Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been conferred with the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, recognising extraordinary courage, leadership, and devotion to duty. This award is given for acts of valour and self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, approved this along with gallantry awards for 70 other armed forces personnel. Shukla’s award highlights his exceptional contribution to India’s aerospace and defence achievements and serves as an inspiration for bravery, leadership, and service to the nation.

Satyaki Ghosh has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Raymond Lifestyle as part of a strategic leadership decision to strengthen the company’s consumer and lifestyle business. With more than 25 years of experience across FMCG, textiles and retail sectors, he brings deep expertise in managing large brands and operations in both B2B and B2C environments. His previous leadership roles at Aditya Birla Group, Grasim Industries, and global companies such as L’Oréal and PepsiCo equip him to drive growth, innovation and competitiveness in Raymond Lifestyle’s evolving market landscape.

Albinder Singh Dhindsa will assume the role of Group CEO at Eternal Group as part of a major leadership transition, while founder Deepinder Goyal steps down from the position but continues as Vice Chairman. Dhindsa’s appointment is aimed at ensuring operational execution, growth stability, and enhanced shareholder value, balancing managerial discipline with the company’s innovative vision. This leadership change, pending shareholder approval, reflects strategic continuity and allows Eternal Group to scale effectively while maintaining governance standards, marking an important shift in the company’s executive management.

C-DOT has been recognised with the SKOCH Award 2025 for its indigenous Cell Broadcast Solution, a unified national platform designed to deliver real-time disaster and emergency alerts directly to mobile phones. The system enables geo-targeted, multilingual warnings even during network congestion, ensuring timely communication in critical situations. By integrating multiple alert-generating agencies and following global standards such as the Common Alerting Protocol, the platform strengthens India’s disaster preparedness and resilience. This achievement highlights the organisation’s contribution to public safety, digital infrastructure, and the vision of self-reliant, citizen-centric technology.

The Federation of Indian Granite and Stone Industry announced its leadership team for the 2026–2028 term with a clear focus on strengthening India’s natural stone sector. Among the key appointments, Ishwinder Singh has been elected as the President of FIGSI. This role places him in charge of guiding the organization’s vision, supporting industry growth, and encouraging innovation across the sector. Alongside other office bearers such as the General Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Presidents, and Joint Secretaries, the President plays a crucial role in shaping policies and representing the interests of the granite and stone industry at national and international levels.