Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

The Government of India appointed Praveen M. Khanooja to hold additional charge as Chairman & Managing Director of Engineers India Limited (EIL) beginning March 1, 2026. The appointment, approved by the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, is for three months or until a regular CMD assumes office. A 1994-batch officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service, he continues serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas while handling CMD responsibilities. His extensive experience spans defence audit, railways audit, central government finance, and leadership roles in key petroleum and economic intelligence institutions.

Nidhi Chhibber has taken additional charge as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog following the completion of BVR Subrahmanyam’s three-year term in February 2026. A 1994-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, she currently serves as Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) under NITI Aayog. She has also previously held the position of Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education. Her extensive experience in policy monitoring, evaluation, and education sector reforms positions her to strengthen data-driven governance and performance assessment within India’s premier policy think tank.

Baroruchi Mishra was appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Limited (HOEC), effective 27 February 2026. He succeeded Ramasamy Jeevanandam, who had served in the role since 2019 and stepped down as part of the leadership transition. Mishra brings significant expertise in upstream oil and gas operations, with extensive experience in exploration, production, and business development across Indian and multinational energy firms. His appointment marks an important strategic development for HOEC as it continues to strengthen its position in the independent upstream energy sector.

OpenAI appointed Arvind KC as its new Chief People Officer to oversee key human resource functions such as hiring, onboarding, and employee development. His appointment comes at a time when the organisation is experiencing rapid global expansion following the widespread success of ChatGPT and other AI products. Arvind KC brings significant experience from senior leadership roles at major technology companies, including Roblox, Google, Palantir Technologies, and Meta Platforms. His expertise in scaling high-growth technology firms and managing large workforces positions him to support OpenAI’s expanding operations and workforce development strategies.

Israel is the nation that awarded Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Speaker of the Knesset Medal in Jerusalem, marking the first time this highest parliamentary honour was presented to a global leader. The recognition highlights his contribution to strengthening strategic relations, expanding cooperation in defence, agriculture, water management, cybersecurity, and innovation, and advancing negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement. The award symbolizes deep mutual trust and growing diplomatic engagement, reflecting the steady expansion of bilateral ties since full diplomatic relations were established in 1992.