Awards - January 2025 | General Test Preparation for CUET UG - CUET Commerce PDF Download

Awards in the Field of Sports

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HSBC Hurun Global Indians List 2024: Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Tops the List

In the inaugural HSBC Hurun Global Indians List for 2024, published by HSBC and Hurun India, Satya Nadella, the Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, has been ranked first, with his company valued at USD 3,146 billion.

Notable Rankings

• Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, is in second place with a company value of USD 2,107 billion.
• Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, ranks third with a company value of USD 455 billion.

Top 5 Indians on the List

Winners of the 76th Republic Day Parade 2025: Awards and Recognitions

• Best Tableau: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) won the award for the Best Tableau in the Ministries/Departments category. Their tableau celebrated the “Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh” and the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
• Best Marching Contingent: The Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Rifles Contingent was awarded the Best Marching Contingent in the Services Category.
• Best Tableaux: Uttar Pradesh (UP) won the first prize in the Best Tableaux category for its depiction of Mahakumbh 2025 and Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas.
• People’s Choice Award: The Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) received the People’s Choice Award for Best Tableau from the Central Ministries/Departments Category.
• Guinness World Records: The cultural performance titled Jayati Jai Mamah Bharatam set the record for “The Largest Indian Folk Variety Dance.” This performance was curated by the Ministry of Culture, along with Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Kerala's Kappad and Chal Beaches Receive Prestigious 'Blue Flag' Certification

On January 10, 2025, Kappad Beach in Kozhikode and Chal Beach in Kannur, both located in Kerala, were awarded the esteemed 'Blue Flag certification' by the Denmark-based non-profit organization, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Kappad Beach

• This marks the fourth consecutive year that Kappad Beach has received the Blue Flag certification.
• The beach underwent significant upgrades in 2020, including the installation of solar-powered lights, bio-toilets, and pathways accessible to disabled individuals. These improvements were essential to meet the rigorous criteria set for the certification.

Chal Beach

• Chal Beach also achieved the Blue Flag certification, further enhancing Kerala's reputation as a sustainable tourism destination.

Forbes Billionaires List 2025: Elon Musk Tops the List

• In the 2025 edition of Forbes' World Billionaires List, Elon Musk has claimed the position of the richest person in the world with a net worth of $433.9 billion. This remarkable wealth is primarily attributed to the valuation of SpaceX, which stands at $350 billion.
• Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, follows in second place with a net worth of $239.4 billion. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, has surpassed Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, to secure the third spot on the list, with Ellison's net worth recorded at $211.8 billion.
• Elon Musk has made history as the first person to exceed a net worth of $400 billion, largely due to the impressive valuation of SpaceX.
• The United States leads the list of countries with the most billionaires, boasting 813 individuals on the list. China follows in second place with 473 billionaires, while India ranks third with 200 billionaires.
• As of January 1, 2025, the top 10 richest individuals in the world have a combined net worth of $1.9 trillion, an increase from $1.8 trillion in December 2024.

Haryana: Karnal Students Recognized by NASA for Asteroid Discovery

A group of twelve students and two teachers from Dyal Singh Public School in Karnal, Haryana, have been honored by NASA's International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) for their discovery of a Main-Belt Asteroid (MBA) designated as TD40. This discovery was made using data from the pan-STARRS telescope, which is operated by the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, United States.

The team, known as Aryabhatta and led by Class XI student Diksha, along with eleven other peers and under the guidance of Principal Sushma Devgun and Dr. Kaveri Chauhan, received IASC certificates for their impressive work in discovering and registering 11 near-Earth objects.

Mumbai's CSMIA Achieves Level 5 Accreditation from ACI

In January 2025, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, Maharashtra, became the first airport in India and the third in the world to receive the prestigious Level 5 Accreditation from the Airports Council International (ACI). This accolade, the highest distinction awarded by ACI, recognizes CSMIA for its exemplary customer experience standards. The airport is operated by Adani Airports Holding Limited, a subsidiary of the Adani Group.

Bihar Sports University Receives UGC Recognition to Offer Academic Courses in Sports and Physical Education

On January 11, 2025, Bihar Sports University, situated in Rajgir, Bihar, was officially recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956. This recognition allows the university to offer a range of academic courses in the fields of physical education and sports sciences.

The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, had earlier inaugurated Bihar Sports University, the first of its kind in the state focused on sports education, along with the State Sports Academy (SSA) on August 29, 2023, coinciding with National Sports Day.

IBA Technology Awards 2024: CUB Triumphs with 7 Awards for the 2nd Consecutive Year

In January 2025, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) recognized outstanding technology providers in the banking sector by presenting technology awards across seven categories. This event took place during the 20th Annual Banking Technology Conference, Expo, & Citations, 2024, held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

City Union Bank Limited (CUB) and the Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) emerged as winners in all seven categories. Karnataka Bank Limited (KBL) also performed exceptionally well, securing wins in six categories.

Indian Short Film ‘Anuja’ Nominated for 97th Academy Awards 2025

In January 2025, the Indian short film ‘Anuja’ earned a nomination in the ‘Best Live Action Short Film’ category for the 97th Academy Awards. The film is supported by Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and producer Guneet Monga, with Hollywood star and writer Mindy Kaling as the producer.

The ePlane Company Achieves DGCA eVTOL Certification

In January 2025, The ePlane Company, an urban air mobility startup based in Chennai and founded at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, became the first private Indian firm to receive formal acceptance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the Type Certification of its electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, ‘the e200X’. The company plans to launch its eVTOL services by 2026.