AWARDS NOVEMBER 2012

 AWARDS NOVEMBER 2012

• AP Genco on 29 November, has bagged ‘India Power Award’ of the Council of Power Utilities again for 2011-12 for overall performance in generation activity during the year. This is the fourth time that the utility, which has an installed capacity of 8,924 MW, bagged this award in the past five years. The award was presented to APGenco MD K. Vijayanand at a function in Delhi.
  
• Coromandel International Ltd has conferred the ‘Borlaug Award’ for 2012 on two Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) scientists. The award has been given to K.V. Prabhu and Ashok Kumar Singh for their contribution to basmati rice research and development. A five-member jury headed by M.S. Swaminathan, Father of the Green Revolution in India, has named these scientists for the award. Coromandel has instituted the award in 1972 to honour Nobel Laureate Norman E. Borlaug. The award is given in recognition of outstanding research and contribution in the field of agriculture, environment and extension by Indian scientists. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a gold medal and a citation. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, presented the award to the winners in New Delhi on November 28.
  
• Tumkur University(Karnataka) will confer Honorary Distinguished Professorship on His Holiness The Dalai Lama on 27th November 2012 during the inauguration of International Conference on YOGA IN EDUCATION at Tumkur University.Dalailama will inaugurate the international conference on November 27 and deliver a talk on “Human approach to World Peace”. Besides, Tumkur University and Sara Jey Monastic University will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
  
• Gaddar presented Midde Ramulu Award
  - Midde Ramulu Award for 2011 was presented to the balladeer Gaddar in Vemulawada in Karimnagar district on 25 November. The award was instituted to perpetuate the memory of internationally acclaimed Oggu artist Midde Ramulu by his family. At an impressive function in C Narayana Reddy Kalamandir at Vemulawada, Gaddar received the award. Speaking on the occasion, Gaddar said he never accepted awards but made an exception in this case as he felt it privilege to receive such an award named after internationally renowned artist.
  
• ‘Anhey Ghore Da Daan’ got Golden Peacock Award at IFFI Panaji: Punjabi film 'Anhey Ghore Da Daan' (Alms for a Blind Horse) won the Golden Peacock award for best film at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji on 30 November. The National Film Development Corporation movie (NFDC), adapted from a novel by Gurdial Singh and directed by Gurvinder Singh, was one of the 15 films in the international competition section vying for a cash prize of Rs four million. The Silver Peacock award for best director went to Kyu-hwan Jeon for South Korean film 'The Weight'. Anjali Patil won the best actress Silver Peacock for her role in Tamil-Sinhalese film 'With You Without You' while Marcin Dorocinski was named the best actor for Polish film 'Rose'. A special jury Silver Peacock award was given to Lucy Mulloy for Spanish film 'Una Noche'. Filmmaker Mira Nair was given a special peacock and a Centenary Film Award for her new Hollywood movie, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', which was the 11-day festival's closing film.
  
• The President of India Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on H.E. Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil at a function organized in Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 22, 2012. The President described former President of Brazil as an outstanding champion of the developing world.
  
  The Prize has been awarded to His Excellency President Lula of Brazil for his outstanding contribution to the cause of eliminating hunger and promoting inclusive growth in Brazil, for his advocacy of stronger ties among the developing economies and for his signal contribution to the cause of the India-Brazil partnership. The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded annually to a person or organization without any distinction of nationality, race or religion, in recognition of creative efforts towards enlarging the scope of freedom and enriching the human spirit. It consists of an award of Rs. 2.5 million and a trophy with a citation. Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also addressed the gathering on the occasion.
  
• The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 23rd November, 2012 gave away Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ Sahitya Ratna Samman to 21 prominent writers and social workers at a function organized in Rashtrapati Bhavan. On the occasion, the President recalled the contribution of Shri Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ in the freedom struggle and his service to Hindi literature. He also called upon the Indian writers to bring international laurels to the country through their writings.
  
• Malala Yousafzai, on 19 November 2012 was awarded by World Peace and Prosperity Foundation for her bravery and commitment to education for girls in adverse conditions in Swat, Pakistan.She was shot in the head by Taliban, and had become the face of Pakistan’s struggle against the Taliban. She is now being treated and on the road to recovery at a Queen Elizabeth Hospital, England. The Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan to the UK, S Zulfiqar Gardezi received the award on her behalf at the Cholmondeley Room of the House of Lords.The other recipients of award included a Bishop of London, a distinguished British Muslim Psychiatrist, a distinguished Turkish academic and MP, and eight year old Josh Altman, European Chess Bronze medalist. On 9 October 2012 Malala Yousafzai, was shot in the head and neck by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while she was returning home. She was attacked for speaking up against the Taliban and advocating girls' education.
  
• Indian-born, Autar Kaw, a University of South Florida (USF) mechanical engineering professor has been named a 2012 US Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. This annual award is conferred on exceptional academicians for their ability to engage and influence students. According to USF news and a press statement, Kaw, who was an early adopter of new technologies and social media to teach complex mathematical calculations, was feted on November 15, 2012 in events at the National Press Club and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. He is one of four professors - selected from more than 300 nominees - to receive the award that is considered the nation's highest honor for undergraduate teaching. Kaw was selected in the category of Outstanding Doctoral and Research Universities Professor of the Year.Kaw, who has been associated with USF for over 25 years was lauded for his innovative work in using technology and social media to reach tens of thousands of students around the world studying to be engineers.Kaw has dedicated his career to eliminating one of the most significant obstacles to engineering students being successful by providing students everywhere free access to supplemental lessons.Kaw is a fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the American Society of Engineering Education. In 2011, he was awarded the National Outstanding Teaching Medal from the American Society for Engineering Education. A prolific writer, he has authored four text books and scores of academic articles.Born in India, Kaw received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India, Pilani and his master's and PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Clemson University
  
• The Government of India has named President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia as the recipient of the 2012 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.The announcement of the Prize came on November 19, the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated 28 years ago, in 1984. The 2012 Prize was awarded to President Sirleaf, an international jury said, “for serving as an example and an inspiration to many a woman in Africa and beyond; for ensuring the return of peace, democracy, development, security and order in Liberia; and for her strong interest in the consolidation and improvement of Liberia’s relations with India since her first election as President in 2005 and her re-election in 2011.”
  
• Hyderabad based social activist, Dr Syed Mazher Hussain, has been selected by the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA), for the ACHA South Asian Peace Star Award for 2012, according to Pritam K. Rohilla, Executive Director of ACHA. A press release 19 November said that, Dr Syed Mazher Hussain, is an indefatigable campaigner for peace within his own society as well as between societies of South Asia. The association, based in USA, honours persons for their work, in fostering peace, communal harmony and human rights, particularly in South Asia, biennially. Dr Hussain, who is the executive director of Hyderabad-based Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), is also a member of many national international organisations, working in the fields of communal harmony, community empowerment, disaster-relief projects and Nuclear Disarmament etc. Currently he is working on setting up the Center for Peoples Foreign Policy in South Asia and the International Center for Applied Peace Studies. The other activists selected for the award are, Lajja Shankar Herdenia from Bhopal, Pramod Sharma from Chandigarh and Sheema Kermani of Pakistan. Eminent communal harmony and human rights personalities, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Dr. Ram Puniyani, Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, and Jatin Desai, were some of the recipients of ACHA award in the previous years
  
• Jnanpith awardee and noted writer Dr C Narayana Reddy has been selected for the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University’s Visishta Puraskar award for the year 2012. Reddy will be presented the ward during the university’s foundation day celebrations at Hyderabad on December 2. Speaking to the media on 22 November Telugu varsity vice-chancellor Prof. Elluri Siva Reddy said the award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation, adding that the cash award, which was Rs 50,000 earlier, has been increased to Rs 1 lakh this time. He also announced that 12 more eminent Telugu personalities from various fields like literature and fine arts will also be conferred with the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University Pratibha Puraskar on the occasion. Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a citation. Deputy Chief minister C Damodara Raja Narasimha will present all the awards during the 27th Foundation Day celebrartions of the university on December 2, said Elluri Siva Reddy. It may be noted that the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University Visishta Puraskar award was introduced by Dr C Narayana Reddy in 1991 when he was the vice-chancellor of the Telugu varsity.
  
• The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari presented the “Moortidevi Award for 2010” to eminent Urdu scholar Prof. Gopi Chand Narang for his outstanding work ‘Urdu Ghazal aur Hindustani Zehan wa Tehzeeb” at a function organized by Bhartiya Jnanpith in New Delhi on 12 november. Ansari said that Prof. Narang revived Urdu language in our country through his writings and he is one of the foremost theorist, literary critic and Urdu scholar of our country. His perceptive writings have helped Urdu criticism becoming more contemporary. It is befitting that his long academic life of excellence has been felicitated by conferring the Moortidevi award on him.
  
• The year 2012 winner of one of the biggest awards in international education is Madhav Chavan -who has provided an education for millions of impoverished families in India. Dr Chavan has won the WISE Prize, which has been likened to a "Nobel prize for education". The award, announced on 13 November, at the WISE summit in Qatar, recognises his education work in the slums of Mumbai. The international award, which comes with a prize of $500,000 (£314,000), recognises Dr Chavan's efforts to provide lessons in literacy and numeracy for disadvantaged children and adults in India.
  
• Renowned literary critic and educator Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak was awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prize in Kyotoon 12 November.Instituted by the Inamori Foundation, the prize honours those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural and spiritual betterment of mankind.Ms. Spivak, professor at Columbia University in the U.S., won the award in the Arts and Philosophy category for her “deep thinking on humanities against intellectual colonialism in relation to globalisation”. U.S. computer scientist Ivan Sutherland, regarded as a father of computer graphics, won the Advanced Technology Prize while Japanese molecular biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Basic Sciences Prize.Each laureate received a diploma, a 20K gold Kyoto Prize medal and a cash gift of ¥50 million ($630,000).
  
• Dr.Bhuma Vengamma- Director and Vice-Chancellor of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, has been nominated as a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, in recognition of her outstanding academic contribution and research work.The college that has an impressive membership of 10,000 fellows and has members in 91 countries covering 56 medical specialties, recognised her efforts in taking medicine to the community level, as Dr. Vengamma is known for having conducted camps for epilepsy patients regularly since 1999, in which an average of 450 patients are treated every month.
  
• Minister for Information, Public Relations, Cinematography and Film Division Corporation D K Aruna on 12 November announced Nandi television film awards for 68 wings in nine categories for the year 2011. She announced that Naa Bhoomi of Doordarshan Kendra (DDK), produced by Sailaja Suman and directed by S S Sai, had been selected as the first best tele film. The film gets the Golden Nandi. She said that the producer would get Golden Nandi award with a cash prize of Rs 30,000. Jogini of DDK, produced and directed by V V Rao and M Rambabu respectively, had been selected as the second best tele film and the film producer would get silver Nandi for it. K Vinod Kumar of HMTV was selected as ‘best male TV news anchor’ and S Lakshmi Kalyani of TV-5 as ‘best female TV news reader’. Announcing the awards, Aruna said that the government constituted Nandi Television Film Awards Committee for the selection for television films produced and telecast during the year 2011. She said that the committee, headed by television actor Vinod Bala and other members, viewed all the entries and gave their recommendations. She said that the committee had formulated well laid out modalities and schedules for screening. She said that the committee received 128 entries and selected the best for the awards. .
  
• Awards
  Tele Films- Naa Bhoomi (DDK), First and Jogini (DDK), Second. TV Features - Adurs (ETV)- First and Brahmamokate (SVBC)- Second. TV Mega Serials- Nayana (SVBC), First and Pancha Tantram (ETV), Second. TV Daily Serials- Pasupu Kunkuma (Zee TV), First and Mamatala Kovela (Gemini TV), Second. T V Children’s Films - Cheyutha Nivvandi (Gemini TV),First and Shankar (DDK), Second, TV Documentary Films- Keshlapur Nagoba Jatara (SVBC),First and Kavita Kalanidhi Kapilavai Lingamurthy (DDK), Second.
  
  TV Social Relevant Films-O Chitteemma Katha (TV-5), First and Kalushya Nivarana-Mana Bhadhyatha (DDK),Second. T V Educational Films- Telugu Prasasthi (RTV), First and Bharthuhari-Enugu Laxmana Kavi (SIET). Individual Awards and Technicians – Best Director-G Anila Kumar for Manasu Mamata (ETV), Achyut Award for Best Leading Actor to Subhaleka Sudhakar for Manasu Mamata (ETV), Best Leading Actress to R Pallavi for Bharyamani (ETV), Best Supporting Actor to K Jayaram for Aadadhe Aadharam (ETV), Best Supporting Actress to Madhumani for Jogini (DDK), Best Comedian Actor to Ramajan for Chudu Chudu Thamasha (ETV), Best Comedian Actress to Srilakshmi for Nene Mee Alludu (ETV), Best Villain to Lavanya Lahari for Anthapuram (ETV), Best Child Actor to Master Naresh Chandra for Pasupu Kunkuma (Zee TV), Best Child Actress to Baby Anusha and Baby P Divija for Anna Chellellu (Maa TV), Best First Film of a director to K Sambasiva Rao for Adugu (TV-1), Best Screenplay Writer to P Bhavani Prasad for Dharani (DDK). Best Story Writer to late CH Suman for Mamatha (ETV).
• Andhra Pradesh has bagged four NABARD awards (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) for Rural Innovation at a function held in New Delhi recently. Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented awards to the winners.
  In academic and research institutions category, LV Prasad Eye Institute of Hyderabad received an award for developing an in-house software called Electronic Medical Record (EMR). It contains digitised case papers of 85,000 patients that have been networked, enabling easy access to doctors and students.
  In NGO/Trust category, Society for Energy, Environment and Development (SEED) head professor M Ramakrishna Rao who integrated solar energy applications with food processing technologies using solar dryers was awarded.
  Smart Aqua Solutions was adjudged as winner for developing water and waste water treatment and purification system on the concept of ‘Community Water Centre’. The runner up was Ch Mallesham of Nalgonda district who developed ‘Asu Machine’ which automated the process of spreading 10.5 km of silk thread around 41 steel pins for making a Pochampally saree in one and half hour.
  
• Tapeswaram laddu enters Guinness World Records.
  The Laddu that was displayed at the Rajahmundry Pushkar Ghat during Ganesh Chathurthi, celebrated by Rajahmundry Ganesh Utsava Committee, won the Guinness World Record for the heaviest Laddu. It had been prepared by the Bhaktanjaneya Sweets organisation at Tapeswaram that is famous for its Madata Khaja, a typical Andhra sweet. The Laddu weighing 6,559 kg was prepared on the order of the Utsav Committee that was established by late former minister Jakkampudi Rammohan Rao and displayed during the Ganesh festival.
• The President Pranab Mukhrji presented Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Awards for Women’s Development for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 on November 5, 2012 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President of India called for concerted efforts by Government, private and voluntary sectors for the development of the weaker and vulnerable sections of our society. The eighth Award for 2005 was jointly given to Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association and People’s Forum, Bhubaneswar. The Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association has been working to bring succour and relief to thousands of widows and destitute women and hundreds of abandoned orphan children. The People’s Forum, Bhubaneswar was awarded for its landmark services in the rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of mentally ill women and for its exemplary work with women in distress. The ninth Award for the year 2006 was awarded to Sumangali Seva Ashram of Bangalore. The main activities of the Sumangali Seva Ashram are care, education and development of deserted, orphan and needy children and socio-economic opportunities for development of women. Snehalaya of Ahmednagar was awarded the tenth Award for the year 2007 for its landmark work in the rehabilitation of women of red light areas and other destitute women.
  
• The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 9 November, conferred 20 Shilp Guru Awards, 18 Sant Kabir Awards along with 74 National Awards to master craftspersons and master weavers at a function in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated all the awardees for their “contribution in preserving, promoting and enriching the traditional and cultural heritage of our country.”Shilp Guru awards are conferred to legendary master craftspersons of Handicrafts whose work and dedication have contributed not only to the preservation of rich and diverse craft heritage of the country, but also to the resurgence of handicrafts sector as a whole.Each Award consists of one mounted gold coin, one shawl, Certificate and a Tamrapatra. In addition, financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 6 lakh is also given to each selected Awardee to innovate and create five new products of high level of excellence, high aesthetic value and high quality befitting the stature of the Guru. Sant Kabir Award is conferred on such outstanding weaver who has made valuable contribution in keeping alive the handloom heritage and also for his dedication in building up the linkages between the past, present and future through dissemination of knowledge on traditional skills and designs. Each Sant Kabir Award consists of one mounted gold coin, one shawl, certificate and a Tamrapatra. In addition, financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 6 lakh is also given to each selected awardee to innovate and create ten new products of high level of excellence, high aesthetic value and high quality.
  National Awards to Master Craftspersons and master weavers were introduced in 1965and the award comprises of a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh, a certificate, Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.
  
• Indian Oil's Mathura Refinery was awarded the Platinum Award in the 13th Annual Greentech Environment Awards. The award was felicitated on 31 October 2012.Mathura Refinery was awarded in regard to the company's outstanding achievements and contribution to apt implementation of environmental friendly technologies and methodologies.Greentech Awards is a key component that values the need of environmental management in business sustainability.
  
• Cisco Systems on 7 November, awarded George P. Johnson (GPJ), the number one ranked event and experience agency, its prestigious Innovation Award for design and activation of the brand's experiential activities worldwide. GPJ representatives were on hand at Cisco's Annual Supplier Days to accept the award held at the technology leaders' headquarters in San Jose.
  
• Dr Charnjit Singh Atwal, Speaker of Punjab Legislative Assembly, has been presented with Asian Guild's 'Special International Award' for contribution to primary education in his state. Lord Tarsem King, Chairman of the Asian Guild presented the award to Atwal, a former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, at the Asian Guild Annual Awards Dinner 2012 at the House of Lords ,London.
  The citation said that Atwal's project 'Adopt a Primary school Teacher' is now a success story in Punjab and it is now being adopted by other states of India. The Asian Guild's 'European Airline Award 2012' went Dr Temel Kotil, CEO & President of Turkish Airlines. The Asian Guild's "Food Award 2012" was bagged by Tony Deep Wouhra, MBE, Chairman East End Food Plc and the Asian Guild's "Enterprise and Innovation in Industries Award 2012" went to Stewart Towe, Group Managing Director and chairman of Hadley Industries Holdings Ltd who helped the company to grow from 1 million pounds annual turnover in 1970s to over 100 million pounds annual turnover in 2012. Lord King announced that "The Yash Chopra Film School in UK" would be started as a tribute to the famous producer, director of Bollywood movies who passed away late last month. Yash Chopra was the first Fellow of the Asian Guild.
  
• Dr Lokeswara Rao from Star Hospitals in Hyderabad had been nominated to the prestigious Techno College Award for his immense contribution in the development of an innovative and a breakthrough technique for bypass surgery.A new surgical technique in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery which reduces sterna wound infection using modified pedicle bilateral internal thoracic artery harvest technique and the patented device MASP (mammary artery surgical platform) has been developed by Dr Lokeswara Rao Sajja. Currently Dr Rao is working as a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon in Star Hospitals.Having recognized for his immense contributions in the development of a breakthrough device and operating technique for bypass surgery, Dr Rao’s name has been confirmed nominated for the prestigious award of EACTS for the year 2012. Dr Rao is expected to leave to Spain to participate in the 26th Annual meeting of the European Association of Cardio Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) which is to be held in Barcelona from 27 to 31 October. Dr Sajja is also expected to give a paper presentation on “Analysis of thirty-day outcomes of off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: a large cohort study” which is the only scientific study conducted from India that is being discussed in the prestigious forum.Every year the Techno-College in Barcelona in Spain invites applications from surgeons, engineers, innovators, researchers and scientists active in the field of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery to apply for The Techno-College Innovation Award. Techno College Innovation Award of European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery is awarded annually to one of the surgeons, engineers, innovators, researchers and scientists active in the field of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.The main aim of this award is to recognize and promote technological breakthroughs in all areas related to thoracic and cardiovascular research in particular for new surgical methods or devices. Innovations can be in the form of patents, inventions, new products, ideas or services.
  
• Banker and New York based- author Ruchir Sharma was awarded the Tata Literature Live! First Book Award for his Breakout Nations: In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles at the Mumbai Litfest on 5 November. The authors shortlisted included Nilanjana Roy (The Wildings), Sudha Shah (The King in Exile), Sudheendra Kulkarni (Music of the Spinning Wheel), Naresh Fernandes (Mahal Foxtrot), Ruchir Sharma (Breakout Nations) and Aman Sethi (A Free Man) whose books were all introduced by journalist and jury member Dileep Padgaonkar. Mr. Sharma is the Managing Director and Head of the Emerging Markets Equity team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and has been a long-time contributing editor with Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The New York Times and Foreign Affairs. Mr. Sharma has also been writing a regular column on global financial markets since 1991.
  
• National level NSCI Safety Awards, 2011 for organisations in manufacturing, construction and MSME sectors were on 7 November presented by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Govt. of India, K. Suresh in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Suresh lauded the role of National Safety Council (NSC) for maintaining and implementing effective occupational safety & health management systems. National Safety Council (NSC), an autonomous organisation in the field of Occupational Safety and Health, set up by the MOL&E, has been operating the awards scheme since 1998. These Awards are given to recognize factories, construction sites and MSMEs for establishing and implementing effective occupational safety & health management systems and achieving outstanding performance during the assessment period. The assessment period for the Award year 2011 for the organisations in manufacturing & MSME sectors was three years, from 2008 to 2010 and for construction establishments one year – 2010. In manufacturing sector, the 1st level award, Sarva Shreshtha Suraksha Puraskar, which carries a Golden Trophy and Certificate is won by the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station of Nuclear Power Corporation Ltd. located at Anumala, Tapi, Gujarat under Group C of the awards scheme covering Power Generation – Thermal/Hydel/Nuclear Power Plants of the awards scheme. The construction division of Lanco Infratech Ltd, Pathadih, Korba, Chhatisgarh has bagged the Sarva Shreshtha Suraksha Puraskar in the construction sector for their project – Lanco Amarkantak Power Ltd; Unit 3 & 4. In MSME sector Nobel Synthetics Pvt. Ltd, Navi Mumbai is the winner of the Sarva Shreshtha Suraksha Puraskar.
• Anand Kumar, founder of Super 30, a free coaching centre which trains children from poor families for entry into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology, has added another feather to his cap. People magazine of the Time magazine group carries, in the Indian edition's latest issue, a detailed feature on the work of Anand Kumar, listing him as a "People's Hero". The magazine usually features celebrities and film stars. This is a rare occasion when a teacher has been profiled. The People magazine feature details how Anand Kumar, working almost alone for over a decade, has helped 263 children from poor families to make it into the prestigious IITs. Time magazine has earlier described Super 30 as the "best of Asia", while Newsweek had listed the school as one of the world's four innovative schools. Europe's Focus magazine paid tribute to Kumar's ability to unleash hidden talent, while London's Monocle listed him among the 20 top teachers of the world.Discovery Channel, which made an hour-long documentary on Anand Kumar and Super 30, described it as a "revolutionary experiment to bring about social change". Only days ago, the University of Tokyo had entered into an agreement with Super 30, to sponsor the studies of one child from the school at the university.
  
• Former Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of India, Babu Jagjivan Ram was Posthumously awarded with the” Friends of Liberation War Honour” by the Government of Bangladeshfor his contribution in the 1971 War. The award was received by Babuji's grandson, Anshul Avijit at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. Anshul Avijit, is a journalist and academician and also the son of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar.Babu Jagjivan Ram as the Defence Minister of India in 1971, helped in liberation of Bangladesh. He assured that the war for liberation of Bangladesh ended in the remarkably short time of 13 days.
  
• The Aishwarya Rai on 1 November 2012 was conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Ambassador to India François Richier. She was conferred with the award for the contributions made by her to Indian and World Cinema and the developments in Indo-French cooperation in art, culture and the most important one, Cinema. Late Habib Tanvir, Nandita Das, Raghu Rai, Shahrukh Khan, and Upamanyu Chatterjee are few more Indians who had been conferred with this prestigious French award.
  
• Veteran Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore was Awarded with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema by the Edinburgh Napier University. At present, she is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF that is working for literacy, maternal health and AIDS-related issues and is also an active spokesperson for Indian Children Child Rights and YOU (CRY). The University stressed its strong links with India and Indian Culture and pointed out that to promote and establish a relationship with Indian culture, philosophy, education, art and literature it has created a Scottish Center for Tagore Studies (ScoTs), which highlights the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore the first Asian, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature in the Year 1913. This study center is first of its kind in United Kingdom.
  
• Amitabh Bachchan, was awarded as the ‘Best Television Host’ for the popular game show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ by People’s Choice Award of Colors Television channel. Amitabh is presently hosting Season 6 of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which is being aired on Sony channel. The first appearance of Amitabh Bachchan on Indian television is marked with Kaun Banega Crorepati,(KBC) which first aired in the year 2000.Amitabh Bachchan, the 70-year-old Indian Bollywood megastar had previously won the Indian Telly Awards, BIG Television Awards, The Global Indian Film and TV Honours among major award by television channel.