Awards - General Knowledge Questions

Correct Answer :   Ban Ki-Moon

In the United States, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at The Power of One Award 2023 ceremony, organised by the Diwali Foundation USA.

The awards are granted to selfless individuals for their help to form a peaceful and secure world for all. They are hailed as the 'Oscars of diplomacy'.

Other awardees include former permanent representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN, Ambassador Mirsada Colakovic; former permanent representative of South Korea to the UN Ambassador, Kim Sook; and 72nd UN General Assembly president and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Meera Chand

Singapore recently bestowed its prestigious Cultural Medallion upon three distinguished individuals, recognizing their artistic excellence and significant contributions to the nation’s rich arts and culture. Among them, Meira Chand, an eighty-one-year-old Indian-origin writer, shares this esteemed accolade with novelist Suchen Christine Lim and Malay dance veteran Osman Abdul Hamid.


Details of the Ceremony :

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam presented the Cultural Medallion to the recipients in a ceremony held at the Istana. The award, the city-state’s highest arts honor, is accompanied by an SGD 80,000 grant for each awardee, supporting their continued artistic endeavors.



Meira Chand: A Literary Trailblazer :

* Multicultural Novelist : Meira Chand, of Swiss-Indian parentage, is renowned for her award-winning novels depicting multicultural societies. Her notable work, ‘The Painted Cage’ (1986), was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

* Historic Recognition : Alongside Lim, Meira Chand is the first English-language female writer to receive the Cultural Medallion since Ho Minfong in 1997.

* Life and Journey : Born in London to a Swiss mother and Indian father, Meira Chand’s literary journey was influenced by her experiences in Japan, where she taught art, and her five years in India, which she describes as a “life-changing experience.” Her writing reflects her exploration of identity and cultural richness.

Cultural Medallion: A Prestigious Honor :

* Establishment : Instituted in 1979 by the late President and then Minister of Culture Ong Teng Cheong, the Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest arts accolade.

* Criteria : Awarded to individuals who have demonstrated artistic excellence, made substantial contributions, and shown commitment to enriching Singapore’s arts and culture scene.

* Recognition Across Fields : The award has been bestowed upon 132 artists in diverse fields, including film, literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts.

Correct Answer :   Safina Hussain

Safeena Hussain, founder of 'Educate Girls,' has become the first Indian woman to bag the WISE Prize worth 5 lakh USD for mobilising 14 lakh out of school girls in Indian villages to get back to mainstream education. The prize, awarded by the Qatar Foundation at the 11th Edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Summit earlier this week in Doha, is one of the most prestigious awards in education.

"Sixteen years back, when 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' was unheard of, I had decided to set up Educate Girls, an NGO to bring out of school girls back to mainstream education. Even in the 21st century, there are villages in India where goats are considered assets but girls are considered liability," Safeena told PTI in an interview.

"From poverty to patriarchy, there are endless reasons to keep girls out of school or forcing them to drop out without completing their education," Safeena said.

Safeena's fate took a turn when three years later one of her aunts took it upon herself to get her back to studies, ultimately helping her land a seat at London School of Economics. "I then decided that I had to play the same role for girls like me."

Family apathy, lack of motivation, and reluctance from the girls themselves, were the major roadblocks Safeena had to face when she started the mission to educate girls in rural Rajasthan, which has now expanded to Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

Daughter of noted character actor Yusuf Husain, who recently died, and wife to filmmaker Hansal Mehta, Safeena travels to villages extensively where her "team Balika", operating along with field agents, knocks on each door to check if a girl is out of school.

"This mission was very much personal hence the model we executed had to be personal too. From abandoned child brides to young girls being pushed into household work, the girls we have brought back to school have tragic stories but bright futures.

"Right from convincing families, to showing them the way of getting affordable education and enrolling them into the nearest government school, the teams work on each and every factor to ensure these girls are not forced out of school," Safeena Said..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   Michael Douglas

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas has been honored with the 'Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement' Award at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The 54th IFFI is being organized in Goa. The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award is an international award instituted by the International Film Festival of India, first presented in 1999. 

Correct Answer :   Abdullahi Mire

Abdullahi Mire, a Somali refugee, has been named the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Global Laureate for his work championing the right to education for displaced children.

Mire, who grew up in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, has put over 100,000 books in the hands of displaced children and youth in the country. He will be presented with the award at a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 13, 2023.


UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Regional Winners :

In addition to the Global Laureate, four regional winners have also been named for the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award:

* Americas : Elizabeth Moreno Barco from Colombia
* Middle East & North Africa : Asia Al-Mashreqi from Yemen
* Asia-Pacific : Abdullah Habib, Sahat Zia Hero, Salim Khan, and Shahida Win from Myanmar
* Europe : Lena Grochowska and Władysław Grochowski from Poland

About the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award :

The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award was established in 1954 to honor the legacy of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat, and the first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations. The award is presented annually to an individual or organization for outstanding service to refugees.


Prize Value :

The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award consists of a commemorative medal and a monetary prize of USD 100,000. The global laureate is expected to reinvest the prize in the humanitarian initiatives they are being recognized for. Several regional winners will also receive a smaller monetary prize to further their humanitarian work.


About the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) :

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and assist refugees worldwide. UNHCR was established in 1950 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Correct Answer :   Dr. Debashish Bhattacharya

The National Metallurgist Awards 2022 were presented at an event organized by the Steel Ministry.

In this, Dr. Debashish Bhattacharya was honored with the National Metallurgist Award.

Dr. Niloy Kundu was honored with the Young Metallurgist (Environment) Award.

Also Dr. Kamachi Mudali Uthandi was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Correct Answer :   Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin

Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, head of the Mumbai-based Dawoodi Bohra sect of Islam, will be conferred ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan’, making him the fourth Indian to be honoured with Pakistan’s highest civilian award.

The announcement of the award comes as an acknowledgement of Dr Saiduddin’s services, according to a statement by Pakistan President Arif Alvi, who approved the conferment on Wednesday. The date for the investiture ceremony was, however, not made public.

Nishan-e-Pakistan or the Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan is the highest civilian honour awarded for services of highest distinction to the national interest of Pakistan. It is equivalent to Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military gallantry award.

President Alvi approved the conferment of the civil award under Article 259 (2) of the Constitution and the Decorations Act 1975.

Each year, the announcement of awards is made on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, and the awards are conferred next year on Pakistan National Day, observed on March 23. But in special cases, these dates are not followed and the investiture can be arranged anytime.

Dr Saifuddin, the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community spread across over 40 countries, including a sizeable congregation in Pakistan, is the 53rd Da’i al-Mutlaq of the order. The Dawoodi Bohras carry out developmental works to benefit the underprivileged in all these countries..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Vir Das

Actor-comic Vir Das has become the first Indian to win the International Emmy Award for his Netflix stand-up special “Vir Das: Landing” in the best comedy category and has dedicated the honour to his home country, India.

The 51st International Emmy Awards Gala was held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City on late Monday (20th Nov 2023) night.

This was the second nomination and maiden win in the segment for Das, who shared the trophy with popular British teen sitcom “Derry Girls” season three.

Das said he has immense gratitude holding the International Emmy trophy for best comedy for ‘Vir Das: Landing’, his fourth stand-up special with the streamer.

“This one is for my team and for Netflix without whom this wouldn’t have been possible.

“This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and to win this accolade for my fifth special with Netflix feels like a culmination of passion, perseverance, and the undying support of people around the globe who have given so much love to ‘Vir Das: Landing’,” the comedian said in a statement.

Das, also known for films such as “Go Goa Gone” and “Delhi Belly”, won the award for “Vir Das: Landing”, a show about what it means to be truly global while looking for home. His last stand-up special “Vir Das: For India” was nominated for an International Emmy in the best comedy category in 2021..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Salman Rushdie

World-renowned author Salman Rushdie has been awarded the first-ever 'Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award' by the Vaclav Havel Center on 14th November 2023.

This was Rushdie's surprise public appearance since he was stabbed during a literary festival in New York in August 2022.


Rushdie Reflects on Awards and Influence :

Rushdie's appearance was unexpected as barely a handful of the 100 attendees were aware of his presence, AP added. Announced by Azar Nafisi, the author of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran', Rushdie said, "I apologize for being a mystery guest. I don’t feel at all mysterious. But it made life a little simpler."

At 76, Rushdie, recipient of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade last month, found himself receiving another accolade, reflecting on the irony of being awarded for "disturbing the peace." He pondered which side of "the fence" this placed him on.

During his speech, Rushdie lauded Vaclav Havel, a close friend and an influential figure who supported him when he was forced into hiding following Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's 1989 decree against his novel, 'The Satanic Verses'. Describing Havel as a hero who balanced artistry with activism, Rushdie expressed deep honor in receiving an award in Havel's name.

The ceremony, hosted by veteran CBS journalist Lesley Stahl, took place at the Havel Center, previously known as the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation. This center, established in 2012 to perpetuate Havel's legacy, focuses on advocating for human rights and free expression..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Kerala

Kerala has bagged the Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023, in a major endorsement of the sustainable and women-inclusive initiatives successfully promoted by the State’s Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM).

The award is instituted by Responsible Tourism Partnership and International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) in the best for local sourcing, food, and craft category.

The State’s RT Mission was selected for the award, the most valued honour being given for sustainable and inclusive tourism initiatives, for linking women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to tourism activities and for ensuring effective marketing of indigenous products. The London-based organisers selected Kerala RTM as a joint winner along with Eswatini, a land-locked country in Southern Africa, which is noted for the eco-friendly Ngwenya Glass, says a release issued by Kerala Tourism.

“This international award reflects the universal appeal of the Responsible Tourism projects that Kerala implemented, thereby setting a viable model for the rest of India as well as other countries,” said Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas. The crux of this model is that it helps conserve nature, as well as tangible and intangible heritage, while bringing substantial benefits to local communities, he added.

The Kerala RT Mission has been implementing women-friendly tourism projects in the State with the support of UN Women, the UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and women empowerment. This is the second time that Kerala RTM is getting the Responsible Tourism Global Award.

Its Water-STREET project implemented at Maravanthuruthu in Kottayam district got the honour last year. With this award, RTM registers hat-trick this year as it had earlier got two other prestigious awards — ‘Gold’ award of the Government of India and Gold award of the ICRT. Around 25,000 households benefit from RT Mission activities in the State.

The award jury recognised the work of the RTM in promoting the ethnic and traditional foods of each locality through tourism, providing authentic local food experiences enjoyed in local homes for tourists, besides generating additional income for the local communities. The RTM’s activities such as women-friendly tourism project, experiencing ethnic cuisine project, experiential tourism packages, marketing of products including local handicrafts, training for local community and other projects being implemented in association with local self government institutions were considered for the award.

The Global Responsible Tourism Awards, which cater to Africa, India and Latin America regions, were given in six categories including the best for tackling plastic waste, best for meaningful connections, best for local sourcing, food and craft, addressing climate change, best for diversity and inclusion, and the best for nature-positive tourism..

Source : The Hindu