highly skilled supplementary-weft weaving style where fine patterns are created on a plain ground. Along with him, Ram Meher of Odisha and Runima Chetiya Choudhury of Assam also received the Sant Kabir Awards. These awards honor outstanding weavers for their dedication to preserving India’s rich textile heritage, particularly traditional regional weaving techniques.

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Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen died at the age of 71 in Kolkata on August 16, 2026. He made his directorial debut with Damu (1996), which won the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film. He also directed films such as Desh, Debipaksha, Laboratory and Maya Mridanga, besides making documentaries on prominent cultural personalities.