Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

N Chandrasekaran announced that he would not seek reappointment as chairman of Tata Sons after his current term ends in February 2027. He requested the Tata Sons board to begin the succession process early to ensure a smooth transition. Chandrasekaran joined the Tata Group in 1987 and served as CEO and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) from 2009 before becoming chairman of Tata Sons in 2017. During his tenure, the Tata Group expanded across technology, automobiles, steel, aviation, defence, electronics and semiconductors. His decision followed the lack of unanimous board support for extending his tenure beyond February 2027.

Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala has assumed charge as the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India. He is a noted oceanographer and distinguished scientist with more than three decades of experience in remote sensing, satellite oceanography, coastal hazard mitigation, and disaster management. He played a key role as Project Manager of India’s Tsunami Early Warning System at INCOIS following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. He has also served as Director of ESSO-INCOIS, Hyderabad, since August 2020, and has contributed significantly to ocean information services and disaster preparedness.

Rahul Navin received a one-year extension as the Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), following approval by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on August 9, 2026. His extended tenure is effective beyond August 13, 2026, and continues until August 13, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The extension was formally processed through an order issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT). The Enforcement Directorate operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and is responsible for enforcing important laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

IIT Bombay Associate Professor Karthikeyan Lanka was selected for the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award 2026 in the Earth Sciences category. His research focuses on ecohydrology, satellite remote sensing and land-atmosphere interactions. He has used data from NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission to study soil moisture and its influence on the Indian monsoon. Lanka also developed India’s first operational subseasonal agricultural drought forecasting system in collaboration with the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre. The system provides weekly drought forecasts at a 9-kilometre spatial resolution with lead times of up to four weeks.

Prasanta Mahapatra was appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on August 6, 2026. In his new role, he will lead the Corporation Finance Investigation Department and handle the Recovery and Refund Department of the market regulator. Mahapatra joined SEBI in April 1999 and previously served as its Chief General Manager. He also worked at SEBI’s Eastern Regional Office in Kolkata. SEBI is the principal regulator of India’s securities market and received statutory powers under the SEBI Act, 1992.