Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Krishna Ella, the co-founder and executive chairman of Bharat Biotech, has been appointed as the new president of the Indian Vaccine Manufacturers Association (IVMA) for the next two years, effective April 2024. This appointment marks a significant development in the leadership of IVMA, succeeding Adar C. Poonawala. Ella's appointment reflects the industry's focus on global health, equitable access to vaccines, and adherence to international health standards.

Sunil Kumar Yadav, an officer from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), has been appointed as the Director of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs under the Central Staffing Scheme. His appointment, as per the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), is for five years or until further orders.

Pragya Misra was appointed as OpenAI's first employee in India, taking on the role of head of government relations. She previously held the position of Director of Public Affairs at Truecaller and assumed her new role during the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in India, marking a significant development in OpenAI's presence and operations in the country.

Sakshi Mittal, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2010 batch from the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as Director in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Central Staffing Scheme. She will serve in this role for a period of 5 years from the date of assuming charge, following her recommendation for central deputation by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Nidhi S Jain (IA&AS), an Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer of the 2009 batch, has been appointed as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the Cotton Corporation of India for an initial period of three years. She assumes this role from her current position as Director of Audit (Environment & Scientific Departments) at the Mumbai branch office. The Cotton Corporation of India, headquartered in Mumbai and founded in 1970, has Nidhi S Jain as its newly appointed CVO.