Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, launched the Land Port Management System (LPMS) ‘VINIMAY’ in New Delhi on 9 June 2026. The digital platform is designed to modernise border management by integrating cargo handling, passenger movement, vehicle processing, and inter-agency coordination into a single system. LPMS aims to reduce paperwork by around 90%, improve trade efficiency, strengthen security, and enable real-time information sharing among multiple government agencies. The initiative forms a key component of India’s Smart Border strategy, which focuses on technology-driven operations, enhanced surveillance, smoother cross-border trade, and improved connectivity at land ports.

Sameer Kanodia was recognised in India’s Top 50 CEOs, MDs, and Founders list for 2026 by the Great Manager Institute (GMI). This marked the second consecutive year he received this prestigious leadership honour. The recognition is awarded to leaders who demonstrate exceptional ability in inspiring, empowering, and developing teams while achieving strong business outcomes. Sameer Kanodia serves as the Vice Chairman and CEO of both Lumina Datamatics and TNQTech. His leadership has been acknowledged for fostering organisational growth, promoting employee development, and delivering sustained business success through effective management practices and strategic vision.

Kumar Shanker has been appointed as the Managing Director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), one of India's leading city gas distribution companies. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Managing Director of Maharashtra Natural Gas Ltd (MNGL), a joint venture involving GAIL, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and the Maharashtra government. He played a significant role in implementing the Unified Tariff for India's National Gas Grid System, a major reform in the natural gas sector. IGL, headquartered in New Delhi, is a joint venture of GAIL and BPCL and is recognised as the largest city-gas distributor in North India.

Saurabh Vijay, a 1998-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre and the then CEO of UIDAI, officially took charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IndiaAI Mission on June 5, 2026. The IndiaAI Mission, launched in March 2024 with a financial outlay of ₹10,372 crore, aims to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem and promote sovereign AI capabilities using Indian datasets. The mission operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). His appointment is expected to support the mission’s objective of enhancing India’s competitiveness in the field of Generative AI and emerging technologies.

Swaminathan Janakiraman was re-appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of two years with effect from June 26, 2026. This marks his second term in the position after his initial appointment in June 2023. As Deputy Governor, he oversees important areas such as the Department of Supervision and the Inspection Department. Before joining the RBI, he served as a Managing Director at the State Bank of India (SBI), India's largest bank. His re-appointment reflects the government's confidence in his experience and leadership within the banking and financial regulatory system.