1. Mauritius confers its highest honour ‘Order of the Star and Key of Indian Ocean’ on PM Modi
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bestowed with the topmost honour of Mauritius, the "Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean".
Important points:
- Mr. Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
- It is the 21st international honour bestowed upon Mr. Modi by a foreign country.
- Mr. Modi reached Mauritius early on Tuesday and he called on the President of Mauritius Dharambeer Gokhool at the State House.
- As a special gesture Mr. Modi handed over Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards to President Gokhool and First Lady Vrinda Gokhool. President Gokhool hosted a state lunch for the Indian PM.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool and Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam visit the Ayurveda Garden in the State House, established in collaboration with the Government of India.
2. PM Modi conferred with 'Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados' award
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles,received the 'Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados' Award on behalf of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Important points:
- The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed his gratitude to the Government and the people of Barbados for the ‘Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados’ Award.
- Shri Modi has dedicated this honour to the 1.4 billion Indians and to the close relations between India and Barbados.
- PM Modi's statement came in response to a post shared by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, where he mentioned that he received the Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados' Award on behalf of PM Modi from Barbados President Dame Sandra Mason.
- Margherita said the award was bestowed upon PM Modi in acknowledgement of his strategic leadership and significant assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Barbados :
- Barbados is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles region of the West Indies
- Barbados is an eastern Caribbean island and an independent British Commonwealth nation. Bridgetown, the capital, is a cruise-ship port with colonial buildings and Nidhe Israel, a synagogue founded in 1654.
- Around the island are beaches, botanical gardens, the Harrison’s Cave formation, and 17th-century plantation houses like St. Nicholas Abbey. Local traditions include afternoon tea and cricket, the national sport.
3. 97th Academy Awards 2025
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- The 97th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Important points:
- Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ wins the top prize at this year’s Academy Awards, bringing the film’s total win tally upto 5 including a win for Mikey Madison for Best Actress.
Full list of winners
- Best Picture: “Anora”
- Best Actress: Mikey Madison, “Anora”
- Best Actor: Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
- Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
- Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
- Best Director: Sean Baker, “Anora”
- Best Cinematography: Lol Crawley, “The Brutalist”
- Best Animated Feature: “Flow”
About Oscar Awards:
- The Oscars are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the film industry.
- The major award categories, known as the Academy Awards of Merit, are presented during a live-televised Hollywood ceremony in February or March.
- It is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony.
4. Jay Shah Honored with Icon of Excellence Award
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council, has been honored with the prestigious Icon of Excellence award at the 14th Edition of the FILA 2025.
Important points:
- This award recognizes his outstanding contributions to cricket administration.
- Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has been honored with the prestigious Icon of Excellence award at the14th Edition of the Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA 2025).
- This award recognizes his outstanding contributions to cricket administration, his efforts to bring new ideas into the game, and his role in making cricket more inclusive and competitive worldwide.
Jay Shah, the Youngest Chairman of the ICC:
- At just 36 years old, Jay Shah became the youngest chairman of the ICC in history.
- He has worked hard to make cricket more popular across the world, ensuring its financial stability and introducing changes that benefit players, teams and fans.
- His smart decision-making and modern approach have helped cricket grow to new heights.
- His leadership and dedication helped Indian cricket grow, paving the way for his appointment as ICC chairman. Now, he is focused on making cricket more popular globally and building strong international partnerships.
Icon of Excellence Award Winner:
- Jay Shah received the Icon of Excellence Award at a grand event held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
- The award was presented by Harsh Mariwala, chairman of Marico Limited, and KVS Manian, MD & CEO of Federal Bank. Many important leaders from different industries attended the event, celebrating individuals who have made a big impact in their fields.
5. Winners of Avinya’25 And Vasudha Startup Challenges Announced At “Energize India” Conclave
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, today announced the winners of two prestigious startup challenges – Avinya’25 and Vasudha – at a special ceremony held at ONGC headquarters.
Important points:
- The announcement came at the conclusion of “Energize India: Catalyzing Growth Through Startup Innovation”, a high-powered conclave that brought together energy sector veterans, investors, and innovators.
- The winners of Avinya’25, India’s premier energy startup competition, was UrjanovaC Pvt Ltd. The runners up were Breathe ESG Private Limited, AgriVijay, Apeiro Energy and UGreen Technology.
- For Vasudha,the global startup challenge in upstream oil and gas sector, the winner was Latin Energy Partners Inc., Paraguay and the runner up was Ultrasound Process Consulting LLC, USA
- The winners of the Hackathon were also announced with IIT (ISM) – Dhanbad emerging as the winner and IIT-Guwahati as the runner up.
- The day-long “Energize India” conclave featured thought-provoking panel discussions on identifying opportunities in the energy sector, leveraging emerging technologies, and accessing capital for energy startups.
- Industry leaders shared insights on how startups can contribute to India’s energy transition while maintaining the delicate balance between security, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability.
6. President approves conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2024
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- The President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards – 2024 on 49 persons which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 17, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 09 and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 23 persons. Six awardees are posthumous.
About Jeevan Raksha Padak :
- Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
- The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
- Persons of all walks of life are eligible for these awards. The award can also be conferred posthumously.
- The decoration of the award consists of a Medal, Certificate signed by the Union Home Minister and lump sum Monetary Allowance.
- It is presented to the awardees by the respective Union Ministries/Organizations/State Government to which the awardee belongs.
7. Padma Awards 2025
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- For the year 2025, the President has approved conferment of 139 Padma Awards .
Important points:
- 113 are awarded with Padma Shree, 19 with Padma Bhushan and 7, Padma Vibhushan; MT. Vasudevan Nair, Osamu Suzuki and Sharda Sinha are posthumously awarded with Padma Vibhushan.
- Deceased writerM.T. Vasudevan Nair, hockey player and Olympian P.R. Sreejesh, actors Nandamuri Balakrishna and Ajith Kumar, Cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin and deceased industrialist Osamu Suzuki are some of the eminent persons who got the awards.
About Padma Awards:
- Padma Awards -one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
- The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
- ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field.
- The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
- These Awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at RashtrapatiBhawan usually around March/ April every year.
- The list comprises 7Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.
8. SECI Secures "Excellent" Rating in MoU Performance for FY 2023-24
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
- Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) has achieved "Excellent" rating for its performance under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the financial year 2023-24, earning a score of 96 out of 100.
Important points:
This achievement highlights SECI's unwavering dedication to operational excellence and upholding the highest standards of corporate governance.
As a leading Central Public Sector Enterprise, SECI plays a pivotal role in the development and expansion of renewable energy (RE) capacity in India, with a cumulative awarded generation capacity exceeding 73 GW as of December 31, 2024.
About the SECI:
SECI is thepremier Renewable Energy Implementing Agency (REIA) in the country, continuously working to meet climate goals and drive sustainable development.
Recently on30th August 2024, SECI was granted Navratna status by the Ministry of Finance.
9. IREDA Achieves 'Excellent' Rating for Fourth Consecutive Year
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) has achieved ‘Excellent’ rating for the performance MoU signed with the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the financial year 2023-24, with a score of 98.24 (rounded off 98).
Key points:
This marks thefourth consecutive yearthat IREDA has received ‘Excellent’ rating, showcasing its unwavering commitment to operational excellence and highest standards of corporate governance.
In the previous three years, IREDA consistently delivered exceptional results, achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating with scores of 93.50 in FY 2022-23, 96.54 in FY 2021-22 and 96.93 in FY 2020-21.
These consistent achievements underline the organization’s dedication to driving India’s renewable energy goals.
About IREDA:
- The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a government-owned company that provides financial assistance for renewable energy projects.
IREDA is a non-banking financial institution (NBFC) that is registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
10. Khel Ratna Awards 2024
Tags: Awards
Why in the news?
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2024 .
Important points:
- The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17th January, 2025.
Double Olympic-medalist Manu Bhaker,chess world championGukesh, gold-medalist ParalympianPraveen Kumar, andcaptain of the bronze-medal-winning Indian hockey team Harmanpreet Singh are the four athletes who will be presented with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, as a part of the National Sports Awards 2024.
Viswanathan Anand, an Indian chess grandmaster, was the first recipientof the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991–92. The award is India's highest sporting honor.
About Khel Ratna Award:
The Khel Ratna Award , officially known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award or formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, is the highest sporting honour of India.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
