IGF Archer Amish Award

♦ Dr. Shalini Mullick was announced the inaugural winner of the IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers, presented in partnership with The House of Abhinandan Lodha, at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre. U.K Minister for Culture Lisa Nandy presents $25,000 award to Dr. Shalini Mullick for her novel The Way Home. 

♦ Her book, The Way Home, was selected as the standout work for its moving and relatable exploration of grief, identity, and healing.

♦ The novel tells the story of three millennials seeking refuge in Goa as they navigate personal demons, ultimately discovering strength in friendship and self-discovery.

Sahitya Akademi

♦ The Sahitya Akademi announced the names of 23 writers for its ‘Yuva Puraskar’ and 24 for ‘Bal Puraskar’ awards on 18 June 2025.

♦ Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, is the Central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English. 

♦ The Yuva Puraskar would be given in 23 languages.

♦ The awardees include Advait Kottary in English, Parvati Tirkey in Hindi, Latshmihar for Tamil and Prasad Suri for Telugu.

♦ There is no Yuva Puraskar in Dogri this year (2025). Other winners include Suprakash Bhuyan for Assamese, Sudeshna Moitra for Bengali, R. Dileepkumar for Kannada, and Akhil P. Dharmajan for Malayalam.

♦ Nitin Kushalappa MP has been named the winner of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his book of stories in English — Dakshin South Indian Myths and Fables Retold, and Sushil Shukla has won the award for Ek Batey Bara in Hindi.

♦ The Bal Sahitya Puraskar will got to Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay for Bengali, K. Shivalingappa Handihal for Kannada, Nayana Adarkar for Konkani, and Sreejith Moothedath for Malayalam, Vishnupuram Saravanan for Tamil and Gangisetti Sivakumar for Telugu.

♦ The winners will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and an award of Rs.50,000.

Narendra Modi highest civilian honour of the Republic of Cyprus

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the “Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III”, the highest civilian honour of the Republic of Cyprus on 16 June 2025.

♦ The award was presented by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides during the Prime Minister’s official visit to the country.

♦ Instituted in 1981 by then President Spyros Kyprianou, the Decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III is one of the most prestigious awards conferred by the Cypriot state.

♦ It is granted under the powers of Article 47b of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and is reserved for distinguished personalities who have contributed to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting global goodwill.

Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra

♦ Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department (IMD), was awarded the United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction.

♦ Mohapatra was honoured with the award at the eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Geneva.

♦ Mohapatra received the award for his exceptional contributions to tropical cyclone forecasting and warning systems.

♦ Established in 1986 with the support of The Nippon Foundation, the United Nations Sasakawa Award is the most prestigious international recognition in the field of disaster risk reduction.

♦ It honours individuals and institutions that made outstanding contributions to building disaster-resilient communities.