Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Pradeep Singh Kharola, a 1985-batch IAS officer and former Civil Aviation Secretary, was appointed as the Executive Advisor to Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran. He was also inducted as a full member of the airline's management committee. His appointment is intended to support the leadership transition as CEO Campbell Wilson prepares to step down. Kharola played a significant role in the privatisation of Air India during his tenure as Civil Aviation Secretary and has previously served as the Chairman of Air India, bringing extensive administrative and aviation sector experience to the organisation.

Mahesh Dixit, a 1993-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He succeeds Tapan Kumar Deka and will assume office on June 30 for a two-year tenure. Before this appointment, he served as the Special Director of the IB and handled several critical intelligence operations across Northeast India, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and anti-Naxal regions. A qualified medical doctor, Mahesh Dixit, brings extensive experience in internal security, counter-terrorism, and intelligence operations to one of India's most important security positions.

Harsh Vardhan, President of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), received the Global Prestige Award at the House of Lords in the UK Parliament on June 20, 2026. The award recognised global leaders contributing to peace, justice, and development in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Harsh Vardhan also became the youngest President in the history of the Bihar Cricket Association after being elected unopposed in September 2025. Under his leadership, Bihar cricket has witnessed significant progress, including the emergence of promising talents such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Akshara Gupta.

Parveen Shaikh and Dr Barkha Subba were honoured with the 2026 Whitley Awards, popularly known as the Green Oscars, for their exceptional contributions to environmental conservation. Parveen Shaikh was recognised for her efforts to protect the endangered Indian Skimmer through community-based conservation initiatives along the Chambal River. Dr Barkha Subba received the award for her work in conserving the Himalayan Salamander by restoring wetlands, monitoring populations, and engaging local communities. Each recipient received £50,000 to support ongoing conservation projects, highlighting India's significant contribution to global biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental practices.

Kunal Shah, the founder of Cred, was appointed as the Global Head of WhatsApp by Meta Platforms Inc. on June 23, 2026. He succeeded Will Cathcart, who had led WhatsApp since 2019 and later moved to a new product development role within Meta. Following Shah's appointment, Miten Sampat assumed the role of interim CEO of Cred. Shah is widely recognised for founding Cred in 2018, a Bengaluru-based fintech company that rewards creditworthy users and offers services in payments, lending, insurance, and wealth management. His appointment reflects Meta's focus on strengthening WhatsApp's global growth and innovation.