Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Parveen Shaikh, a scientist with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), won the Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2025 for leading community-based conservation of the endangered Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis). She began her research in 2016 at the National Chambal Sanctuary (National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary) located along the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Her work focused on understanding nesting behaviour, tracking survival rates, and identifying threats to the bird colonies. She found that Indian Skimmers nest on exposed sandbars, making eggs highly vulnerable to predators, livestock, and changing river flows.

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The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) launched the book “Bharat: That Is India – Reclaiming Our Real Identity” by Abhijeet Joag in New Delhi. The book explores India’s nationhood, rooted in an ancient cultural consciousness that predates the modern nation-state. It emphasizes the Indian tradition of dharma as a framework for duty and responsibility.

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Anant Ambani, founder of Vantara, received the Global Humanitarian Award in the United States for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation and animal welfare. He was honoured for his leadership in the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and conservation of animals through the Vantara initiative. Anant Ambani is the youngest and the first Asian to ever receive this prestigious award. The award has brought global recognition to Vantara, which is considered one of the world’s largest and most unique wildlife conservation projects.

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UN Environment Programme (UNEP) awarded IAS officer Supriya Sahu the 2025 UN Champions of the Earth award in the Inspiration and Action category. She was honoured for her long-standing leadership in plastic reduction, wildlife conservation, and especially sustainable cooling. Her key initiative, Tamil Nadu’s Cool Roof Project, lowered indoor temperatures by 5–8°C using high Solar Reflective Index paint, offering a low-cost cooling solution. UNEP called it a game changer for cities facing extreme heat, showing scalable climate action.

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Elan Group, with Invincible Publishers, launched “The Art of Doing Nothing Right”, debut book by Ajit Navraj Hans, on 9th December 2025 at Elan Epic Mall, Gurugram. The event was attended by Daler Mehndi, Hans Raj Hans (Padma Shri), and Navraj Hans, celebrating creative legacy and family inspiration. The book explores embracing imperfections, learning from mistakes, and celebrating authenticity and resilience.

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Sai Jadhav, at 23, became the first woman officer to graduate from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, breaking a 93-year tradition since its opening in 1932. More than 67,000 cadets have graduated from IMA until now; Sai is the first woman to do so. Sai has been commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Territorial Army, the first woman from IMA to join through this route. She will make history again in June 2026 during the IMA parade at Chetwode Building, symbolizing institutional change.

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Singapore Changi Airport has been named the best international airport in the world for 2025 at India’s Best Awards by Travel+Leisure (T+L). The airport is known for sky-lit interiors, indoor gardens, art-filled spaces, and attractions like the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and butterfly gardens. The award was part of the 14th India’s Best Awards, reflecting traveller preferences through online voting. Changi Airport sets global benchmarks by combining efficiency, comfort, and design, making it a destination in itself.

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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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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced winners of four creative challenges under the Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav campaign, organized in collaboration with the MyGov platform. The campaign invited citizens to share personal experiences and creative expressions showcasing India’s transformation over the past 11 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. It aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. Indrajeet Subodh Mashankar won first prize in the Instagram Reel Contest category. Manthan Rohit won first prize in the YouTube Shorts Challenge category. Sushovan Manna won first prize in the Short Audio-Visual Challenge – Story of New India category. Krishna Gupta won first prize in the Blog Writing Contest category.

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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.