Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Mohanlal, the legendary Malayalam actor, has been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023, India’s highest honour in cinema. The award will be presented during the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on September 23, 2025. With a career spanning over four decades and more than 400 films, Mohanlal is celebrated for his versatility and contributions across Indian cinema, including Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu films. He has previously received Padma Shri (2001), Padma Bhushan (2019), five National Film Awards, and nine Kerala State Film Awards. This lifetime achievement award recognises his enduring impact on Indian cinema and his role in shaping the industry’s history.

Senior diplomat Gourangalal Das, a 1999-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to South Korea. Currently serving as Joint Secretary in the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, he has played a vital role in managing India’s diplomatic engagements with key East Asian nations, including overseeing sensitive negotiations with China during the Eastern Ladakh border standoff. His appointment reflects India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy, highlighting the growing importance of South Korea as a partner in trade, technology, defence, and regional security. With his extensive East Asia expertise, Das is expected to strengthen bilateral cooperation and strategic ties between India and South Korea.

Shri M. Paramasivam’s tenure as Executive Director of Punjab National Bank (PNB) has been extended until March 31, 2027, or until further orders. The decision was formalized by the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance and reflects the government’s confidence in his leadership. As Executive Director, he has been instrumental in overseeing banking operations, driving credit growth, and enhancing corporate governance within PNB. His extension ensures continuity in leadership during a critical phase when public sector banks are implementing post-consolidation reforms, strengthening digital infrastructure, and navigating global economic and regulatory challenges.

Justice M Sundar was sworn in as the 10th Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court on September 15, 2025, following the retirement of Justice Kempaiah Somashekar. Born in Chennai in 1966, Justice Sundar graduated from Madras Law College as part of its first integrated law course batch and enrolled as an advocate in 1989. His judicial career began in 2016 when he was elevated as a permanent judge of the Madras High Court, where he later became the second senior-most judge. His appointment to Manipur was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, highlighting his seniority and expertise in constitutional and civil law.

Professor Pradeep Kumar Prajapati has taken charge as the Director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi. His appointment is for a tenure of five years or until superannuation. Prof. Prajapati brings with him an extensive academic background, having earlier served as Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University in Jodhpur. Additionally, he had a long association with Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, where he contributed significantly to Ayurvedic research and academics. His leadership at AIIA is expected to further strengthen Ayurvedic education, research, and clinical practices at the national level.