Test: Current Affairs (Awards and Honours Part 2) - Software Development MCQ

The correct answer is Sapper Prakash Jadhav.

Key Points

• Kirti Chakra:
  • President Kovind accorded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra (posthumously) to Sapper Prakash Jadhav for neutralizing terrorists in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • His wife and mother received the award.

Important Points

• About the Gallantry Awards:
  • ​The prestigious awards are usually conferred to the awardees/Next-of-Kins (NoKs) by the President at the Defence Investiture Ceremony held every year at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
  • The gallantry awards are announced twice a year first on the occasion of Republic Day and then on Independence Day.
  • The order of precedence of these awards is Param Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra.

Additional Information

• Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind for his role in pushing back Pakistan’s fighter jets in February 2019.
• Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal was accorded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for his role in an operation where five terrorists were eliminated and 200 kg explosive material was recovered.
• Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, who lost his life during the Galwan Valley clash last year, will be posthumously awarded Maha Vir Chakra.

The correct answer is Daniil Medvedev.

Key Points

• Russia's Daniil Medvedev won the 2021 US Open.
• He defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final.
• He clinched his maiden Grand Slam title with a straight-set victory against the Serbian (6-4, 6-4, 6-4).
• Danill has become the third Russian after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin to win a Grand Slam.​

Important Points

• The 4 Grand Slam tournaments are US Open, Wimbledon, French Open, and Australian Open.
• A Golden Slam is winning 4 Grand Slam tournaments as well as the Olympics Gold Medal.
• If a team or player wins all 4 consecutively, but not in the same calendar year, then that is known as the Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam.
• The term Golden Slam was created in the year 1988 when Steffi Graf won a gold medal in tennis at the Summer Olympics and all 4 Grand Slam tournaments.

The correct answer is Bratya Basu.

• Mir Jafar O Ananya Natak by Bratya Basu was selected for the SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD -2021 IN Bengali Language.

Key Points

• He is an Indian actor, stage director, playwright, film director, professor, and politician.
• He was West Bengal's minister for Education till May 2014.
• In 2021, Bratya Basu has been conferred with Sahitya Akademi Award, the most prestigious award of the country for outstanding works of literature, for his anthology of Bengali theatre, Mir Jafar O Onyanya Natak (a compilation of three plays - Mir Jafar, Ekdin Aladin, and Ami Anukulda aar Ora).
• The award is given by an autonomous organization of the Government of India, the Ministry of Culture.
• DIGEST OF FINAL RECOMMENDED FOR THE SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD -2021 IN BENGALI 

• The jury unanimously selected Mirjafar O Ananya Natak by Bratya Basu for the Award.

The correct answer is Mari Alessandrini’s Zahori.

Key Points

• Argentine director Mari Alessandrini’s ‘Zahori’ bagged the Best Debut Feature Film of a Director at the festival.
• The film follows the story of an intrepid young girl who revolts against school and parents in order to realize her dream of independence.

Important Points

• The 52nd edition of the International film festival of India concluded in Goa.
• For the first time, the BRICS film festival was hosted alongside IFFI, OTT platforms participated and 75 creative young minds of cinema were felicitated at IFFI.
• The International Film Festival of India, founded in 1952.
• It is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia.
• This award is hosted by the Government of Goa (Directorate of Film Festivals).

Additional Information

• List of award winners in IFFI 2021 Goa:
  • Most friendly State for film shooting: Uttar Pradesh
  • Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Male): Jitendra Bhikulal Joshi (Godavari)
  • Best actor (female): Angela Molina (Paraguay) for Charlotte
  • Best director: Vaclav Kadrnka (Czech Republic) for ‘Saving One Who Was Dead’
  • Golden Peacock Award for Best Film: Japanese film Ring Wandering (Masakazu Kanyeko)
  • The Special Jury award: Renata Carvalho (Brazil)
  • Indian Film Personality of the Year Award: Prasoon Joshi
  • Jury Special Mention for Debut Feature Film: The Wealth of the World
  • Best Debut Feature Film of a Director: Director Mari Alessandrini’s Zahori
  • ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award: Lingui: The Sacred Bonds

The correct answer is Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Key Points

• A Bangladeshi vaccine scientist and a microfinance pioneer from Pakistan are among the five recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021.
• Apart from them, the other winners are
  • Filipino fisher and community environmentalist Roberto Ballon
  • American Steven Muncy for humanitarian work and refugee assistance and
  • Indonesian torch bearer for investigative journalism, Watchdog.

Important Points

• Ramon Magsaysay award is given annually for contributions in Governance service, Public Service, Journalism, Literature and Community leadership.
• Vinoba Bhave was the first Indian to win the Ramon Magsaysay award in the year 1958 for his contributions to community leadership.
• The latest recipient of this award is Ravish Kumar in the year 2019 for his contribution to Journalism.
• Ramon Magsaysay award is considered as an Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

The correct answer is ​Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan.

Key Points

• The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 was awarded jointly to Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan.
  • For the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.
  • Organocatalysts bind to the reacting molecules to form short-lived intermediates that are more reactive than the substrate molecules on their own.
  • Being chiral, the catalyst transfers its handedness to the substrate, controlling which side of the intermediate can react further.
  • While organocatalysts are used widely in research and discovery, they haven’t quite found their way into large scale production yet.
  • Other Nobel prize winner in 2021. 
    •  Physiology or drug- David Julius and Ardem patapoutian. 
    •  Nobel prize in Peace- Dmitry Muratov and Maria Ressa. 
    •  Nobel Prize in Literature- Abdulrazzak Gurnah.

Benjamin List

David W.C. MacMillan

The correct answer is Sruthy Sithara.

Key Point

• 2021 Miss Trans Global title was conferred to Kerala native Sruthy Sithara, who had been competing in the pageant for the last six months. She is the first Indian to do so.
• Sithara worked as a project assistant at the Kerala government’s Social Justice Department.
• Miss Trans Global is an international online pageant for trans and gender-nonconforming people from all backgrounds.

​

Additional Information

• Karnataka's transgender dancer Manjamma Jogathi, who received the Padma Shri Award for her contribution to folk dance in November 2021.
• In a tribute to International Women’s Day, a private news channel in Bangladesh has appointed the country’s first-ever transgender newsreader. 
• Tashnuva Anan Shishir will start presenting news for Boishakhi TV on March 8. This was announced by the TV news channel on Friday.
• Nazrul Islam Ritu was elected as Bangladesh's first transgender mayor in December 2021.

The correct answer is Manpreet Singh and P R Sreejesh.

Key Points

• Manpreet Singh and Sreejesh PR are among 12 sportspersons who conferred the country's highest sporting honor- the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, this year.
• The felicitation ceremony took place on 13 November at the Rashtrapati Bhawan with the President of India handing out the awards at the Darbar Hall.
• Manpreet Singh was originally recommended for the Arjuna Award but he joined veteran goalkeeper P R Sreejesh as the second hockey player in the list of awardees for the highest sporting honor.​
• Manpreet Singh:

• P R Sreejesh:

​

Additional Information

• Normally, the awards are given on 29 August, on the occasion of the National Sports Day, but this year they were deferred because of the Tokyo Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
• Apart from the Khel Ratna, 35 Indian sportspersons will be conferred the Arjuna award this year with 16 members (apart from Sreejesh and Manpreet) of the bronze medal-winning hockey team named in the list.
• Arjuna Award winners: Arpinder Singh (Athletics), Simranjit Kaur (Boxing), Shikhar Dhawan (Cricket), CA Bhavani Devi (Fencing), Monika (Hockey), Vandana Katariya (Hockey), Sandeep Narwal (Kabaddi), Himani Uttam Parab (Mallakhamb), Abhishek Verma (Shooting), Ankita Raina (Tennis), Deepak Punia (Wrestling), Dilpreet Singh (Hockey), Harman Preet Singh (Hockey), Rupinder Pal Singh (Hockey), Surender Kumar (Hockey), Amit Rohidas (Hockey), Birendra Lakra (Hockey), Sumit (Hockey), Nilakanta Sharma (Hockey), Hardik Singh (Hockey), Vivek Sagar Prasad (Hockey), Gurjant Singh (Hockey), Mandeep Singh (Hockey), Shamsher Singh (Hockey), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (Hockey), Varun Kumar (Hockey), Simranjeet Singh (Hockey), Yogesh Kathuniya (Para Athletics) Nishad Kumar (Para Athletics), Praveen Kumar (Para Athletics), Suhash Yathiraj (Para Badminton) Singhraj Adhana (Para Shooting), Bhavina Patel (Para Table Tennis), Harvinder Singh (Para Archery) and Sharad Kumar (Para Athletics').

The correct answer is 1.

• One trans person, Matha B. Manjamma Jogati, has been conferred with Padma Shri Awards 2021 in the category of Art.

Key Points

• A total of 119 Padma awards will be conferred, including 7 padma vibhushan, 10 padma bhushan and 102 padma Shri. 
• Manjamma Jogati is a folk artist from Karnataka who is the first trans person to preside over the prestigious Karnataka Janapada Academy.
• She has mastered several art forms such as the Jogati Nritya and has won the Padma Shri for her exemplary work in the field of folk dance.
• This dance is a ritual dance performed by the Jogappa community and Janapada songs.
•  And is well known for her melodious sonnets in Kannada, sung in praise of female deities.

​

Additional Information

• About Padma Awards
• This award was Instituted in 1954.
• ​The Awards are given in three categories:
  • Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service)
  • Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher-order)
  • Padma Shri (distinguished service).
• Padma Vibhushan is highest in the hierarchy of Padma Awards followed by Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The correct answer is Neena Gupta.

Key Points

• Neena Gupta, a mathematician, and professor at the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata has been awarded the 2021 DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for young mathematicians from developing countries.
• She received the prize for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, in particular for her solution to the Zariski cancellation problem for affine spaces.
• Her solution for solving the Zariski cancellation problem earned her the 2014 Young Scientists Award of the Indian National Science Academy.​
• Carolina Araujo has been awarded the Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020.