Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Narendra Modi was awarded the prestigious Agricola Medal by Food and Agriculture Organization at its headquarters in Rome. The medal was presented by Qu Dongyu. The Agricola Medal is the highest honour conferred by the FAO Director-General. The award recognises exceptional contributions to global food security, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and poverty reduction.

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Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Kavinder Gupta released the Dogri-Punjabi Dictionary in May 2026. The dictionary was authored by the late Chandan Negi. The dictionary aims to promote linguistic harmony and preserve the literary heritage of Dogri and Punjabi languages. It focuses on strengthening cultural and literary integration between Dogri-speaking and Punjabi-speaking communities. The initiative highlights efforts to encourage regional language preservation and cultural exchange in North India.

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Abhilasha Barak received the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2025. She is serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon as Commander of the Female Engagement Team in Lebanon. Major Abhilasha Barak is also the first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army. She became the third Indian peacekeeper to receive this honour after Suman Gawani and Radhika Sen. The award was instituted in 2016 by the Office of Military Affairs under the United Nations Department of Peace Operations.

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Shyam Lal Meena, veteran Olympian and Arjuna Awardee, passed away at the age of 61 on May 24, 2026. He was part of India’s first-ever Olympic archery team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Meena hailed from Kevadia village in Rajasthan and initially trained using a traditional bamboo bow. In the 1987 Asian Archery Championships held in Kolkata, he won a bronze medal along with Limba Ram and Rajat Haldar. He received the Arjuna Award in 1989 for his contributions to Indian sports.

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Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old student from Rancho Cucamonga, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2026 title. He won through a spell-off round by correctly spelling 32 words in 90 seconds and received a $50,000 prize. Ishaan Gupta from Jersey City finished runner-up with 25 correct spellings. The winning word was “bromocriptine,” a dopamine-mimicking alkaloid derivative. The spell-off format was introduced in 2021 after the 2019 edition ended with eight co-champions.

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Senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Before this appointment, he was serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. He replaced Rahul Singh, who has been transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as Additional Secretary. Varun Bhardwaj has been appointed as the new Secretary of CBSE.

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Gavri Devi, the renowned Mand folk singer from Rajasthan, passed away at the age of 98. Gavri Devi was widely recognized for her immense contribution to Mand folk music, one of Rajasthan’s oldest musical traditions. She played a major role in preserving and popularising Mand singing across India and internationally. Mand singing is a traditional music style of Rajasthan that combines melody, storytelling, and folk elements.

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C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book Agatthiyar – The Unifier at an event held in New Delhi in June 2026. The book was authored by O. Shama Bhat and M. N. Sudha and translated into Tamil by Kalyani. The book was published by Kalaimagal magazine. The book highlights the life, teachings, and philosophical contributions of the revered sage Agatthiyar. It portrays Agatthiyar as a unifying figure in ancient Indian knowledge traditions and emphasises his contributions to language, medicine, spirituality, and cultural integration.

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Robert A.F. Thurman, a renowned American scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and Padma Shri awardee, passed away at the age of 84 in New York. He was a close friend of Dalai Lama and a leading authority on Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies. He served at Columbia University and helped popularize Buddhist philosophy through his writings and translations. He translated important texts, including the Vimalakirti Sutra. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 to discuss Buddhist values and India’s Buddhist heritage.

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The inaugural Indian Athletics Awards 2025 were recently held, organized by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Neeraj Chopra and Parul Chaudhary were named Best Athletes (male and female). Shahnavaz Khan and Pooja received Best Emerging Athlete awards. Lifetime Achievement Awards were conferred upon legends like P. T. Usha and Anju Bobby George. The event was attended by international sports dignitaries and highlighted India’s growing global presence in athletics.