Awards - General Knowledge Questions

Correct Answer :   Kuchipudi

Pendyala Lakshmi Priya from Hanumakonda was the only girl from Telangana who was selected for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2024 Award for her outstanding performance in Kuchipudi dance under art and culture category.

On Friday (19th Jan 2024), the ministry of women and child development announced 19 winners of Bala Puraskar Award across the county and 15-year-old Lakshmi Priya was one of them.

A class X student of a missionary school in Hanumakonda, Lakshmi Priya started practising Kuchipudi dance when she was in class III. “I was inspired by renowned Kuchipudi dancers like "Deepika Reddy" and versatile actress-cum-dancer Manju Bhargavi. I have taken part in the dance competitions at state and national levels,” Lakshmi Priya told TOI. Though dance is her passion, the young girl wants to become an IAS officer.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to be conferred on 19 children on January 22 :

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievement, 2024, to 19 exceptional children in an award ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan on January 22, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the awardees on January 23, 2024..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   Lionel Messi

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the 3rd time in the last 4 years, edging past Norwegian striker Erling Haaland in a closely-contested race. Spain and Barcelona striker Aitana Bonmati walked away with the Best FIFA Women's Player Award at The Best FIFA Awards, a star-studded ceremony in London.

* Manchester City's treble-winning coach Pep Guardiola won the Best Men's Manager of 2023 award while England coach Sarina Wiegman claimed the women's best coach award for a record-extending fourth time. Guardiola beat Inter Milan's Simone Inzaghi and and Napoli's Luciano Spalletti to the honour.

* Manchester City stopper Ederson won the Best Men's Goalkeeper award while Mary Earps, the Manchester United and England No. 1, won the Women's award in the ceremony in London.

HOW MESSI WON TIE-BREAKER WITH HAALAND

* Lionel Messi won the Best Player Award in 2022 for his exploits in leading the Argentina men's team to World Cup glory in Qatar. Messi was once again in the race after having won the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain and his role in helping Inter Miami wn the Leagues Cup in his inaugural season in Major League Soccer.

* Messi edged past Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals in all competitions in a treble-winning season for Manchester City and his former teammate Kylian Mbappe for the honour. Messi also won the 2019 Best FIFA Men's Player award and was recognised by FIFA as the leading player in the men's game on five occasions prior to that - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 - making this his eighth individual award in total.

* Messi and Haaland were tied on 48 points each in the FIFA rating system for the Award. However, the Argentina captain won the Award, thanks to more votes from national team captains. The best awards are decided after votes from national team captains, coaches, journalists and fans are counted.

* India captain Sunil Chhetri, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah were among the many who voted for Messi. The Argentina skipper himself voted for Haaland ahead of Mbappe and his teammate Julian Alvarez.

* According to the FIFA rules, If finalists were tied on points, the individual with the most first-choice selections from their own group of voters (Captains in this case) would be declared the winner.

AITANA BONMATI BEST WOMEN'S PLAYER

* Meanwhile, Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati won the Best Women's Player Award for 2023 after a dream season at the club and international level. The coveted award is yet another richly deserved reward for the 25-year-old midfielder, who in 2023 inspired Spain to their maiden world title and Barcelona to a domestic and European treble.

* “I would like to congratulate all the nominees. And also to say that I’m proud of being part of a powerful generation of women who are changing the rules of the game and the world," Aitana Bonmati said in a powerful victory speech in London..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Succession

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on January 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. The awards ceremony was delayed nearly four months due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. The awards ceremony was telecast from the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California. 'The Bear' and 'Succession' have won the most awards at the 75th Emmy Awards.

'The Bear' won six awards :

List of 75th Emmy Awards winners :

Correct Answer :   Odisha Mining Corporate Limited

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced (4th Jan 2024) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2023. Odisha Mining Corporate Limited has been awarded in the category of Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility.

Jain Deemed to be University, Bengaluru has been awarded for the identification and nurturing of budding and young talent. The awardees will receive their awards from  President Droupadi Murmu at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9th of this month.

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is given to corporate entities, Sports Control Boards, NGOs, including sports bodies at the State and National level, who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development..


Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   B.R. Kamboj

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University's Vice Chancellor Prof. B.R. Kamboj has been honoured with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award in recognition of his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.

Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Governor of Karnataka, presented him this award. The award ceremony took place at the International Conference on 'One Health One World,' held at Rajmata Vijayaraje  Scindia Agricultural University at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

A special committee, constituted for the M.S. Swaminathan Award, selected Prof. B.R. Kamboj for his excellent achievements in the field of education, research, technology development and extension in agricultural science.

Vice Chancellor, Prof. B.R. Kamboj  is well aware of the common problems, needs and socio-economical conditions of the farmers. The agricultural recommendations put forth by Prof. Kamboj, stemming from his research work and collaborative extension activities with university scientists, have consistently proven to be highly advantageous for farmers.

Prof Kamboj has published about 300 research papers and articles in national and international journals, books and technical magazines..


Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Poonam Khetrapal Singh

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, has been awarded Bhutan’s prestigious National Order of Merit Gold Medal for her distinguished services to the country.

* The King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk honored Dr Khetrapal Singh, an Indian national, at Bhutan’s 116th National Day celebration here.

* “Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the first woman Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region, played a pivotal role in supporting transformative healthcare leadership in Bhutan from 2014 to 2024. Her tenure witnessed remarkable strides, including Bhutan becoming one of the first countries to eliminate measles and rubella ahead of schedule. She made significant contributions to help Bhutan excel in COVID-19 vaccination,” the King said.

* “Dr Khetrapal Singh’s impactful strategies extended across communicable diseases, reproductive health, health systems, and social determinants, and had a lasting positive impact on Bhutan’s public health services,” he said.

* In a video message post the award ceremony, Dr Khetrapal Singh thanked His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk for the award. She said, “as Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia for the last decade, it has been my vision to address priority health issue through eight flagship programmes, and promote health and wellbeing for everyone, everywhere”.

* The Regional Director said Bhutan’s efforts and achievements in the last decade have been exceptional – eliminating polio, maternal and neonatal tetanus, eliminating measles and rubella, taking the lead in WHO South-East Asia Region for addressing mental health and making efforts to eliminate cervical cancer by expanding HPV vaccination and screening.  The country is making exceptional efforts to address other non-communicable diseases. Bhutan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was commendable.

* “With the ongoing focused interventions, I am confident of and also wish Bhutan many more laurels in public health in the coming years,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.

* Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh became the first Indian to be elected as the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia. After a five-year term beginning February 2014, she was unanimously re-elected by the 11 Member countries of the Region, home to one quarter of the world’s population, for another five-year term from February 2019.

* During her decade long term, the Region has witnessed unprecedented advances in public health, specially around her flagship programmes.

* The Region eradicated polio and eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus. Bhutan and four other countries eliminated measles and rubella. The Region’s share in global measles deaths dropped from 40% in 2014 to 8% by the end of 2021.

* Countries initiated mainstreaming screening, diagnosing and treatment for noncommunicable diseases at the primary health care level and rolled out multi-sectoral responses to address key risk factors for non-communicable diseases.

* Between 2010 and 2021, the Region recorded 69% decline in maternal mortality, the steepest globally; 45% decline in under five mortalities, 39% decline in neonatal mortality and 54% decline in still births.  Availability of doctors, nurses and midwives increased by over 30.6% since 2014.

* Dr Khetrapal Singh identified elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) as a regional flagship. Six countries have eliminated at least one NTD. Two countries eliminated malaria. Three eliminated mother-to-child transmission of syphilis and HIV. Four countries achieved hepatitis B control through vaccination..

Source : WHO

Correct Answer :   Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath

Real Vision Homes Pvt Ltd proudly announces the remarkable achievement of its esteemed Chairman, Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath, who has been honored with the Visionary Leader Icon Award of the Year 2023 by the Advocates Association For Social Responsibility And Awareness (AASRAA). The prestigious award was presented at the 5th National Summit held at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on 24th Nov 2023.

The ceremony witnessed the presence of distinguished guests, including National Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohith Kumar Singh, Founder Chairman of AASRAA Sulthan Habib Ali, renowned cine actors Ali, and the All India Representatives and State Heads of AASRAA. The Visionary Leader Icon Award was presented to Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath by N Satyanarayana, Chairman of Telangana RERA, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and his commitment to social responsibility and to AASRAA.

Real Vision Homes Pvt Ltd, a leading name in the real estate sector, takes immense pride in Founder Chairman Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath's well-deserved recognition as a visionary leader. The award is a testament to his unwavering dedication, remarkable achievements, and commitment to excellence in both business and social endeavors.

The 5th National Summit of AASRAA served as the perfect platform to acknowledge and honor Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath's significant contributions. During the event, he expressed gratitude to everyone who has supported him on his journey, emphasizing his mission to empower more individuals financially and provide opportunities through his organization Realvision Homes Pvt Ltd.

Dr. Srinivas Naik Dharavath, a native of Suryapet, Telangana, has played a pivotal role in the success of Real Vision Homes Pvt Ltd. With over two decades of experience in the real estate industry, he has transformed his passion for marketing into unparalleled success, making homeownership a reality for countless individuals. His innovative ideas and ambitious approach have led to the development of luxurious and affordable ventures in and around Telangana..


Source : ANI

Correct Answer :   Mohammed Shami

One of India's ODI World Cup heroes, pacer Mohammed Shami has been recommended for this year's Arjuna Award by the country's cricket board (BCCI), sources said on Wednesday(13th Dec 2023).

The 33-year-old had a spectacular run in the ODI World Cup, where India finished second best losing to Australia in the final. As per ministry sources, a special request was made by the BCCI to the Sports Ministry to include Shami's name as originally he didn't feature in the list of the country's second-highest sporting honour.

Shami was the leading wicket-taker in the World Cup, with 24 wickets to his name from merely seven outings.

After sitting out of the first four games, Shami shone bright when given the opportunity, claiming 24 wickets at an average of just 5.26.

Shami is likely to feature in India's upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa.

The first Test will be a boxing day match starting December 26 in Centurion, followed by the second game in Cape Town beginning January 3.

The ministry has constituted a 12-member committee to decide for this year's sports awards including Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna award among others.

Retired Supreme Court Justice AM Khanwilkar will head the committee. Apart from him, there are six former international athletes in this committee. Hockey player Dhanraj Pillay, former paddler Kamlesh Mehta, ex-boxer Akhil Kumar, women shooter and current national coach Shuma Shirur, former cricketer Anjum Chopra, badminton player Tripti Murgunde and powerlifter Farman Pasha are also part of the panel..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Afghanistan

Finland, on Monday (11th Dec 2023), awarded the International Gender Equality Prize for 2023 to an NGO in Afghanistan that works to promote and protect the rights of women in Afghanistan. The organisation Afghan Women Skills Development Center does important humanitarian work to promote the safety of Afghan women.

* Ever since the Taliban came into power, Afghanistan is an example of a country where women’s human rights are systematically suppressed and girls have been denied access to secondary education and women to higher education.

* Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attended the ceremony and presented the EUR 300,000 Prize to the organisation’s representative, Mahbouba Seraj, in Tampere.

* In 2021, the Prize was awarded to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, an organisation that does groundbreaking work combating violence against women in Turkey and whose work has global relevance.

* In 2019, the Prize went to Equality Now, a global non-profit organisation, which defends the rights of women and has succeeded in changing discriminatory laws and ossified practices in different countries.

* While In 2017, the Prize was awarded to then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She directed the prize money to a Nigerien organisation that works to stop domestic violence. The organisation decided to use the funds to build a residential shelter for women.

* Speaking during the ceremony, the Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reiterated his support for Afghan women.

* “Finland has strongly supported gender equality and women’s rights in Afghanistan for 20 years. Even today, we continue to provide this important support as widely as possible in the current situation. Finland will not forget Afghan women,” said Orpo during his speech.

* The task of the Afghan Women Skills Development Center is to provide Afghan women with training and to support their skills development and economic empowerment. The organisation operates in eight provinces around the country.

* It cooperates with the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, and the purpose of this cooperation is, first and foremost, to provide protection to women and families who are in danger. Women can, for example, bring their children to have a medical examination or spend time with them at small family centres. At these centres, the organisation also provides women with humanitarian assistance, such as food, hygiene products and money.

* “With the money made possible by this, I am going to go back home and I am going to spend it on a project that is going to take all of those women involved and I am going to make sure that they all know this award was given to me by one of the most amazing countries in the world that has gender equality as the first order of its government,” Seraj said after accepting the award.

* Finland was one of the first countries in the world to extend the right to vote and stand for elections to all women and men in 1906. Finland was also the first country to elect women to Parliament; 19 women were elected to the 200-seat Parliament in 1907. The success of Finland as a country is to a great extent linked with improvements in the status of women and gender equality..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Javed Akhtar

* Veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar will be felicitated with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival.

* Akhtar, the co-writer of Hindi cinema classics such as "Zanjeer", "Deewaar", "Sholay", "Don", "Kaala Patthar" and "Mr India", will be honoured for his contribution to the Indian film industry on the opening day of the festival's ninth edition, a press release said.

* The award ceremony will take place at Rukmini Auditorium in MGM University campus of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on January 3, 2024 The announcement was made by Nandkishor Kagliwal, chairman of the Ajanta-Ellora film festival organising committee, and chief mentor Ankushrao Kadam.

* The Padmapani Award selection committee included renowned film director Girish Kasarvalli, Hindi poet Ashok Vajpeyi, film critic Latika Padgaonkar, filmmakers Ashok Rane and Chandrakant Kulkarni.

* The honour comprises Padmapani memento, citation and monetary award of Rs 2 lakhs.

* The Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival, which was earlier called Aurangabad International Film Festival (AIFF), is organised annually by Nath Group, Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Mumbai, with the support of the governments of Maharashtra and India..

Source : Tele Graph India