Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

SeedlingLabs, an AI-native Product Development as a Service (PDaaS) company, appointed Dr Sudhir Kumar Patnaik as the inaugural member of its Advisory Board in January 2026. Dr Sudhir Kumar Patnaik currently serves as a Professor and CIR Director at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and is known for his role in connecting industry requirements with applied research and talent development. His appointment represents an important milestone for SeedlingLabs as it aims to scale its AI-native platform and strengthen production delivery capabilities for enterprise clients.

Raymond Lifestyle appointed Satyaki Ghosh as its Chief Executive Officer in January 2026, marking an important leadership transition for the company. Satyaki Ghosh brings over 25 years of professional experience across FMCG, textiles, and retail sectors. Prior to joining Raymond Lifestyle, he served as CEO at Grasim Industries under the Aditya Birla Group and held senior leadership positions at L’Oréal India. His appointment reflects Raymond’s strategic focus on operational excellence, sustainability-driven growth, and strengthening brand leadership as the company accelerates its expansion plans.

Sandeep Bakhshi has been reappointed as the Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank for another two-year term, ensuring leadership continuity at India’s second-largest private sector bank. His new tenure will extend till October 2028, subject to approvals from the Reserve Bank of India, shareholders, and other statutory authorities. Since assuming the role in 2018, he has guided the bank through a challenging period by strengthening risk management, improving asset quality, and enhancing governance standards. The reappointment reflects confidence in his prudent leadership and alignment with regulatory governance norms.

IIM Rohtak gained global recognition when its Director, Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, received the Exemplary Governance Leadership Award at the 46th World Management Congress in New Delhi. The award acknowledged outstanding contributions to institution-building and governance, selected from over 1,400 nominations worldwide. During his tenure, IIM Rohtak achieved prestigious international accreditations such as AMBA and BGA, marking quality benchmarks in management education. The institute also transitioned to a permanent campus and introduced integrated programmes in management and law, strengthening its academic profile and global standing.

Shri Praveen Vashista, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, has been appointed as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). He assumed office on 16 January 2026, bringing over three decades of experience in policing, the CBI, internal security, and economic offence investigations. His career includes key roles in Bihar’s law enforcement as SP and IG, as well as central deputation positions in the Ministry of Home Affairs involving internal security and national policy. This appointment strengthens India’s anti-corruption framework, ensuring experienced oversight and integrity administration at the national level.