Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

HDFC Bank has appointed former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as its part-time chairman for a three-year term, subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He has also been appointed as an Additional Director (Independent Director) for a four-year term beginning on June 30, 2026, subject to shareholder approval. Rajiv Kumar is a 1984-batch IAS officer with extensive experience in finance and public administration. He previously served as Secretary of the Department of Financial Services and played a significant role in banking reforms, including public sector bank consolidation, capital infusion, and increasing deposit insurance coverage.

Prabhjeet Singh has been appointed as the Managing Director for India by OpenAI, reflecting the company's commitment to expanding its presence in one of the world's fastest-growing artificial intelligence markets. Before joining OpenAI, he served as the President of Uber India and South Asia, where he played a significant role in business growth and market expansion. His extensive experience in scaling technology-driven businesses is expected to help OpenAI strengthen its operations in India. The appointment also highlights India's growing importance due to its large digital user base, thriving startup ecosystem, increasing enterprise adoption of AI, and strong government focus on artificial intelligence.

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.