Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Khaled el-Enany, Egypt’s former minister of antiquities and tourism, has been appointed as the next Director-General of UNESCO. With a background in archaeology and heritage preservation, El-Enany brings extensive experience in managing cultural and historical assets to the role. UNESCO, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Paris, focuses on fostering global peace and security through cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication. India, a founding member since 1948, continues to collaborate actively with UNESCO and hosts two of its offices. El-Enany’s appointment signifies a renewed emphasis on global cultural preservation and cooperation.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), has been appointed as the brand ambassador for the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025. This Buildathon is India’s largest school-level hackathon, designed to involve over one crore students from 1.5 lakh schools across the country. It encourages young innovators to develop prototypes and creative solutions to real-world challenges. By choosing Shubhanshu Shukla, an inspirational space pioneer, as its ambassador, the initiative aims to motivate students to pursue innovation, scientific thinking, and contribute to building a technologically advanced and self-reliant India.

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their groundbreaking contributions to the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in electric circuits. Their research has played a crucial role in advancing the understanding of quantum mechanics at a macroscopic scale, leading to major innovations in superconducting circuits and quantum computing technologies. This achievement highlights the profound connection between theoretical physics and practical applications in next-generation computing systems.

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their pioneering research on peripheral immune tolerance. Their work identified regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the Foxp3 gene, which are critical in preventing the immune system from attacking the body’s own tissues. These discoveries have transformed immunology and provided new strategies for treating autoimmune diseases, cancer, and transplant rejection. Sakaguchi discovered Tregs, while Brunkow and Ramsdell identified the Foxp3 gene, linking their findings to a deeper understanding of immune system regulation.

Dr. R. Arthur James, Professor and Chair of Marine Science at Bharathidasan University, received the Tamil Nadu Scientist Award (TANSA) 2022 in Environmental Science. He was recognised for his exceptional contributions to marine research and promoting sustainable environmental practices. The award included a ₹50,000 cash prize and a citation, highlighting the importance of his scientific work in advancing environmental awareness and research in Tamil Nadu. His achievements reflect both academic excellence and practical impact in environmental sustainability.