Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited nominations for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) 2026. It is the highest civilian honour for children in India. The award is presented annually by the President of India on Veer Bal Diwas. Veer Bal Diwas is observed on 26 December in memory of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. The award recognizes exceptional achievements in six categories: Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Sports, Art & Culture, and Science & Technology. Eligible candidates must be Indian citizens aged above 5 years and up to 18 years as of 31 July of the respective year.

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A Belgian theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Francois Englert passed away at the age of 93 in Uccle, Belgium. He was one of the key scientists behind the theoretical framework that explains how fundamental particles acquire mass. His work contributed to the prediction of the Higgs boson, one of the most important discoveries in particle physics. He shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics with Peter Higgs for this groundbreaking theoretical mechanism. The theory was experimentally confirmed in 2012 at CERN, leading to the discovery of the Higgs boson.

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Dr. Florence Rabier (France) has been awarded the World Meteorological Organization’s International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize. The IMO Prize is the highest scientific distinction in meteorology, recognizing exceptional contributions to meteorology, hydrology, and international cooperation. She was honoured for advancing numerical weather prediction, satellite data assimilation, and improving global weather forecasting accuracy. Her work significantly reduced forecast differences between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. She served as Director of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (2016–2025).

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The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) presented the 2026 Leadership Award to Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises. The award was given at the IX Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., USA, themed “America At 250”. USISPF is a non-profit organisation (NPO) focused on strengthening India–USA strategic partnerships. The award recognises leaders who promote strategic, commercial, and innovation-driven collaboration between India and the USA. It particularly highlights contributions in technology, business expansion, and bilateral trade facilitation.

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Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, the Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia (Star of the Republic of Indonesia). The award was presented by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during PM Modi’s official visit to Jakarta. The honour recognises PM Modi’s leadership in strengthening India–Indonesia relations and promoting friendship and cooperation. Instituted in 1959, the Bintang Adipurna is Indonesia’s highest civilian and military honour, awarded for outstanding service to the unity, continuity, and prosperity of the Republic of Indonesia.

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Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book “The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks” at Uprashtrapati Bhavan. The book is edited by Prof. (Dr.) S. Sivakumar and published by Thomson Reuters in association with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (C.L.E.A.). It compiles the speeches, lectures, and reflections of former Chief Justice of India Justice B.R. Gavai. The Vice-President described it as an important work on constitutionalism, rule of law, social justice, and democratic governance.

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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 achieved its best-ever performance at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026 held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (10–19 July 2026). All four Indian participants won Gold medals, marking India’s first-ever clean sweep of gold medals at the IChO. The gold medalists were Debadatta Priyadarshi (Odisha), Harshit Singla (Punjab), Kabeer Chillar (Delhi), and Sandeep Kuchi (Telangana). India finished joint first in the medal tally alongside China, Vietnam, and the Individual Participants Group B (Russia).

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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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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.