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Explore Awards & Honours Current Affairs from 13 to 25 August 2026 covering national and international awards, gallantry honours, National Sports Awards, Arjuna Awards, National Teachers’ Awards, Sangeet Natak Akademi honours, science and space recognitions, cinema awards and other important achievements. Useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, Defence, State PSC and other competitive exams.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024 and 2025 at a special investiture ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 13 August 2026.
A total of 115 artists were selected for the Fellowships and Awards, recognising distinguished contributions to India's performing arts.
Award: Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Awards
Years: 2024 and 2025
Artists: 115
Venue: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
Presented by: President Droupadi Murmu
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also known as Akademi Ratna, is the Akademi's highest honour.
The seven Fellows listed for the 2024–25 honours were Ramlal Bareth, A. V. Anand, Rita Ganguly, Puru Dadheech, Chittaranjan Jyotishi, Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma and Sudharani Raghupathy.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) carries a cash award of ₹3 lakh, while the Akademi Puraskar carries ₹1 lakh, along with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
Fellowship: Akademi Ratna
Cash component: ₹3 lakh
Akademi Award: ₹1 lakh
Veteran Kannada filmmaker and theatre personality T. S. Nagabharana received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2024 for his contribution to theatre.
The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on 13 August.
Recipient: T. S. Nagabharana
Field: Theatre
State association: Karnataka
Bengaluru-based classical dancer Dr. Veena Murthy Vijay received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Kuchipudi for 2024.
The recognition came as her Bengaluru-based Kuchipudi school, founded in 1976, marked its 50th year in 2026.
Recipient: Dr. Veena Murthy Vijay
Art form: Kuchipudi
Award year: 2024
President Droupadi Murmu approved 78 Gallantry Awards for Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel on the eve of India's 80th Independence Day.
Of these, 13 were posthumous awards.
Total Gallantry Awards: 78
Posthumous: 13
Occasion: Independence Day 2026
The Independence Day honours included three Kirti Chakras.
The Kirti Chakra is among India's highest peacetime gallantry decorations.
Award: Kirti Chakra
Number: 3
The Independence Day 2026 honours also included one Bar to Shaurya Chakra, recognising a recipient who had already been awarded the Shaurya Chakra and was honoured again for gallantry.
Kannada actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty won the Best Director Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026 for Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1.
Winner: Rishab Shetty
Award: Best Director
Film: Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1
Festival: Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026
Rishab Shetty received a second major honour at IFFM 2026—the Leadership in Cinema Award.
He dedicated the honours to the team behind Kantara and the Kannada film industry.
Recipient: Rishab Shetty
Honour: Leadership in Cinema Award
Actor Dulquer Salmaan won the Best Actor Award at the 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne for his performance in Kaantha.
Winner: Dulquer Salmaan
Category: Best Actor
Film: Kaantha
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra received the Best Film Award at IFFM 2026.
Award: Best Film
Winner: Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra
The 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne ran from 13 to 23 August 2026, with its awards night held on 13 August at the Palais Theatre.
Festival: Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
Edition: 17th
Dates: 13–23 August 2026
The 9th National Anubhav Awards Ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, during the period.
Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh conferred the honours, which recognise valuable experiences, innovative practices and institutional knowledge documented by retiring government employees.
Award: National Anubhav Awards 2026
Edition: 9th
Venue: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
Presented by: Dr. Jitendra Singh
The Anubhav initiative encourages retiring government employees to document experiences and lessons from their public-service careers.
Outstanding submissions are recognised through the National Anubhav Awards, helping preserve institutional knowledge for future civil servants.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on 18 August 2026.
A total of 17 sportspersons were selected for the Arjuna Award.
Awards: National Sports Awards 2025
Arjuna Award winners: 17
Announced: 18 August 2026
An important feature of the National Sports Awards 2025 was that no sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Highest sports honour: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
Recipients for 2025: None
Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar was among the 17 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.
He has represented India in athletics, particularly in high jump and combined events.
Recipient: Tejaswin Shankar
Sport: Athletics
Award: Arjuna Award
Indian chess star Divya Deshmukh was selected for the Arjuna Award 2025, recognising her international achievements in chess.
Recipient: Divya Deshmukh
Sport: Chess
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi was also selected for the Arjuna Award, adding another major national recognition for Indian chess.
Recipient: Vidit Gujrathi
Sport: Chess
Indian badminton player Treesa Jolly was named among the Arjuna Award recipients.
Recipient: Treesa Jolly
Sport: Badminton
Treesa Jolly's women's doubles partner Gayatri Gopichand was also selected for the Arjuna Award.
The pair's recognition reflects their achievements in international women's doubles badminton.
Recipient: Gayatri Gopichand
Sport: Badminton
Indian boxer Narendra Berwal was among the athletes selected for the Arjuna Award as part of the National Sports Awards 2025.
Recipient: Narendra Berwal
Sport: Boxing
Indian rifle shooter Dhanush Srikanth was selected for the Arjuna Award.
His inclusion recognised his achievements in international shooting.
Recipient: Dhanush Srikanth
Sport: Shooting
Para-athlete Ekta Bhyan was among the para-sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.
Recipient: Ekta Bhyan
Category: Para-sports
Para-shooter Rudransh Khandelwal was also selected for the Arjuna Award, joining Ekta Bhyan among the para-athletes recognised in the 2025 awards.
Recipient: Rudransh Khandelwal
Sport: Para shooting
Veteran footballer I. Arumainayagam was selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) in recognition of his contribution to Indian football.
Recipient: I. Arumainayagam
Sport: Football
Category: Arjuna Award – Lifetime
A total of five coaches were selected for the Dronacharya Award across regular and lifetime categories.
The Dronacharya Award recognises outstanding coaches who have helped athletes achieve excellence in national and international competition.
Award: Dronacharya Award
Coaches selected: 5
The Army Paralympic Node, Pune was selected for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
The award recognises organisations that have made significant contributions to sports promotion and development.
Recipient: Army Paralympic Node
Location: Pune
Award: Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar
Astrophysicist Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, became the first Indian woman to receive the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal.
The 2026 honour recognises outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries and was presented during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy.
Recipient: Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam
Award: COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026
Organisation: COSPAR
Achievement: First Indian woman recipient
Venue: Florence, Italy
The Ministry of Education announced the selection of 48 school teachers for the National Teachers’ Awards 2026 on 21 August.
President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 5 September 2026, coinciding with Teachers’ Day.
Award: National Teachers’ Awards 2026
School teachers selected: 48
Presentation date: 5 September 2026
Venue: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
Presented by: President Droupadi Murmu
The 48 selected teachers come from 27 States, seven Union Territories and six organisations under the Central Government.
The selection was conducted through a three-stage process at the District, State and National levels.
States represented: 27
Union Territories: 7
Central Government organisations: 6
Of the 48 school teachers selected for the National Teachers’ Awards 2026, 26 are men and 22 are women.
The awards recognise teachers whose commitment, innovation and work have improved the quality of school education and enriched students’ lives.
Teachers selected for the 2026 awards underwent evaluation at three levels:
District level
State/Organisation level
National level.
The Ministry describes the process as rigorous, transparent and online.
Ratnakumari S., in-charge headmistress of the Government Higher Primary School at Samatagaru village in Hosanagara taluk, Shivamogga, was selected for the National Teachers’ Award 2026.
She was reported as the only awardee from Karnataka among the 48 selected school teachers.
Recipient: Ratnakumari S.
State: Karnataka
District: Shivamogga
Award: National Teachers’ Award 2026
Indian women's hockey player Lalremsiami was selected for the Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2025.
She was among the 17 athletes named by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Recipient: Lalremsiami
Sport: Hockey
Award: Arjuna Award
Indian men's hockey player Rajkumar Pal was also selected for the Arjuna Award 2025.
Recipient: Rajkumar Pal
Sport: Hockey
Indian athlete Muhammed Ajmal V was named among the 2025 Arjuna Award recipients.
He joined fellow athletes Tejaswin Shankar and Priyanka Goswami among those recognised in athletics.
Recipient: Muhammed Ajmal V
Sport: Athletics
Race walker Priyanka Goswami was selected for the Arjuna Award for her achievements in athletics.
Recipient: Priyanka Goswami
Sport: Athletics
Kabaddi player Surjeet was included among the 17 Arjuna Award recipients announced on 18 August.
Recipient: Surjeet
Sport: Kabaddi
Indian kabaddi player Pooja was also selected for the Arjuna Award.
Her inclusion meant that two kabaddi players—Surjeet and Pooja—were recognised in the 2025 awards.
Recipient: Pooja
Sport: Kabaddi
Indian rower Arvind Singh was among the athletes selected for the Arjuna Award.
Recipient: Arvind Singh
Sport: Rowing
Indian shooter Akhil Sheoran was named among the 17 Arjuna Award recipients for 2025.
Recipient: Akhil Sheoran
Sport: Shooting
The official National Sports Awards list identifies Dhanush Srikanth under the discipline of Deaf Shooting.
He was one of the 17 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.
Recipient: Dhanush Srikanth
Discipline: Deaf Shooting
Rudransh Khandelwal was selected for the Arjuna Award in Para-Shooting, reflecting the growing prominence of Indian para-athletes in national sports honours.
Recipient: Rudransh Khandelwal
Discipline: Para-Shooting
Ekta Bhyan was selected for the Arjuna Award in Para-Athletics.
Recipient: Ekta Bhyan
Discipline: Para-Athletics
Indian boxer Narender was among the 17 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.
Recipient: Narender
Sport: Boxing
Former footballer I. Arumainayagam was the sole recipient of the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2025.
Recipient: I. Arumainayagam
Sport: Football
Category: Arjuna Award (Lifetime)
The Army Paralympic Node, Pune was selected for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025.
The award recognises entities that contribute significantly to the promotion and development of sports.
Recipient: Army Paralympic Node
Location: Pune
Award: Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar
The National Sports Awards 2025 selections were made based on recommendations of a committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
The committee included eminent sportspersons, sports journalists and sports administrators.
The Arjuna Award recognises athletes for good performance over the previous four years, along with qualities such as leadership, sportsmanship and discipline.
The 2025 list covered athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, deaf shooting, hockey, kabaddi, para-sports, rowing and shooting.
The Army's Independence Day 2026 honours included 11 Shaurya Chakras, of which one was posthumous.
The Shaurya Chakra is awarded for acts of gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy.
Shaurya Chakras: 11
Posthumous: 1
The Army's Independence Day honours included five Bars to Sena Medal (Gallantry).
A Bar signifies that a person who had previously received the decoration has been recognised again.
A total of 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry) were announced for Army personnel on the occasion of Independence Day 2026.
Of these, five were posthumous.
Sena Medal (Gallantry): 36
Posthumous: 5
The Army honours announced for Independence Day included 75 Mentions-in-Despatches.
Mention-in-Despatches recognises noteworthy operational service and acts deserving official recognition.
Overall, President Droupadi Murmu approved 89 Mentions-in-Despatches for Armed Forces personnel on the eve of the 80th Independence Day, alongside 78 gallantry awards.
Gallantry Awards: 78
Mentions-in-Despatches: 89
Occasion: 80th Independence Day
The COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal, received in 2026 by astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam, is jointly awarded by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and ISRO.
It recognises outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries and is awarded every two years.
Annapurni Subramaniam became the fourth Indian recipient of the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal.
Previous Indian recipients include U. R. Rao, Gurbax Singh Lakhina and Anil Bhardwaj.
IIT Bombay held its 64th Convocation and Departmental Degree Award Functions on 22–23 August 2026.
Its Medal Distribution Ceremony included the President of India Medal, Institute Gold Medal, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal, Sharad Maloo Gold Medal and G.H. Raisoni Excellence Gold Medal.
Institution: IIT Bombay
Convocation: 64th
Dates: 22–23 August 2026
As part of the 64th Convocation, IIT Bombay's medal list included 44 Institute Silver Medals.
It also listed 50 Naik & Rastogi Excellence Awards 2024–2026.
Institute Silver Medals: 44
Naik & Rastogi Excellence Awards: 50
Sangeet Natak Akademi honours: 115 artists
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows: 7
Highest Sangeet Natak Akademi honour: Akademi Ratna
Akademi Ratna cash award: ₹3 lakh
T. S. Nagabharana: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – Theatre
Veena Murthy Vijay: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – Kuchipudi
Independence Day Gallantry Awards: 78
Posthumous Gallantry Awards: 13
Kirti Chakras: 3
Bar to Shaurya Chakra: 1
Shaurya Chakras for Army personnel: 11
Sena Medals (Gallantry): 36
Overall Mentions-in-Despatches: 89
IFFM 2026 Best Director: Rishab Shetty
Rishab Shetty's film: Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1
IFFM Leadership in Cinema Award: Rishab Shetty
IFFM Best Actor: Dulquer Salmaan
National Sports Awards announced: 18 August 2026
Arjuna Award recipients: 17
Arjuna Lifetime Award: I. Arumainayagam – Football
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: Army Paralympic Node, Pune
Arjuna – Athletics: Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V, Priyanka Goswami
Arjuna – Badminton: Treesa Jolly, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand
Arjuna – Chess: Vidit Santosh Gujarathi, Divya Jitendra Deshmukh
Arjuna – Hockey: Lalremsiami, Rajkumar Pal
Arjuna – Kabaddi: Surjeet, Pooja
Arjuna – Para-Athletics: Ekta Bhyan
Arjuna – Para-Shooting: Rudransh Khandelwal
Arjuna – Rowing: Arvind Singh
Arjuna – Shooting: Akhil Sheoran
Arjuna – Deaf Shooting: Dhanush Srikanth
National Teachers’ Awards 2026: 48 school teachers
Male awardees: 26
Female awardees: 22
States represented: 27
UTs represented: 7
Award ceremony: 5 September 2026
Venue: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
Karnataka National Teachers’ Awardee: Ratnakumari S.
COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026: Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam
Achievement: First Indian woman recipient
Awarded jointly by: COSPAR and ISRO
Purpose: Outstanding contribution to space research in developing countries
IIT Bombay Convocation: 64th
Institute Silver Medals: 44
Naik & Rastogi Excellence Awards: 50
