International Awards MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for International Awards - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is The staff at Reuters.

Key Points

• The staff at Reuters was awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for their seven-part exposé on fentanyl. The investigation focused on why fentanyl is so inexpensive and readily available in the United States, shedding light on a critical public health issue.
• This exposé brought attention to the complex and often hidden networks behind the fentanyl trade, highlighting how the drug has become a major contributor to the opioid crisis in the U.S.
• Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has been at the center of the ongoing opioid epidemic, and this investigative reporting has had significant societal impact by increasing awareness and prompting action to address the issue.
• The Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting is awarded to journalists or teams whose work uncovers significant and often hidden issues that have a profound impact on society.

Additional Information

• Fentanyl and the Opioid Crisis:
  • Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and is primarily responsible for the opioid overdose crisis in many countries, especially the United States.
  • The investigation by Reuters exposed the factors contributing to the widespread availability of fentanyl and how it is often illicitly trafficked into the U.S.
• The Pulitzer Prizes:
  • Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are among the most prestigious awards in the field of journalism and are awarded annually for excellence in newspaper, magazine, and online journalism, literature, and musical composition.
  • Winning a Pulitzer Prize, especially in Investigative Reporting, is a mark of outstanding journalism that often drives public debate and policy changes.

Key Points

• The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 was awarded jointly to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless.
• The award was given "for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry."
• K. Barry Sharpless became the fifth person to be awarded the Nobel Prize twice, having previously won in 2001 for his work on chirally catalyzed oxidation reactions.
• Click chemistry is a method for building molecules by snapping smaller building blocks together, akin to "clicking" pieces of Lego together.

The correct answer is Sudarsan Pattnaik.

In News

• Sudarsan Pattnaik from Odisha is the first Indian to win the UK's Sand Master Award.

Key Points

• Sudarsan Pattnaik received the Fred Darrington Sand Master Award at Sandworld 2025 in the UK.
• He is the first Indian to receive this international honour.
• His award-winning sand sculpture was a 10-foot-tall Lord Ganesha with the message of “World Peace”.
• Pattnaik is a Padma Shri awardee and has represented India in over 65 international sand art festivals.

The correct answer is Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Key Points

• The Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to honor the legacy of Ramon Magsaysay, the third President of the Philippines.
• It is Asia’s premier and highest honor recognizing individuals and organizations for their selfless service and transformative leadership.
• The award is named after Ramon Magsaysay, who was known for his integrity, courage, and dedication to public service.
• The Rockefeller Brothers Fund provided the initial endowment and continues to support the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
• The award categories include government service, public service, community leadership, journalism, literature, and creative arts.

Additional Information

• Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF):
  • The RMAF was established in Manila, Philippines, to administer the award and its related activities.
  • The foundation organizes the annual award ceremony and oversees the selection process.
  • It is dedicated to promoting the values of service, integrity, and leadership in Asia.
• Ramon Magsaysay:
  • Ramon Magsaysay was the President of the Philippines from 1953 to 1957.
  • He was widely admired for his anti-corruption policies and advocacy for social justice.
  • His leadership style focused on empowering ordinary citizens and fostering democratic values.
• Rockefeller Brothers Fund:
  • Founded in 1940, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund is a philanthropic foundation based in the United States.
  • It supports initiatives in areas like sustainable development, peacebuilding, and social justice.
  • Its involvement with the Magsaysay Award reflects its commitment to transformative leadership and community development.
• Significance of the Award:
  • The Magsaysay Award is often regarded as the "Nobel Prize of Asia."
  • It highlights the importance of ethical leadership and dedication to the common good.
  • Recipients are recognized for their contributions to improving the lives of people across Asia.

The correct answer is Swachh Bharat.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi received the 'Global Goalkeeper Award' from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• The award was conferred on 24th September 2019, during the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
• The recognition was for the successful implementation of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a nationwide cleanliness and sanitation campaign.
• Under this mission, over 11 crore toilets were constructed, significantly improving sanitation facilities across India.

Additional Information

• The Global Goalkeeper Award recognizes political leaders who have demonstrated commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through impactful work in their country or globally.
• Prime Minister Modi dedicated the award to the people of India, highlighting their role in transforming the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan into a mass movement.
• The campaign aimed to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management, contributing to better public health and environmental outcomes.
• Receiving the award on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi added symbolic significance, aligning with Gandhi's emphasis on cleanliness.
• The success of the mission has been attributed to strong political will, community participation, and effective implementation strategies.
• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has served as a model for other nations seeking to improve sanitation and public health.

The correct answer is Afghanistan.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been conferred with Amir Amanullah Khan Award, Afghanistan’s highest civilian honor.
  • He has bestowed the honor of President Ashraf Ghani after the inauguration of the landmark Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat.
  • As the first Indian, and amongst only a handful of foreign leaders to receive the award, it signifies the strength of a unique relationship and is a testament to the personal commitment of the PM in advancing India-Afghan ties.
• Background:
  • The Amir Amanullah Khan medal is the highest civilian honor of Afghanistan.
  • The award is named after the Afghan national hero, Amanullah Khan (Ghazi), who championed the cause of Afghanistan’s freedom.
  • He was the ruler of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919-1929 who led Afghanistan to independence.

Additional Information

The correct answer is 1957.

• The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in the year 1957.

Key Points

• Ramon Magsaysay Award:
  • It is an annual award established to preserve former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay’s example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.
  • The Ramon Magsaysay Award is also considered Asia’s Nobel Prize.
  • The award was established in the year 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund based in New York City with the concurrence of the Philippines government.
  • Vinoba Bhave was the first Ramon Magsaysay Award winner. 
    • He won the award in the year 1958 for Community Leadership.
  • Ravish Kumar was the one to recently win the award in 2019 in the field of Journalism.

The correct answer is Phillippines​.

• The Ramon Magsaysay Award is awarded for outstanding contributions in
  • International Understanding between Countries
  • Emerging Leadership
  • Peace and Arts
  • Services of Government
  • Creative Communication
  • Public Service
  • Literature
  • Community Leadership
  • Journalism.
• The award was established to Perpetuate memories of former Philippines President Ramon Magsaysay.
• The trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund located in New York City with the harmony of the Phillippine Government established the prize.
• The award is presented by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
• The award was first awarded in the year 1958.
• The capital of Phillippines is Manila and the Current President of the country is Rodrigo Duterte. (May 2021)
• The text capital of the world is Phillippines because approximately 450 million text messages are sent daily by the 35 million mobile users in the country.
• The rice terraces of the Phillippines Cordilleras are a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Social, and Cultural Organisation) world heritage site.
• Bigney fruit grown in Phillippines is known as a medicinal fruit and it is the smallest fruit in Phillippines.

Image of Ramon Magsaysay Award:

The correct answer is Sargam Koushal.

Key Points

• Sargam Koushal scripted history as she won the Mrs World 2022 title after 21 years while representing India in the beauty pageant.
• Besting contestants from 63 countries, the 32-year-old secured the crown at the event that took place in Las Vegas.

Additional Information

• The first Mrs. World, a married women’s beauty pageant, was launched in 1984.
• Aditi Govitrikar won the coveted title of Mrs. World in 2001, giving India the coveted title.
• Dr. Aditi Govitrikar served as a judge for Mrs. India Inc. 2022–2023.
• Sargam Koushal defeated Mrs. Polynesia to win the crown.
• Mrs. Polynesia was named the first runner-up, and Mrs. Canada was named the second runner-up.

The correct answer is 1998.

• Amartya Sen is a world-renowned Nobel Laureate who was awarded the Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 “for his contributions to welfare economics”.
• Sen was best known for his work on the causes of famine, which led to the development of practical solutions for preventing or limiting the effects of real or perceived shortages of food.

Additional Information

• List of Nobel Prize recipients in India:

1. Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel Prize in Literature (1913).
2. C.V. Raman, Nobel Prize in Physics (1930).
3. Har Gobind Khorana, Nobel Prize in Medicine (1968).
4. Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize (1979).
5. Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar, Nobel Prize in Physics (1983).
6. 14th Dalai Lama, Nobel Prize for Peace (1989).
7. Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1998).
8. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2009).
9. Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize (2014).

The correct answer is Rickey Kej.

Key Points 

• City-based musician Ricky Kej walked away with a Grammy for his collaborative album Winds Of Samsara with South African flautist Wouter Kellerman for the Best New Age Album category at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
• Kej also serves as a UNESCO - MGIEP "Global Ambassador for Kindness", UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, and is an ambassador for the Earth Day Network.
• In 2020, Kej was named a GQ Hero 2020 by GQ magazine.
• Kej is credited with over 3,500 placements for radio and television jingles.

The correct answer is Tanvi Shah.

Key Points

• Tanvi Shah is the first female from India to win a Grammy award.
• She hails from Tamil Nadu and was born on 1 December 1985.
• She has sung in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic.
• She shared the Grammy Award for Best Song written for visual media with AR Rehman and Gulzar at the 52nd Grammy Awards for the song Jai Ho for writing Spanish lyrics for the song.
• Other awards won by her are the BMI award in 2009, World Sound Track Award in 2009.

Additional Information

• The Grammy Award is an award presented by the US Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry of the United States.
• On May 4, 1959, the very first Grammy Award ceremony was held to respect and honour the musical accomplishments of performers for the year 1958.
• The first Indian to receive a Grammy Award was Ravi Shankar in 1968 for 'West Meets East in the category of Best Chamber Music Performance

The correct answer is Barack Obama.

• The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 should be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people.
• The Committee has also attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
• Obama became the fourth President of the United States to have won the Nobel Peace Prize. 
• Other American Presidents who won the Noble Peace Prize are:
  • Theodore Roosevelt: 1906
  • Woodrow Wilson: 1919
  • Jimmy Carter: 2002
• Barak Obama is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African-American president of the United States of America. 

The correct answer is MS Subbulakshmi.

Key Points

• Indian Carnatic singe r MS Subbulakshmi was from Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• She was the very first artist to ever get the Bharat Ratna.
• In 1974, she became the first artist from India to earn the Ramon Magsaysay award.
• In 1966, she was the first Indian to perform before the UN General Assembly. 

Additional Information 

• Ustad Zakir Hussain is associated with the musical instrument, Tabla.
  • He collaborated with the famous British 'The Beatles' which deserves special mention.
  • He was designated with awards:
    • ​Padma Shri in 1988
    • Padma Bhushan in 2002
    • Padma Vibhushan: 2023
    • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990
    • United States National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians by the USA.
• Pt. Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi:
  • Pt. Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (4 February 1922 – 24 January 2011) was a legendary Indian vocalist from Karnataka in the Hindustani classical tradition.
  • He is known for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs).
• Bismillah Khan was a Shehnai maestro.
  • He was given the title of Ustaad.
  • Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar was instituted in 2006, in memory of him.
  • The award is given to young artists below 40 years of age for their talent in fields of music, dance and drama.

The correct answer is Literature.

Key Points

The Swedish Academy

• It is responsible for choosing the Nobel Laureates in Literature. Hence, Option 4 is correct.
• By the terms of Alfred Nobel’s will, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded by the Swedish Academy since 1901.
• The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by Swedish King Gustav III.
• The Academy is composed of 18 members whose tenure is for life.
• Known as De Anderton (The Eighteen), current members of the Academy include distinguished Swedish writers, linguists, literary scholars, historians, and prominent jurists.
• Its working body is the Nobel Committee, elected from among its members for a three-year term.