Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

SCL Das, a retired 1992-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was appointed chairman of the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) by the Union government on October 16, 2026, for a term of three years. Before this appointment, he served as Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and as chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). The FSIB operates under the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance. Its primary responsibility is to recommend suitable candidates for senior leadership positions in public sector banks, financial institutions and public sector insurance companies. The final appointments are made through the prescribed government procedures.

Sudhakar Dalela, a 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, was appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Nepal by the Ministry of External Affairs on October 16, 2026. Before this appointment, he served as Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs from September 1, 2025. He also served as India’s Ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025 and held important diplomatic positions, including Director (North) and Joint Secretary (North) in the MEA. Dalela has also represented India as its Sherpa in BRICS, IBSA and I2U2. His appointment highlights the importance of diplomatic engagement with India’s neighbouring countries.

M.R. Raghava Varier, a renowned historian and former faculty member of the Department of History at the University of Calicut, was selected for the 2026 Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan Memorial Award. He was recognised for his significant contributions to linguistics, palaeography and literary criticism. The award is jointly instituted by the Kerala History Congress and the Calicut Heritage Forum. It carries a cash prize of ₹50,000 along with a citation. The award presentation is scheduled to take place during the 10th International Kerala History Conference at Government College, Malappuram, from November 27 to 29, 2026. Varier has also received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kairali Award.

Justice K.V. Viswanathan, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, was appointed to chair the Standing Committee on Judicial Well-being constituted by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, on October 11, 2026. The committee aims to address occupational stress among judicial officers and develop appropriate welfare measures. Its members include Dr Savita Malhotra, psychologist Rajat Mitra, Advocate-on-Record Mrinal Kanwar and Aarti Singh, Registrar at the Centre for Research and Planning. The initiative is based on research examining workload, infrastructure limitations and staffing shortages in the district judiciary. It seeks to promote judicial health and well-being through institutional coordination and sustained support.

Dilip Bhosale, a retired judge, was appointed chairman of the high-level committee constituted by the Maharashtra government on October 12, 2026, to recommend a comprehensive overhaul of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). The committee aims to improve the commission’s organisational structure and examination processes to ensure greater efficiency. Senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe was appointed secretary of the committee. Other members include IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge P. D. Naik. The MPSC is a constitutional body established under Article 315 of the Indian Constitution and conducts recruitment examinations for Group A and Group B civil services in Maharashtra.