National Geospatial Practitoner Award 2025

♦ Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) was awarded the National Geospatial Practitoner Award 2025 for its outstanding use of open-source spatial technologies.

♦ INCOIS is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), headquartered in Hyderabad.

♦ It is responsible for providing ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders, including fishermen, coastal authorities, disaster management agencies, and researchers. 

♦ The National Geospatial Practitioner Award is a prestigious recognition granted to institutions demonstrating innovative uses of geospatial technology.

♦ INCOIS’s use of open-source GIS (Geographic Information Systems) platforms has made oceanographic data more accessible, transparent, and adaptable for a wide range of applications.

Kalinga Ratna Award-2024

♦ President Droupadi Murmu presented the Kalinga Ratna Award-2024 to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at an event in Cuttack, Odisha.

♦ The award ceremony was held during the 600th birth anniversary celebrations of Adikabi Sarala Das, a revered 15th-century Odia poet, organized by the Sarala Sahitya Sansad.

♦ The event highlighted the literary contributions of Sarala Das and celebrated the promotion of Indian languages and culture.

Varsha Deshpande

♦ Indian women’s rights activist Varsha Deshpande was awarded the 2025 United Nations Population Award in the individual category, in recognition of her decades-long work promoting gender equality and reproductive rights.

♦ The announcement was made by the United Nations in New York, marking the 40th edition of the prestigious global honour. 

♦ Varsha Deshpande, a Satara-based advocate whose commitment towards ‘saving the girl child’ led her to launch ambitious campaigns and conduct sting operations to prevent sex-selective abortions. 

♦ The UN Population Award was set up in 1981 and first given in 1983.

♦ Every year, the award is presented to individuals or groups who have made major contributions in population and reproductive health.

♦ The winner receives a gold medal, a diploma, and a cash prize.

♦ This year, Varsha Deshpande is the individual category winner.

Modi conferred with Namibias highest civilian award

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’, during his one-day state visit to the African nation on 9 July 2025.

♦ The award was presented by the President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Modi is the first Indian leader to receive this honour.

♦ Established in 1995, the award recognises distinguished service and leadership.

♦ It is named after the Welwitschia Mirabilis, a unique desert plant found only in Namibia that symbolises resilience, longevity and the enduring spirit of its people.

♦ This is PM Modi’s 27th international honour, the fourth during his ongoing five-nation tour and the second in less than 24 hours.

Narendra Modi was conferred Brazils highest civilian honour

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Brazil’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross’, by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on 8 July 2025.

♦ The award is the 26th global honour for the PM and the third on his current five-nation tour, which commenced on July 2.

The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with ‘The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’—the nation’s highest civilian honour on 4 July 2025.

♦ The award was presented by Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Kangaloo.

♦ This marks the 25th international award conferred on PM Modi by a foreign country.

♦ PM Modi is the first foreign leader to receive this prestigious recognition.

♦ He was honoured for his statesmanship, his strong advocacy for the Global South, and for significantly strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Trinidad and Tobago. 

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Joint Assembly of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago during his official visit to the Caribbean nation, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so from the iconic Red House in Port of Spain.

Narendra Modi was conferred with Ghanas national honour

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Ghana’s national honour, ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana,’ by President John Dramani Mahama on 2 July 2025.

♦ The award was presented during PM Modi's visit to Ghana.

♦ The award was conferred on the prime minister in recognition of his "distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership," the MEA said.