Awards, Honours & Persons in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Eminent tabla player Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri from Kolkata received the ‘Rashtriya Tansen Samman’ for 2023. Sanand Nyas Sanstha from Indore was awarded the ‘Raja Mansingh Tomar Samman’ for 2023. The awards were presented during the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh 2024, held in Gwalior to mark the centenary year of legendary music maestro Tansen. The ‘Tansen Award’ is the highest national music honor in Indian classical music, instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government. Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri thanked the state government for the prestigious recognition.

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Gagan Gill (Hindi) and Easterine Kire (English) are among 21 winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024. Easterine Kire from Nagaland won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2024 for her novel Spirit Nights. Hindi poet Gagan Gill received the award for her poetry book Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar. The award honors outstanding books in 24 Indian languages, initiated in 1954, with the first awards given in 1955. Recipients receive a copper plaque (designed by Satyajit Ray), a shawl, and a cash prize. Sahitya Akademi, India’s national academy of letters, was established in 1954 under the Ministry of Culture. Based in New Delhi, it promotes Indian literature, preserves literary heritage, and encourages literary activities across languages.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bestowed with Kuwait’s highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ on December 22. ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ is a knighthood order of Kuwait and the highest honour given by the country. This marks the 20th international honour that PM Modi received from a country.

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President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 to 17 children on December 26. The award celebrates the energy, determination, and enthusiasm of children. It is the highest civilian honor for children in India. It is instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Awards recognize exceptional achievements in seven categories: Art & Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service, Sports, and Environment.

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Arunish Chawla, a 1992-batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, has been appointed as the next revenue secretary, replacing Ajay Seth. Chawla currently serves as secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals since November 1, 2023, and holds additional charge of the Ministry of Culture until a permanent appointment is made. He has over three years left in service, with his tenure ending in July 2028. Chawla’s previous roles include joint secretary in the Finance Ministry, minister (economics) at the Indian Embassy in the U.S., and senior economist with the IMF. He holds a postgraduate degree and a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics. In Bihar, he served as additional chief secretary of planning, secretary of the State Planning Board, and project director for disaster rehabilitation.

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Kaamya Karthikeyan, 17, became the youngest female to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents, completing the Seven Summits Challenge. She reached Mount Vinson in Antarctica on December 24, 2024, at 17:20 Chilean Standard Time with her father, Cdr S Karthikeyan. Previously, she scaled Mt Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mt Elbrus (Europe), Mt Kosciuszko (Australia), Mt Aconcagua (South America), Mt Denali (North America), and Mt Everest (Asia). A Class 12 student at Navy Children School, Mumbai, Kaamya’s achievements have been praised by the Indian Navy and Prime Minister Modi. Her journey inspires young adventurers worldwide.

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the US, passed away at 100 in Plains, Georgia. President Joe Biden praised Carter’s life of principle, faith, and humility, calling him a man of courage and compassion. January 9 will be a national day of mourning in the US. Carter served from 1977 to 1981 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his peace efforts.

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Doordarshan received an award for its voter awareness campaign during the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. It won in the Electronic Media category for its special series “Chunav Ka Parv Desh Ka Garv”. The initiative helped educate first-time voters and strengthened India’s democratic process. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to Doordarshan’s Director-General Kanchan Prasad on Republic Day 2025. The award recognizes Doordarshan’s commitment to responsible media outreach across India.

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Latika Katt, a renowned Indian sculptor, passed away at 76 in Jaipur. She was known for larger-than-life sculptures, public busts, and capturing nature’s organic forms. Her works include a 20-ft bronze sculpture of Jawaharlal Nehru at Jawahar Bhawan, Delhi. She experimented with terracotta, papier-mâché, stone, and bronze over five decades. She won the Beijing Art Biennale Award (2010) for Makarsankranti Nahan at Dashaswamedh Ghat.

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Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), replacing Rajiv Kumar. He is a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre and senior to the other commissioners. Vivek Joshi has been appointed as Election Commissioner; he was the former Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner. This is the first appointment under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioner Act, 2023.