Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) won the Digital Transformation Award 2025 from Central Banking, London for its digital initiatives Sarthi and Pravaah. Sarthi, launched in January 2023, digitized RBI’s internal workflows, improving document sharing, record management, and data analysis for 13,500 employees across 40+ locations. Pravaah, launched in May 2024, digitized 70+ regulatory applications, enhancing efficiency and transparency with real-time tracking. Pravaah increased monthly applications by 80%, reducing delays from paper-based systems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised RBI’s achievement, calling it a milestone in India’s financial digital transformation.

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Prasar Bharati received the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award 2024 for promoting and broadcasting hockey. The award was given at the Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024 in New Delhi. Hockey India honored the 1975 World Cup-winning squad with the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award and ₹50 lakh. Savita Punia and Harmanpreet Singh won the Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2024.

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Mridulika Jha of Aaj Tak won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025 for reporting on the “Dunki route” used by Haryana youths to illegally enter the United States of America. 27 journalists were awarded across 20 categories at the 19th Ramnath Goenka Awards held in New Delhi on 19 March 2025. The award, instituted by the Indian Express Group in 2005, honors Print/Digital & Broadcast journalists for excellence despite political and economic pressures. President Droupadi Murmu was the chief guest and presented the awards. Winners received a citation, a trophy, and ₹1 lakh cash prize.

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Gunter Bloschl, a renowned hydrologist, won the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize for his research on flood risks and climate change impacts. The Stockholm Water Prize is a prestigious global award recognizing achievements in water science, management, and protection. It is presented by the Stockholm Water Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Established in 1991 during the Stockholm Water Festival, it highlights Sweden’s commitment to clean water. The award honors individuals or organizations contributing to water conservation, management, and sustainability across science, engineering, policy, and environmental advocacy.

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Ajay Seth, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been appointed as India’s next Finance Secretary. He succeeds Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who became the 11th Chairperson of SEBI. His appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is currently the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and was previously given additional charge of the Department of Revenue. He serves as India’s Alternate Governor on the ADB Board of Governors, where Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman represents India. He holds a BTech from IIT Roorkee and an MBA from Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines.

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Nikhil Singhal, Founder of Vigor Media Worldwide and President of the Noida High Rise Federation, received the Uttar Pradesh Anmol Ratan Award for his outstanding work in public relations and strategic communication. The award was presented by Shri Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, during a grand ceremony on March 31, 2025, at the Taj Lucknow, organized by the Tapasya Foundation Trust. The event gathered leading figures from media, corporate communications, and governance, recognizing Singhal’s role in transforming the public relations (PR) industry with innovative and impactful strategies.

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Padmashree Ram Sahay Pandey, who recently passed away, was a renowned figure associated with the Rai folk dance of the Bundelkhand region. Pandey dedicated his life to promoting and preserving the Rai folk dance, a tradition that was once stigmatized. He is credited with bringing respectability to the art form and taking it from the heart of Bundelkhand to international platforms. The Rai dance is a traditional folk dance from the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Rai dance.

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On 17th Civil Services Day, the PoshanTracker App of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 under the Innovation category. The award was accepted by the Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD). A special session titled “Promoting Nutrition for Women and Children through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0” was held under Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi. The PoshanTracker also promotes citizen ownership and was praised for its impact.

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Dr. K. Kasturirangan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), passed away at 84 in Bengaluru. He was a key architect of India’s National Education Policy. Dr. Kasturirangan played a major role in developing the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), India’s most reliable satellite launcher. He led ISRO for over nine years, stepping down as Chairman in August 2003. Dr. Kasturirangan served as Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission. He was also a Rajya Sabha member from 2003 to 2009 and Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bengaluru.

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Recently, the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) received the Udyog Vikas Award at the Udyog Vikas event organized by Janmabhumi Daily in Kerala. The National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) is India’s major infrastructure project aimed at developing new industrial cities as Smart Cities with next-generation technologies. The NICDC acts as the nodal agency responsible for managing the entire programme and ensuring seamless execution. The NICDP focuses on attracting investments from both large industries and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to boost industrial growth. It supports the government’s vision of achieving $2 trillion in exports by the year 2030.