Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Meri Panchayat mobile app recently won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025 Champion Award. The award was given under the category “Cultural Diversity and Identity, Linguistic Diversity and Local Content” at the WSIS+20 High-Level Event held in Geneva, Switzerland. Meri Panchayat App is developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The app provides real-time access to Panchayat budgets, payments, development plans, and details of elected representatives.

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Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) was named the World’s Best Consumer Bank for 2025 by Global Finance magazine. The recognition was announced on July 18, 2025. SBI is India’s largest public sector bank. The award was based on Global Finance’s research and analysis, along with inputs from corporate finance experts, analysts, and bankers worldwide.

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Recently, G P Birla Memorial Award was conferred on V. Narayanan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. The award was presented by Nirmala Birla, Chairperson of G P Birla Archaeological Astronomical and Scientific Institute. The award has a prestigious legacy and has earlier been given to 32 Nobel laureates. Past recipients include Nobel Prize winner Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, physicist Jogesh Pati, former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and former ISRO chief Kasturirangan. The award recognises global leaders for their contributions to scientific progress and innovation.

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The Bibi Fatima Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) from Dharwad district won the Equator Initiative Award 2025. The award is presented every two years by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Equator Initiative. It supports Indigenous Peoples and local communities in tackling land degradation, conserving biodiversity, and improving livelihoods. The award is often called the Nobel Prize for Biodiversity Conservation. Bibi Fatima SHG introduced millet-based mixed cropping on rainfed farms. They promoted climate-resilient farming, livestock rearing, horticulture, and popularised millets.

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On August 14, 2025, Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey player, passed away in Kolkata at the age of 80 after prolonged illness. He was suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. Born in 1945 in Goa, he combined careers as a medical practitioner and a hockey player. He made his international debut in 1966 at the Hamburg International Cup and later won a bronze at the 1971 World Cup and 1972 Olympics. He represented clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, winning multiple Beighton Cups and Calcutta League titles.

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The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has opened nominations for the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025. National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) is one of the highest national honours in the livestock and dairy sector. It was launched in 2021 under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. The awards encourage excellence among farmers, Dairy Cooperatives, Milk Producer Companies (MPCs), Dairy Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs). The focus is on promoting indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds that are robust and vital for the economy.

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Karikot village in Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, won the Indian Subcontinental Responsible Tourism (ICRT) Award 2025. The award is presented by ICRT India Foundation with support from the Ministry of Tourism. The ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 13th September 2025. The award honors leaders in sustainable tourism, reducing negative impacts and enhancing positive outcomes. Karikot stood out for its Tharu tribal-led eco-tourism, homestays, and cultural immersion near Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

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The 8th National Anubhav Awards were held in New Delhi in 2025, marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative. The scheme was launched in 2015 by the Government of India under the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare. It aims to record experiences of retiring officials as institutional memory through the Anubhav Portal. Awards recognise memoirs highlighting significant contributions and promote transparency, citizen-centric governance, and better human resource management. This year, 15 awardees from 11 ministries were honoured, including one-third women.

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Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Satish Golcha took charge as Police Commissioner of Delhi. Mr Golcha is a 1992-batch IPS officer. The Central Government appointed Satish Golcha yesterday as the New Delhi Police Commissioner. He replaced IPS officer SBK Singh. SBK Singh was given additional charge of Delhi Police Commissioner along with his responsibility as Director General of Home Guards in Delhi. The appointment aims to ensure smooth functioning and leadership in Delhi Police. This change is part of administrative reshuffles in key police positions in Delhi.

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New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—appointed Dr. Rajiv Ranjan as Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for a five-year term. Ranjan started his career at Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1989 and was Executive Director and Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member since May 2022. NDB finances India’s infrastructure projects in transport, clean energy, water, sanitation, environmental protection, and digital infrastructure. India holds the largest NDB project portfolio in BRICS at $7.5 billion, second only to China.