Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Shri Vishvajit Sahay, a 1990 batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), assumed charge as the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on November 1, 2025. With over 30 years of experience in defence finance, he has held several senior positions, including Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Finance Manager in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, Sahay has also represented India at international forums, contributing significantly to the modernization and transparency of defence financial management.

Karthik Narain, a seasoned technology leader and former Accenture Chief Technology Officer, has been appointed as the Chief Product and Business Officer at Google Cloud. With over 25 years of experience in cloud, AI, and enterprise transformation, Narain brings deep industry expertise to one of the world’s most competitive cloud ecosystems. In his new role, he will oversee product, engineering, and go-to-market strategies, helping Google Cloud expand its global presence and AI-driven enterprise offerings. His appointment strengthens Thomas Kurian’s leadership team and reinforces Google’s strategic push to accelerate innovation and compete effectively with AWS and Microsoft Azure in the enterprise cloud market.

Dame Sarah Mullally has made history as the first woman appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest office in the Church of England. Formerly the NHS Chief Nursing Officer for England, she transitioned to the priesthood in 2006 and became the Bishop of London in 2018. Her appointment marks a major milestone for gender equality in the Anglican Church, reflecting its ongoing journey toward inclusivity and reform. Approved by King Charles III after nomination by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, she will officially take office in January 2026. Her priorities include safeguarding reforms, rebuilding trust, and promoting compassion and inclusivity in the Church’s mission.

Sunil Amrith, an Indian-origin historian and Yale University professor, won the 2025 British Academy Book Prize for his book The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years. The £25,000 prize honours outstanding non-fiction that deepens public understanding of global issues through scholarly research. Amrith’s work traces five centuries of human-environment interaction, exploring how empire, capitalism, and industrialization have shaped ecological change worldwide. His recognition underscores the growing importance of environmental history and highlights the contributions of Indian-origin scholars to global academic discourse. The British Academy praised his book for reframing history through an ecological lens.

Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court has been appointed as the Chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Advisory Board of Judges for 2025–2027. She is the first Indian and the first Asian to hold this prestigious position, marking a significant milestone in global intellectual property law. As Chair, she will guide WIPO in aligning its policies with judicial standards worldwide. Her appointment highlights India’s growing leadership in IP law and offers strategic judicial perspectives on innovation, digital governance, and economic development.