Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Silvana Tenreyro has been appointed as the new Chief Economist and Director of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She will also serve as the IMF's Economic Counsellor, leading the preparation of key global economic assessments and providing guidance on the global economic outlook. She succeeds Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, who is returning to academia. Tenreyro brings extensive experience from her tenure on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee and her work at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, making her well-qualified for this important international leadership role.

Mahesh Pai has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of South Indian Bank for a three-year term. He is currently serving as the Chief General Manager at Canara Bank, where he leads the Digital Banking and Innovation vertical. With nearly three decades of banking experience, he has worked across digital banking, treasury, corporate strategy, retail banking, MSME credit, and overseas banking operations. He will succeed P. R. Seshadri as the head of South Indian Bank after completing the required approval process.

Sanjeev Jain, a 2008-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as India's new Ambassador to North Korea by the Ministry of External Affairs. Before this appointment, he served as India's Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde, an island nation off the western coast of Africa. With extensive diplomatic experience, he has contributed to strengthening India's bilateral relations with several countries. He is expected to assume his new responsibilities after completing the required diplomatic formalities, further enhancing India's diplomatic engagement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Bukhman International Booker Prize is the new name of the International Booker Prize following a decade-long funding commitment by Bukhman Philanthropies. Along with the renaming, the winner's prize money was doubled from £50,000 to £100,000, while each shortlisted title now receives £5,000. The award continues to recognise the collaborative efforts of authors and translators by sharing the prize equally between them. The first winner under the new name will be announced in May 2027, and the prize remains dedicated to fiction translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.

Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the Part-time Chairman and Additional Independent Director of HDFC Bank on June 30, 2026, for a three-year term, subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). A former Finance Secretary of India, he played a key role in the consolidation of 10 Public Sector Banks into four entities and later served as the Chief Election Commissioner during the 2024 General Election. He succeeded Atanu Chakraborty after the interim tenure of Keki Mistry. His appointment reflects HDFC Bank's focus on experienced leadership and strong corporate governance.