Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Saurabh Vijay, a 1998-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre and the then CEO of UIDAI, officially took charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IndiaAI Mission on June 5, 2026. The IndiaAI Mission, launched in March 2024 with a financial outlay of ₹10,372 crore, aims to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem and promote sovereign AI capabilities using Indian datasets. The mission operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). His appointment is expected to support the mission’s objective of enhancing India’s competitiveness in the field of Generative AI and emerging technologies.

Swaminathan Janakiraman was re-appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of two years with effect from June 26, 2026. This marks his second term in the position after his initial appointment in June 2023. As Deputy Governor, he oversees important areas such as the Department of Supervision and the Inspection Department. Before joining the RBI, he served as a Managing Director at the State Bank of India (SBI), India's largest bank. His re-appointment reflects the government's confidence in his experience and leadership within the banking and financial regulatory system.

Saurabh Vijay, an IAS officer of the 1998 Maharashtra cadre and the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has taken charge as the CEO of the IndiaAI Mission. His appointment comes at a crucial time as India expands its artificial intelligence ecosystem through the ₹10,372 crore IndiaAI Mission. The initiative focuses on developing indigenous AI models, strengthening AI infrastructure, supporting startups and researchers, creating AI-ready datasets, and promoting responsible AI adoption. With extensive experience in public administration, finance, and governance, Saurabh Vijay is expected to play a key role in advancing India’s ambitions to become a global leader in artificial intelligence.

Neelkanth Mishra has been appointed as India’s next Executive Director at the World Bank. A highly respected economist, he has extensive experience in economic policy, financial markets, research, and public policy advisory roles. Before this appointment, he served as Chief Economist at Axis Bank and held several important positions, including membership in the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. As Executive Director, he will represent India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka at the World Bank. His appointment reflects India’s increasing role in global economic governance and international financial decision-making.

Veteran Diplomat Vipul, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Before this appointment, he was serving as India’s Ambassador to Qatar and had previously held several important diplomatic positions, including Consul General of India in Dubai and Joint Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs. With nearly three decades of diplomatic experience and deep expertise in Gulf affairs, Vipul is expected to play a significant role in strengthening India’s relations with Saudi Arabia in areas such as energy, trade, investment, defence cooperation, and regional security.