Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Former Odisha Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, aged 95, passed away on June 15. He was a senior Congress leader from Maharashtra, served three terms in the Rajya Sabha, and practiced as a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court. Bhandare’s tenure as Governor of Odisha spanned from August 2007 to March 2013. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and former CM Naveen Patnaik expressed deep sorrow at his demise.

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Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 2024 PEN Pinter Literary Prize for her courageous writing. This honor comes shortly after the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi sanctioned her prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The award ceremony will be held in October in London. Previous winners include Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood. The PEN Pinter Award, established in 2009, recognizes exceptional English-language writers from the UK, Ireland, or the Commonwealth.

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Bhupinder Singh Rawat, a former Indian footballer known for his speed as a winger in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away at 85. He represented India in the 1969 Merdeka tournament in Malaysia and played domestically for Delhi Garrison, Gorkha Brigade, and Mafatlal. Rawat also featured for Services and Maharashtra in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy.

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Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak has been unanimously elected as the new President of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) for 2024-25, succeeding Ashwin Dalwadi. The election took place on July 22, 2024, in New Delhi. TCA Srinivasa Prasad has been elected as Vice President. Established as a statutory body on May 28, 1959, ICMAI operates under the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959.

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Hamzah Haz, Indonesia’s vice-president from 2001 to 2004, passed away at 84 on July 24 in a Jakarta hospital. Serving under President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Hamzah was also a key figure in the Development Planning Party (PPP). He previously held roles as minister for investment, coordinating minister for people’s welfare, and deputy speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives. A former teacher and journalist, he was a contender in the 2004 presidential elections. Hamzah’s leadership significantly influenced PPP’s policies and direction over the years.

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The Ministry of Steel, Government of India, has awarded the National Metallurgist Awards, honoring contributions in metallurgy across various fields such as Operations, R&D, Waste Management, and Energy Conservation. The awards are open to individuals from industry, research, and academia. They are presented in four categories: Lifetime Achievement Award, National Metallurgist Award, Young Metallurgist Award, and the Award for R&D in the Iron & Steel Sector. These awards recognize significant achievements and advancements in metallurgical science and practice.

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The Uttarakhand government awarded 13 exceptional women with the Rajya Shakti Tilu Rauteli Award in Dehradun for their outstanding achievements. Awardees include para-swimmer Preeti Goswami, taekwondo player Neha Devali, powerlifter Sangeeta Rana, and para-badminton player Mandeep Kaur. Other honorees are Padma Shri Madhuri Barthwal for folk singing, Soniya Arya for promoting Hindi literature, Vinita Devi for bravery, Narmada Rawat for advancing handicrafts, and Sudha Pal for contributions to science. The Rajya Shakti Tilu Rauteli Award, named after Uttarakhand’s heroine Tilu Rauteli, honors women for remarkable work and includes ₹31,000 and a citation.

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Vinay Mohan Kwatra assumed charge as India’s Ambassador to the United States, succeeding Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Kwatra expressed commitment to strengthening the US-India partnership. Sripriya Ranganathan, Deputy Ambassador, welcomed Kwatra to the US. Kwatra has 32 years of experience, including roles in the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office, and previous service at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Kwatra takes charge at a time of strong US-India relations, with President Biden considering it one of the most consequential global partnerships.

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The President of India will present the National Geoscience Awards 2023 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. These awards are among the oldest and most prestigious in geosciences, established in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines. Initially called the National Mineral Awards, the name changed in 2009. The awards honor individuals and teams for exceptional contributions in geosciences, including mineral discovery, mining technology, and fundamental/applied geosciences. Any Indian citizen with significant contributions in geosciences is eligible for the award.

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The 24th International Mother Teresa Awards Ceremony was held at the Millennium Plaza Dubai. The event commemorated the 114th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa. Organized by the All-India Minority and Weaker Sections Council, it was held outside India for only the second time, both times in Dubai. The awards were established after Mother Teresa’s death in 1997. They honor outstanding contributions in education, science, culture, sports, social work, medicine, industry, and politics in India. This year’s ceremony featured awardees from various countries and sectors, highlighting their significant achievements.