Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Andro Village in Manipur won the Best Tourism Village award in the Heritage category at the 2024 Best Tourism Villages Competition. The award was given by the Ministry of Tourism during World Tourism Day celebrations in New Delhi. The village’s rich cultural heritage and unique traditions, including centuries-old fire worship, contributed to its selection. Andro Village’s cultural heritage and historical temple attract tourists from around the world. Tourism has boosted income and job opportunities for locals, with the community actively involved in promoting and sustaining their heritage.

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Alexander Dunn won the 2024 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize. The prize was instituted in 2005 by SASTRA University in Tamil Nadu.
It is awarded annually on Ramanujan’s birth anniversary, December 22, to mathematicians under 32. The age limit honors Ramanujan’s achievements during his short life. The award includes a citation and a cash prize of $10,000. The prize has gained international recognition, with past recipients including Manjul Bhargava and Akshay Venkatesh.

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President Droupadi Murmu attended the first Adi Gaurav Samman Samaroh in Mangarh Dham, Rajasthan, on October 4, 2024.
The Rajasthan government established the Adi Gaurav Samman award, which has three categories: Aadiratna, Adi Seva, and Aadi Grammotthan Gaurav Samman. Aadiratna Gaurav Samman awards Scheduled Tribe members excelling in sports, education, and culture. Adi Seva Gaurav Samman recognizes exemplary service for Scheduled Tribes. Aadi Grammotthan Gaurav Samman rewards Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zilla Parishads for socio-economic improvements.

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The Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2024 has been awarded to scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun. They were recognized for their discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. MicroRNA is crucial for regulating gene activity. The Nobel Assembly stated that their discovery is vital for understanding how organisms develop and function. The winners receive a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns, equivalent to about $1.1 million.

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Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors, was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons and raise awareness about the humanitarian consequences of their use. The group, representing the Hibakusha, has played a crucial role in the global movement for nuclear disarmament since its founding in 1956. Their testimonies have significantly contributed to establishing a nuclear taboo, ensuring that nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945. This recognition highlights the ongoing challenges and pressures faced by the disarmament movement in the contemporary world.

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Renowned folk singer Sharda Sinha, known as ‘Bihar Kokila,’ passed away at 72 on 5 November 2024. She was suffering from multiple myeloma and died at AIIMS, New Delhi, on the first day of Chhath Puja. Sinha was celebrated for her Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magadhi songs, especially for Chhath Puja and Vivah Geet, which resonated widely in Bihar. She received the Padma Bhushan (2018), Padma Shri (1991), and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

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Samantha Harvey won the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Orbital, set aboard the International Space Station. The Booker Prize is a prestigious literary award for the best English novel of the year, founded in 1969 in the UK. The award is open to any English-language novel published in the UK or Ireland, regardless of the author’s nationality. The winner receives £50,000, with shortlisted authors earning £2,500. The Booker Prize Foundation, a charity established in 2002, oversees the prize and the Man Booker International Prize.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Guyana’s highest national award, “The Order of Excellence,” on November 19, 2024, in Georgetown, conferred by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Modi became the fourth foreign dignitary to receive this prestigious award. He was also honored with Dominica’s highest national award, the “Dominica Award of Honour,” by President Sylvanie Burton on November 20, 2024. The Dominica award was presented during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown. Modi is the second foreign leader after Queen Elizabeth (1969) to receive Dominica’s highest national award.

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Maharashtra’s ‘Shashan Aaplya Dari’ initiative won the SKOCH Award for its innovation and impact in governance. The program, meaning “government at your doorsteps,” delivers government schemes directly to people. It was launched in Satara in May 2023. More than 280 projects nationwide competed, showcasing its effectiveness. The initiative aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and will evolve into ‘Shashan Aaplya Dari 2.0’ under Eknath Shinde’s guidance for further growth. The SKOCH Award is an award that recognizes people, projects, and institutions that work to improve India. It was established in 2003 and is considered one of the highest civilian honors in the country.

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Jasleen Kaur, a Glasgow-born Scottish Sikh artist of Indian heritage, won the 2024 Turner Prize. Her exhibition Alter Altar explores personal, political, and spiritual themes. The jury praised her evocative use of sound and sculpture to highlight family memory and community struggles. A standout piece featured a Ford car, representing her father’s migrant aspirations. Actor James Norton presented the award at Tate Britain, marking the Turner Prize’s return to the venue after six years.