Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

R. Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025 in recognition of his outstanding lifetime contribution to Tamil literature. A celebrated poet, lyricist, and writer, he became the third Tamil author from Tamil Nadu to receive this prestigious honour, following Akilan and Jayakanthan. The award includes a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a bronze statue of Goddess Vagdevi, and a citation. Vairamuthu is widely known for his poetry, novels, essays, and film lyrics, with notable works such as Kallikattu Ithikasam, which earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003.

Jio Platforms announced a leadership transition as part of its preparations for a landmark Initial Public Offering (IPO). Pankaj Pawar assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer on March 24, 2026, succeeding Kiran Thomas. With around 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and digital services sector, he also serves as the Managing Director of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. The company aims to raise approximately ₹37,700 crore through its proposed IPO, which, if successful, would become the largest public issue in India's history.

Silvana Tenreyro has been appointed as the new Chief Economist and Director of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She will also serve as the IMF's Economic Counsellor, leading the preparation of key global economic assessments and providing guidance on the global economic outlook. She succeeds Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, who is returning to academia. Tenreyro brings extensive experience from her tenure on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee and her work at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, making her well-qualified for this important international leadership role.

Mahesh Pai has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of South Indian Bank for a three-year term. He is currently serving as the Chief General Manager at Canara Bank, where he leads the Digital Banking and Innovation vertical. With nearly three decades of banking experience, he has worked across digital banking, treasury, corporate strategy, retail banking, MSME credit, and overseas banking operations. He will succeed P. R. Seshadri as the head of South Indian Bank after completing the required approval process.

Sanjeev Jain, a 2008-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as India's new Ambassador to North Korea by the Ministry of External Affairs. Before this appointment, he served as India's Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde, an island nation off the western coast of Africa. With extensive diplomatic experience, he has contributed to strengthening India's bilateral relations with several countries. He is expected to assume his new responsibilities after completing the required diplomatic formalities, further enhancing India's diplomatic engagement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).