AWARDS NOVEMBER 2013

AWARDS NOVEMBER 2013

• East Timor film ‘Beatriz’s War’ bagged Golden Peacock award for best Film at the closing ceremony of 44th International Film Festival of India on 30 November. The film, directed by Bety Reis and Luigi Acquisto. The award carries a Golden Peacock, a certificate and a Cash Prize of Rs. 40 lakh. Indian Director Kaushik Ganguli bags the award for Best Director for his Bengali film ‘Apur Panchali’. The award carries a Silver Peacock, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh. Best Actor (Male) award went to Alon Moni Aboutboul for his performance in Israeli movie ‘A Place in Heaven’. The award carries a Silver Peacock, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh. Best Actor (Female) award was presented to Boczarska Magdalena for her excellent performance in Polish film ‘In Hiding’. On the occasion Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari said that 44th IFFI was a celebration of freedom of the human spirit, liberated from the mores of conventionalism, imbued with the ability to dare and above all the power of a ‘New Idea’. With this, the 11-day extravaganza of films, discussions and press conferences on films came to an end. Goa Governor Bharat Veer Wanchoo, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari, Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar were also present at the closing ceremony. Famous Malaysian actress and filmmaker Michelle Yeoh was the Chief Guest for the closing ceremony.
  
• Malala Yousafzai, Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan on 27 November 2013 were chosen for the GG2 Hammer Award, for their bravery at the GG2 (Garavi Gujarat 2) Leadership Awards 2013 in London. The activist Malala Yousafzai won the number one spot in the GG2 Power List 101 for her work in raising awareness for female empowerment. Malala Yousafzai, the teenager from Pakistan, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education. She has been named as the Britain’s most influential Asian by a weekly publication. Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan were shot and wounded in Swat Valley last year. The GG2 Hammer Award winner of 2013 transcends every boundary and appeals to the very core of our humanity. The GG2 Power 101 has been compiled by The Asian Media and Marketing Group (AMG) and features the top 101 most influential Asians in the UK, ranging from all walks of life. Now in its third year, the list honours some notable British Asians who hold power and influence not just in Britain, but also globally.
  
• The 18th International Children's Film Festival concluded on 20 November in Hyderabad. A Dutch Film named Kauwboy, directed by Boudewijn Koole won the Golden Elephant Award for best film in the 'International Live Action' category. The film is about a 10 year old boy and a bird. The Golden Plaque for second-best film in the same section was won by a German film Das Pferd Auf Dem Balkon or A horse on the Balcony. The Jury Prize for the best artwork was won by a Hindi film Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya directed by Shilpa Ranade. Ernest Et Celestine won the award for the Best Animation Feature. During the film festival, Batul Mukthiar received the best director award for his film Kaphal in the International Live Action. The best screenplay award went to Nono-The Zigzag Kid. The Golden Elephant trophy for Best Little Director category was given to an Indian film Breaking Silence and Tamator Chor. The film festival was organised by the Children's Film Festival India (CFSI), which is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Andhra Pradesh Government.
  
• Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year, on 20 November, received the EU's Sakharov human rights prize at a ceremony in Strasbourg. The European Parliament President, Martin Schulz, presented the award to the 16-year-old who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year. Malala dedicated the award to "the unsung heroes of Pakistan" and to human rights campaigners worldwide. Malala was shot in the head a year ago for campaigning for better rights for girls in Swat Valley of northwest Pakistan, an erstwhile Taliban stronghold. The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded by the European Parliament annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. The 50,000-euro (USD 65,000) prize is considered Europe's top human rights award. Malala joins a distinguished list of winners of the prize that includes South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar.
  
• Dr. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor on 19 November selected for Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2013. The International Jury for the Prize was chaired by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, which made this announcement on 19 November 2013 on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. Dr. Angela Merkel is nominated for her exemplary leadership in Europe and the world during the financial crises, her commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India and other developing countries. The award is conferred upon the person or an organisation irrespective of race, religion, nationality or other aspects. It consists of award worth 2.5 million Rupees as well as trophy along with citation. The Indiara Gandhi Award is constituted by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Liberian President was conferred with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2012.
  
• The 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) began at Panaji in Goa on 20 November 2013. Academy award winning actress Suasan Sarandon inaugurated the 11- day cinematic extravaganza in the distinguished presence of Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parriker and a galaxy of cine stars. The 44th International Film Festival of India (from 20 to 30 November 2013) is organized by the IFFI Secretariat under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Goa.44th edition of IFFI is unique on several accounts. The festival would highlight for the first time Cinema from the North Eastern states of India. A package of 19 films from the North-East will explore the immense ethnic, traditional and cultural diversity in the 8 states of North- East. The Lifetime Achievement Award is being conferred on the legendary Czech film director Jiri Menzelwhose films have been acknowledged as the Czech New Wave Cinema. Renowned actress Waheeda Rehamn will be conferred with the first Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia, held every year. The first edition of IFFI was organized by the Films Division, Government of India at Mumbai 1952.
  
• The General Council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi has declared fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Akademi awards (Akademi Auraskar) for the year 2013 . A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held on 21 November 2013 where three (3) eminent personalities in the field of performing arts, namely Smt. Kanak Rele, Shri R Sathyanarayana and Shri Mahesh Elkunchwar as Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna) were elected. The Fellowship of the Akademi is the most prestigious and rare honor, which is restricted to a very limited number at a given time. Presently there are only 40 Fellows of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The General Council of the Akademi also selected thirty eight (38) artists (2 Joint Awards) from the fields of Music, Dance, Theatre and Puppetry for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the year 2013.In the field of Music, nine eminent artists, namely Shri Ritwik Sanyal, Smt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe in Hindustani Vocal; Shri Hashmat Ali Khan, Hindustani Instrumental Music (Tabla); Shri Dhruba Ghosh, Hindustani Instrumental Music (Sarangi); Smt. Aruna Sairam, S/Shri D. Seshachari & D Raghavachari Hyderabad Brothers(Joint Award) in Carnatic Vocal; Shri Trichy Sankaran, Carnatic Instrumental Music (Mridangam); Shri Thiruvizha Jayashankar, Carnatic Instrumental Music (Nadaswaram) and Shri Bankim Sethi, Major Traditions of Music (Odissi Music) have been selected for the Akademi Awards 2013.In the field of Dance, Smt. Jamuna Krishnan and Shri B Herambhanathan, (Bharatanatyam); Smt. Rajashree Shirke (Kathak); Shri Kalamandalam M P S Namboodiri, (Kathakali); Shri Chinta Seetha Ramanjaneyulu (Kuchipudi); Smt Sangeeta Dash (Odissi); Shri Jogen Dutta Bayan (Sattriya); Shri Srinivasa Rangachariar (Major Traditions of Dance & Dance Theatre (Arayer Sevai) and Shri Dhaneswar Swain, Music for Dance have been selected for the Akademi Awards 2013. In the field of Theatre, eight eminent persons have been selected for Akademi Awards 2013. They include Shri Rameshwar Prem, Shri Pundalik Narayan Naik in Playwriting; Shri Kamalakar Muralidhar Sontakke, Shri Kewal Dhaliwal, Smt. Prasanna Ramaswamy in the field of Direction; Shri Vasant Josalkar, Smt Kusum Haidar in Acting and Shri Krishna Borkar in the field of Allied Theatre Arts (Make-up).For their contribution to Traditional/Folk/ Tribal Music/ Dance/ Theatre and Puppetry, eight artists have been selected for the Akademi Awards. They are Smt. Raj Begum, Traditional, Folk Music/Dance & Theatre (Jammu & Kashmir); S/Shri T.A.R. Nadi Rao & N Jeeva Rao (Joint Award), Folk Music (Tamilnadu); Shri Gurdial Singh, Instrument Making (Punjab); Shri Mohan Singh Khangura, Rabindra Sangeet (West Bengal); Shri Umakanta Gogoi (Bairagi), Tokari Geet and Dehbichar Geet, (Assam), Smt Lilavati M Kavi (Bajaj), Puppetry; Smt Meenakshi, Instrument Making - Ghatam (Tamilnadu) and Shri Sheikh Riyajuddin alias Rajubaba, Folk Theatre ( Maharashtra).Shri Mysore V Subramanya (Performing Arts) and Shri N Ramanathan (Music) will receive the Akademi Awards 2013 for Overall Contribution/Scholarship to Performing Arts.The honour of Akademi Fellow has been conferred since 1954 and Akademi Award since 1952. The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs 3,00,000/- (Rupees three lacs) and Akademi Awards carry Rs 1,00,000/- (Rupees one lac), besides Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
  
• India's top scientist CNR Rao, who was recently named for the Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award - has been elected honorary foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the first Indian to be so honoured."Dr Rao is the first Indian scientist to be elected recently (November 4) to the prestigious academy, which consists of several Nobel laureates and eminent scientists of the world," the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) where Dr Rao is the founder-president, said in a statement in Bangalore on 22 November. The Chinese Academy of Science had bestowed upon the 80-year-old Dr Rao the Award for International Scientific Cooperation in January 2012.The Bangalore-born Dr Rao is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since 2005 in addition to being the national research professor.
  
• An icon for the film lovers and iconoclast for the professionals, Waheeda Rehman will be honoured with the first Centenary Award for the Indian Film personality at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The award has been introduced this year and the veteran actor will receive the trophy on the opening day of the festival. It consists of a cash component of Rs. 10 lakh and a citation. The ‘Quintessential Beauty of Bollywood’ is known as much for her performance as for her choice of roles. Born in Chengalpattu near Chennai in 1936, Waheeda Rehman began her career with Tamil and Telugu movies and went on to work with Gemini Ganesan in ‘Kaalam Maari Pochu’ in 1955. Guru Dutt happened to see the Telugu version of this film and offered her a role in ‘C.I.D.’. The pairing of Waheeda Rehman with Guru Dutt treated the cinegoers with such marvels as ‘Pyasa’. ‘ Kaghaz Ke Phool’, ‘Saheb Bibi aur Ghulam’ and ‘ Chudhvin ka Chaand’. A persona oozing grace and grandeur, Waheeda Rehmaan won the National Award for the Best Actor in 1971 for ‘Reshma Aur Shera’ and Filmfare Awards in 1966 for ‘Guide’ and in 1968 for ‘Neel Kamal’. She was honoured with Padma Shri in 1972 and with Padma Bhushan in 2011. In 2004, a Waheeda Rehman Film Retrospective was held at the Seattle Arts Museum and the University of Washington. The first Centenary Award to Waheeda Rehman acknowledges the creative contribution of an artist who opted for roles which were much more than just the appealing shadow of the male actors of the times. SPORTS
  
• Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were crowned male and female World Athletes of the Year for 2013 by the sport's governing IAAF, in Monaco on 16 November. Bolt won gold in the 100 metres, 200 and 4x100 relay at the Moscow worlds in August to take his all-time tally to eight golds and two silvers at the championships, making him the most successful athlete in their history. The 27-year-old, who also has six Olympic gold medals and holds the 100 and 200 metres world records, won the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) award for the third season in a row and the fifth time in six years. Compatriot Fraser-Pryce claimed gold medals in the same three events in Moscow, having previously won two golds and two silvers, and is also the Olympic sprint champion. The 26-year-old Fraser-Pryce collected her first female World Athlete of the Year award. Bolt and Fraser-Pryce also receive a prize of $100,000.
  
• The four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel became the first driver to win eight straight races in a single season, with his victory at the US Grand Prix on 18 November. Sebastien Grosjean came second. Webber coming 3rd with Hamilton finishing fourth.
  
• Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the FIDE World Chess Championship 2013 at Chennaion 22 November 2013.Magnus Carlsen defeated the previous world champion Viswanathan Anand of India by 6.5-3.5. The victory was worth 8.4 crore Rupees for Magnus Carlsen. Anand settled for 5.6 crore Rupees. The match was organized by FIDE and AICF.The Magnus Calsen’s victory was also the end of Anand’s six-year reign as the World champion. It was Anand’s first loss in a world title match since 2007.
  
• Lionel Messi, the Barcelonan forward footballer on 20 November 2013 won the Golden Shoe award. Messi won the awardin recognition of his 46 goals in 32 leagues appearances in the Europe’s domestic football league in the 2012-13 seasons. This is the third Golden Shoe award of Messi and with this win he became the first footballer win the shoe three times. Earlier Messi won the award in 2009-10 for 34 goals and a Spanish record 50 in 2011-12. Lionel Andres Messi (26) is an Argentine Footballer and a captain to the national team of Argentina. At present he plays for FC Barcelona in Spain.
  
• Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to score 5000 runs in one-day internationals when he scored 86 against the West Indies in the first ODI in Kochi on 21 November 2013. Virat Kohli achieved the feat in just 120 matches and 114 innings. He has so far scored 5005 runs, which included 17 centuries, and 27 fifties in his short career.In terms of innings, Virat Kohli has equalled the record of Sir Viv Richards of West Indies, who also achieved the feat in 114 innings way back in 1987 but it was Viv's 126th match. Before Kohli, former captain Sourav Ganguly was the fastest to achieve the feat among Indian batsmen in 131 matches and 126 innings.
  
• The Infosys Prize 2013 in Life Sciences is awarded to Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Director, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, for his work in the field of lipid metabolism in tubercle bacilli. Each year two million people are infected and die of tuberculosis (TB) and there will be 10 million new patients every year. Dr. Gokhale discovered biochemical networks and new paradigms necessary for the synthesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell envelope coat that makes these bacteria escape host immune systems. This discovery opens up new avenues to develop new therapy against TB. The Infosys Prize, comprising a 22-karat gold medallion, a citation certificate and prize money of Rs. 55 lakh, ranks among the highest monetary awards in India that recognizes scientific research. The prize endeavors to elevate the prestige of scientific research in India and inspires young Indians to choose a vocation in the scientific research. Prof Samir K. Brahmachari, Director General of CSIR, said that conferring this prestigious award to four CSIR scientists in three consecutive years after its inception in 2009 exhibits that internationally competitive scientific research is being carried out in CSIR and CSIR has an outstanding young scientific leadership in position. .
  
• The Union Finance Minister P.Chidambaram released a Commemorative Coin of Rs. 20 and a circulation coin of Rs.5 to mark the culmination of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at a function held in New Delhi on 11 November. K. Rehman, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Wazahatt Habibullah, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities were present on the occasion among others. This year marks culmination of 125th Birth Anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Maulana Azad was one of India’s most prominent freedom fighters, who espoused the cause of an undivided India. He opposed the ‘two nation theory’ of Muslim League and was a leading proponent of Hindu-Muslim unity. He was India’s first Minister of Education. He was posthumously awarded country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
  
• The Government on 16 November has decided to confer Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, on eminent scientist Prof C.N.R. Rao and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar. Prof. C.N.R. Rao is an eminent scientist and a well recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry. He has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books. Prof. Rao’s contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships. He has been honoured with several national and international awards. Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly an outstanding cricketer - a living legend who has inspired millions across the globe. During the last 24 years, since the young age of 16 years, Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for our country. He has been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports. His achievements in cricket are unparalleled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary. That he has been honoured with several awards is testimony to his extraordinary brilliance as a sportsman.
  
• Renowned actress Waheeda Rehman will be conferred with the Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the International Film Festival of India 2013 in Panji, Goa. The 2013 edition of the Festival is being held between 20 and 30 November. The award has been instituted to commemorate 100 years of Indian Cinema, and being given annually to an outstanding film personality for his or her contribution to Indian cinema. After extensive deliberations, a five member jury identified Waheeda Rehman as the ideal member of the Indian film fraternity to be the first recipient of the award. The Centenary Award recognizes her prolific body of work through the film industry’s formative years. The award carries a citation, a certificate, a medal (Silver Peacock),a shawl and Rs.10 lakh cash prize.
  
• Shiraz Naval Minwalla, Professor of Physics in TIFR, Mumbai selected for the 2014 New Horizons in Physics Prize on 5 November 2013. He was awarded "for his pioneering contributions to the study of string theory and quantum field theory; and in particular his work on the connection between the equations of fluid dynamics and Albert Einstein’s equations of general relativity". The New Horizons for Physics Prize awarded to promising junior researchers by Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation. The award carries prize money of US $ 1,00,000. The Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation established by the Milner Foundation, Russia in 2012and dedicated to advancing our knowledge of the Universe at the deepest level by awarding annual prizes for scientific breakthroughs, as well as communicating the excitement of fundamental physics to the public. The Fundamental Physics Prizerecognizes transformative advances in the field, while the New Horizons in Physics Prizesare targeted at promising junior researchers.
  
• Lord Swraj Paul, a leading NRI industrialist and educationist was presented with the International Indian of the Decade award on 15 November 2013. Swraj Paul was presented the award for his outstanding achievements in the fields of industry, education and philanthropy. Virender Paul, the acting High Commissioner of India to the UK presented the award to Lord Swraj Paul at the 20th anniversary of the publication of India Link International (a monthly magazine). Lord Swraj Paul is the founder of the UK-based steel and engineering multinational company Caparo, which at present employs about 10,000 people worldwide from UK, USA and India.
  
• Information and Broadcasting Ministry has instituted a new centenary award to honour personalities for contribution to Indian Cinema. The minister for Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari has announced the institution of a special award in the series of initiatives undertaken to commemorate the 100 years of Indian Cinema. The centenary award would be given every year to an outstanding Indian film personality "A Film Icon" for his/her contribution to Indian Cinema at IFFI. Speaking on the occasion in Bangalore on 7 November, Tewari said that the award reiterated the rich legacy of Indian Cinema where eminent personalities had contributed to its growth through different stages of its evolution. The award is the second in the series instituted by the Government to commemorate the centenary celebrations. He said that the ministry had taken initiatives to promote the growth of the film industry. It had tried to review the statutory architecture under the films paradigm by instituting the Mudgal Committee to review the provisions of the Cinematography Act. The recommendations of the committee were under consideration and the opinions have been invited as the report had been placed on the website of the ministry, he added. 
• Martha Dodray, a health worker from Bihar on 6 November 2013 won the global UN Award for her commitment and dedication to eradicate Polio in India. United Nation has conferred the UN Frontline Workers Global Leadership Award to Martha Dodray. The award was given in recognition of the roles to individuals, organizations, and corporations played in supporting the work of the United Nations’ to advance global peace, justice, and prosperity. The United Nations Foundation and the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) honored recipients of the 2013 Global Leadership Awards at the annual Global Leadership Dinner in New York City. Martha Dodray is an Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) from Darbhanga district of Bihar. She represented the worldwide polio frontline workers. Her contribution cause was recognized by United Nations Foundation in 2013 and awarded
• An Indian-origin doctor has been selected for prestigious "Outstanding American by Choice" award for his valuable contribution to US health sector. Eminent transplant surgeon and philanthropist, Rahul Jindal, will be honoured by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on November 13.The initiative recognizes naturalized citizens who have made significant contributions to both their community and their adopted country. Jindal, who recently received the Leadership Award by the International Leadership Foundation, was recently appointed as Commissioner on Service and Volunteerism. He obtained his MD from BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad, and then studied in Britain where he and earned an FRCS from the Royal College of Edinburgh. Known for his philanthropy and community services, Jindal is the director of the National Blood and Bone marrow Drive Campaign which was sponsored by about 600 Hindu temples throughout North America.

AWARDS OCTOBER 2013

AWARDS OCTOBER 2013

• Former Indian Tennis player-turned film producer Ashok Amritraj was presented with the 'Soul of India Award' for his outstanding achievements in the film industry on 29 October 2013.NRI industrialist Dr. Rami Ranger presented the award to the Ashok Amritraj at the Indian Journalists Association's meet held at the Bombay Palace in London. Mrs. Paul, wife of Dr. Virendra Paul, formally launched Amritraj's book'Advantage Hollywood' on the occasion. Ashok Amritraj is a former tennis player and has represented India on an international level. He played in all major tennis tournaments during his nine-year career including Wimbledon and the US Open. His brothers, Vijay Amritraj and Anand Amritraj, are also accomplished tennis players. Amritraj has produced 109 Hollywood films. His hits, starting with 'Double Impact' in 1991, have included 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance', 'Bandits', 'Machete and Premonition'.
  
• Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor was honoured in the House of Commons, London for her contribution to the global entertainment industry, on 29 October 2013. The 33-year old actress was presented with a framed golden coloured plaque by NRI MP Keith Vaz, Chairman of Britain’s Home Affairs Committee. Kareena was also honoured by the Asian Sunday Newspaper. Besides Kareena, singer Kimberley Walsh and magician Dynamo (Aka Steven Frayne) was honoured by the Asian Sunday Newspaper for their contributions to the global entertainment-industry. Kareena is the only Bollywood artist to be honoured at British Parliament after Amitabh Bachchan and she is the first Bollywood actress to be honoured by UK Parliament.
  
• Renowned Bharatnatyam exponent Geeta Chandran was honoured with the prestigious Guru Debaprasad Award for outstanding contribution in the field of dance on 29 October 2013. The award was presented to Geeta Chandran and three others by Odisha Governor S. C. Jamir at in Bhubaneswar. Guru Debaprasad Award is an annual award instituted in memory of eminent Odissi exponent Guru Debaprasad Das. The award was constituted by Tridhara Dance Institute in the year 2007. Geetha chandran is India’s renowned Bharatanatyam dancer. She was recipient of Padmashri and a celebrated artist, Geetha Chandran is almost synonymous with the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam.
  
• Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen on 27 October 2013 conferred with the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award by NGO the Harmony Foundation for her efforts towards achieving social justice in Mumbai.Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen, who is associated with different charitable projects and NGOs, received the award for her efforts towards achieving social justice and her contribution to society. Along with Sushmitha Sen, seven individuals and an association, India Rescue Mission, were also awarded the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2013 for their contributions in the field of human rights and community development. The Mother Teresa International Award is an annual award, constituted by Harmony Foundation, which was founded in October 2005 by Dr. Abraham Mathai to establish communal harmony between various communities, castes and work towards the benefit of all the communities without any discrimination as to religion, caste, creed, gender or region.
• Anjali Gopalan on 25th October 2013 was awarded with French highest civilian award Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. She was awarded for her work on transgenders and HIV positive patients. She was awarded at a function, by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the French Cabinet Minister for Women’s Right. Gopalan is an Indian Human Rights and Animals Rights Activist. She started the Naz Foundation (India) Trust as its executive director, which further changed the lives of the HIV Positive, transgenders and homosexuals in New York. She started her career as a social worker working for the migrants of the south East Asian who lacked valid documents.
  
• Aung Suu Kyi, on 23rd October 2013, has received the Sakharov Prize for ‘Freedom of Thought’ at Strasbourg, France. She was chosen by the European Parliament in 1990.The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought announced by the European Parliament in 1990 when she was under house arrest. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament. The prize was set up in 1988 to honour individuals or organisations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov
  
• The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 14 October 2013 decided to award The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for 2013 to Eugene F. Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert J. Shiller for their empirical analysis of asset prices. 1. Eugene F. Fama of University of Chicago, IL, USA 2.Lars Peter Hansen of University of Chicago, IL, USA 3.Robert J. Shiller of Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA The three American Economists awarded for their work on creating a deeper knowledge of how market prices move. The prize is worth 8m Swedish krona (775,000 Pounds; 1.2m Dollars), which will be shared equally among the three winners. The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences is not one of the original Nobel prizes. It was created in 1968 by the Swedish Central Bank in memory of Alfred Nobel, who established the prizes for Chemistry, Medicine, Physics, Literature and Peace in 1895. The first Economics prize was awarded in 1969.The Nobel Foundation does not officially recognize it as a Nobel Prize, but as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded 45 times to 74 Laureates between 1969 and 2013.
  
• Eleanor Catton, the New Zealand author, at the age of just 28 years, became the youngest ever winner of the Man Booker Prize for her novel The Luminaries on 15th October 2013 at the London's Guildhall. Her novel The Luminaries is the story of 19th-century goldfields, which won 50000 Pound Man Booker Prize 2013 along with a trophy, and Emmanuel Roman. It is important to note that The Luminaries is also the longest work to win this prize in the history of 45 years of Man Booker Prize. She is the second New Zealander to win the Man Booker Prize, after Keri Hulme for The Bone People in 1985.The last Prize was won by Hilary Mantel for Bring Up the Bodies, which was the sequel of the Wolf Hall. It is important to note that in the year 2014, the Man Booker Prize will open its doors for the authors writing in English from all over the world. At present, it is awarded to the English-language authors only from the Commonwealth nations, including the Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United Kingdom. At present, the Man Booker Prize is one of the richest literary prizes of the world.
  
• In a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra on the eve of his first death anniversary, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar was conferred the first Yash Chopra Memorial Award at a glittering function in Mumbai on 19th October. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari presented the award. Dedicated to the memory of the late producer-director; the Yash Chopra Memorial Award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T Subbarami Reddy. Chopra was a victim of dengue in Mumbai Oct 21 last year, spelling the end of a romantic and passionate era of filmmaking. Carrying a cheque of Rs1 million and a citation, the memorial award will be given annually to people in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of art and culture. Lata has been conferred several national and international honours, including Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, three national film awards and and the One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India's Independence.
  
• The Nobel Prize in Physics 2013 was awarded jointly to François Englert and Peter W. Higgs "for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, and which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider" .François Englert was born on 6th November 1932, Etterbeek, Belgium. He is the professor in Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.Peter W. Higgs was born on 29 May 1929, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.He is the professor in University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
  
• The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 was awarded jointly to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel "for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems". Martin Karplus was born on 15 March 1930, Vienna, Austria. He works in the Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, Harvard University, and Cambridge, MA, USA. Michael Levitt was born on 9 May 1947, Pretoria, South Africa. He works in the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. Arieh Warshelwas born on 20 November 1940, Kibbutz Sde-Nahum, Israel. He works in the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  
• The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2013 was awarded jointly to James E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman and Thomas C. Südhof "for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells". James E. Rothman was born on 3 November 1950, Haverhill, MA, USA. He works in the Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Randy W. Schekman was born on 30 December 1948, St. Paul, MN, USA. He works in the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Thomas C. Südhof had born on 22nd December 1955 Goettingen, Germany. He works in the Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
  
• Canadian author Alice Munro has won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature. Making the announcement, Peter Englund, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, called her a "master of the contemporary short story". The 82-year-old, whose books include Dear Life and Dance of the Happy Shades, is only the 13th woman to win the prize since its inception in 1901. Presented by the Nobel Foundation, the award - which is presented to a living writer - is worth eight million kronor (£770,000).Munro, who began writing in her teenage years, published her first story, The Dimensions of a Shadow, in 1950.In 2009, she won the Man Booker International Prize for her entire body of work - but she downplayed her achievements. Often compared to Anton Chekhov, she is known for writing about the human spirit and a regular theme of her work is the dilemma faced by young girls growing up and coming to terms with living in a small town. The Nobel academy praised her "finely tuned storytelling, which is characterized by clarity and psychological realism". Her writing has brought her several awards. She won The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the National Book Critics Circle prize for Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, and is a three-time winner of the Governor General's prize. Other notable books include Lives of Girls and Women, Who Do You Think You Are, The Progress of Love and Runaway.
  
• The Nobel Peace Prize 2013 was awarded to Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) "for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons".The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has become the surprise choice for this year's Nobel peace prize, a decision the Oslo committee said recognized both its current, hazardous mission to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stocks and 16 years of wider global efforts. The international chemical weapons watchdog, a relatively new global body, set up in 1997 in The Hague, with a relatively tiny annual budget of about £60m, trumped the established bookmakers' favorites of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl turned advocate for female education, and Denis Mukwege, the Congolese gynecologist who has helped huge numbers of rape victims. The OPCW, which has 500 staff, is the 25th institution among the 94 winners in the prize's history, and the second in succession, after the controversial choice of the EU in 2012.However, the Nobel committee's citation said the prize was a more general one, to mark "its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons" and nudge the few remaining nations that had not yet signed up to the organization. The work of the OPCW, which has 189 member states, had "defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law", the committee said, adding that events in Syria had "underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons". The OPCW was set up to implement the 1992 global chemical weapons convention. It says it has managed to oversee the destruction of more than 80% of the world's declared stocks of chemical weapons, excluding those now declared in Syria.
  
• A young man from India is among 10 people from around the world selected for a prestigious United Nations award on 11th October, in recognition of their work as entrepreneurs and use of technology to change the world. The winner from India is Varun Arora who created 'Open Curriculum', an online educational material for standard, primary and secondary schooling. The recipients of the 10 Young Innovators Competition organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)Telecom come from a wide range of countries including India, Uganda and Vietnam and have worked on diverse issues such as marine protection, reduction of food waste and immigration."These are bright young minds with creative technological solutions to developmental challenges both in their communities and in the wider world," said ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Toure. The UN competition is open to young social entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 26 and seeks innovative digital solutions in the form of start-ups or initial concepts meeting global developmental challenges. The winners would heading to the ITU Telecom World 2013 in Bangkok in November.
  
• Eminent agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan on 10th October 2013 selected for the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2012. MS Swaminathan is an Indian geneticist and former member of Rajya Sabha. M.S. Swaminathan contributed to the agricultural renaissance in the country and led the nation to achieve green revolution. The Indian national congress (i), in its centenary year 1985, instituted an Indira Gandhi award for national integration to give recognition to outstanding contribution to this cause by distinguished individuals or institutions. The award carries a citation and cash award of 5 lakh rupees.
  
• Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen shot by the Taliban for championing girls' education won the European Union's (EU) Sakharov human rights prize 2013 on 10th October 2013. Past winners of the Sakharov Prize include South African anti apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament. The prize was set up in 1988 to honour individuals or organizations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
  
• Karan Thapar, television journalist chosen for the International Press Institute (IPI) – India award for excellence in journalism 2013 on 8th October 2013 for his interviews on the Devil's Advocate programme on CNN IBN. He was selected by a distinguished jury of editors and publishers headed by the former Chief Justice of India, A. S. Anand. Previous winners of the International Press Institute award include The Indian Express, NDTV, Outlook, Tehelka, Tribune and The Week. Karan Thapar is an Indian television commentator and interviewer. He is conducting programmes like Devil's Advocate, The Last Word on CNN-IBN and India Tonight on CNBC TV 18. The International Press Institute is a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists.
• The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the ‘Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management’ 2013 to Dr. Rajendra Achyut Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Centre, Professor and Head, Department of Surgical Oncology Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 01, 2013. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.5 lakhs, a citation and a plaque. He is an international opinion leader in oncology, developing breast cancer care strategies, innovative research, integrating delivery systems, improving quality and cancer management programs and capacity building of staff on cancer care delivery strategy and practice issues.
  
• His original research "On Timing of Surgery during The Menstrual Cycle for Operable Breast Cancer" has led to a paradigm shift in understanding of cancer biology and evolved cost- effective life-saving treatment globally. A Dorab Tata Scholar (1974- 1978), Dr Badwe has been a recipient of several prestigious international and national awards including Padmashree. His significant accomplishments in leadership in cancer care are a testimony to his role as a mentor in developing the cancer care strategy for Government of India and WHO. He leads the Innovation Council for Cancer Research and the team that is planning the national cancer centre for Government of India.
  
• A senior Indian journalist, Ravi Shankar Narsimhan, on 29th September 2013 was presented with Friendship award by China-the highest honor given to foreigners. Narsimhan is the executive editor in the overseas edition of the Beijing based China Daily. Ravi Shankar hails from Andhra Pradesh. He has worked with China Daily for 11 years. He was given the award for helping China better tell its stories to the outside world. He is one among the 50 foreign experts from 20 countries and diverse fields, who have been rewarded. The Friendship Award is an annual award given by the Chinese government to honour outstanding foreign experts in China.
  
• Rafiq Kathwari, an Indian-American poet on 29 September 2013 selected for 2013 Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for the collection of his debut poems. Rafiq Kathwari is the first non-Irish person to win the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award. Rafiq Kathwari's collection of 20 unpublished poems In another Country was selected for the coveted award amidst 112 contestants from across the world. Rafiq Kathwari, a Kashmiri by descent has become the first non-Irish to have won the award and will recieve 1000 Euros as the prize money. He has translated selected Urdu poems of Alama Iqbal, creating his own version. His poems are mostly inspired by loss of innocence in Kashmir and from his mother's long time illness. The award was founded by the Patrick Kavanagh Society in 1971 to commemorate the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh.

AWARDS SEPTEMBER 2013

AWARDS SEPTEMBER 2013

• Gyan Correa’s debut Gujarati movie The Good Road was on 21 September 2013 nominated as India’s official entry to 2014 Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category. The Good Road is a 2013 Indian drama film written and directed by Gyan Correa. The film The Good Road the story of a boy who is lost and found while his family is on a holiday trip to the Kutch, Gujarat. The Good Road movie is produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the film stars Keval Katrodia as seven-year-old Aditya who loses his way in the desert. The movie also stars Sonali Kulkarni and actor Ajay Gehi as Aditya's parents. India has never won a Foreign Language Film Oscar. So far in the history of Indian cinema, only three Bollywood films, including Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay (1988) and Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan (2001), have made it to the nomination stage of the Oscar.
  
• Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani schoolgirl and education rights campaigner presented with the 2013 Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award (Harvard Humanitarian of the year) by Harvard University on 27 September 2013.16 years old Malala received the award by Dr Allen Counter, Director of the Harvard Foundation for her contribution in promoting the education among girls. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani school pupil. She was shot in the head by a Taliban militant in October 2012 after she campaigned for girls' right to education.
  
• India environmentalist Bunker Roy and Pakistan’s teenage education activist Malala Yousufzai were on 23rd September, declared winners of this year’s of the prestigious ‘Clinton Global Citizens Awards’. Roy is the founder of the Barefoot College, which has been providing solutions to problems in rural communities for more than 40 years. As a result of Barefoot’s work, one million litres of rainwater have been harvested to provide clean drinking water to over 239,000 school children in more than 1,300 communities worldwide. The Barefoot Approach is a proven community-based model, providing basic infrastructure for power and water in remote, rural areas, as part of an integrated solution to alleviating global poverty. Roy has been named one of the 50 environmentalists who could save the planet by the Guardian and one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine. Sixteen-year-old Yousafzai, who, after being shot by the Taliban less than a year ago for her outspoken support for girls’ education, has co-founded the Malala Fund to continue advocating for universal access to education. The awards will be presented in a special ceremony on 24th September, during the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York City, where more than 1,000 top business, government, and civil society leaders will convene to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The Clinton Global Citizen Awards were launched in 2007 to honour outstanding individuals for their visionary leadership, demonstrated impact, and sustainable and scalable work in solving global issues.
  
• Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram G Rajan on 26th September, has been awarded the fifth Deutsche Bank Prize for Financial Economics 2013, in recognition of his ground-breaking research work which influenced financial and macro-economic policies around the world. The academic prize is sponsored by the Deutsche Bank Donation Fund and carries an endowment of euro 50,000. The Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) awards the prize bi-annually in partnership with Goethe University Frankfurt. Rajan was picked up for the prize from more than 260 nominations from top universities, central banks and research centers in 37 countries. More than half of the nominations came from the US.
  
• The University of British Columbia's Faculty of Law at Allard Hall, Toranto presented Anna Hazare, one of India's most influential social activists, with the inaugural Allard Prize for International Integrity at a special ceremony on 25th September. The $100,000 prize is one of the world's largest awards recognizing efforts to combat corruption and to promote human rights. Established in October 2012 by UBC Law alumnus Mr. Peter A. Allard, QC, the Allard Prize is awarded to an individual, movement or organization that has shown exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law. For decades, Anna Hazare has led successful movements across India to enhance government transparency and investigate and prosecute official corruption. TIME Magazine named the 2011 movement he started one of the Top News Stories of 2011.
  
• An Indian-origin scientist, who proved how cutting emissions of "black carbon" or soot can significantly lessen the impact of climate change, has been selected for the United Nation's top environmental award. A statement issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 17th September, said Veerabhadran Ramanathan of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California is to receive the 2013 " Champions of the Earth award", the UN's highest environmental award. In 1997, he had co-led an international research team that first discovered the climate impact in Asia of widespread air pollution, known as the atmospheric brown cloud (ABC).The prize is awarded annually to leaders from government, civil society and the private sector, whose actions have had a significant and positive impact on the environment. A major UNEP study in 2011 of which Ramanathan acted as vice-chairman, presented 16 actions to cut black carbon and methane emissions, which, if implemented, would save close to 2.5 million lives a year through reduced respiratory illnesses, avoid crop losses amounting to 32 million tones annually, and deliver near-term climate protection of about 0.5 degree C by 2050.Ramanathan's studies on the climate warming effects of non-CO2 pollutants dates back to 1975, when he discovered the super greenhouse effect of a class of halocarbons known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).Translating his research into action, he had started "Project Surya" in India to phase out inefficient cooking stoves.
  
• Bollywood actor John Abraham on 17th September, conferred the 'Pride of the Nation' award for his attempt to raise the sensitive issue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination through his role as a RAW agent in "Madras Cafe". Constituted by Anti Terrorist Front, the award was presented to Abraham by its chairman M. S. Bitta in New Delhi. The film "Madras Cafe" is set in the late 80s and early 1990s, during the time of Sri Lankan civil war and the assassination of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Bitta said there was a need to initiate an "unbiased enquiry to expose the conspiracy" which resulted in the death of Rajiv Gandhi.
  
• Pakistani schoolgirl and education rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai and American singer, human rights and social justice activist Harry Belafonte were on 17th September, named as joint recipients of Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2013. The Ambassador of Conscience Award is the human rights group’s highest honour, recognizing individuals who have promoted and enhanced the cause of human rights through their life and by example. The award will be presented at a ceremony on 19th September, at the Mansion House in Dublin, Ireland, according to a press statement issued by Amnesty International. “Our two new Ambassadors of Conscience are different from each other in many ways, but they share a dedication to the fight for human rights everywhere and for all,” said Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International.
  
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) was awarded Indira Gandhi Official Language Award for propagation of Rajbhasha (Official Language) in the company by the Union Government of India on Hindi Divas on 14th September. On 14 September Hindi was adopted as an official language of the country. To promote the official Language in the country, the Government of India introduced Indira Gandhi Official Language Award from 1986-82.This award grants to the various Ministries/Departments, Banks and Financial Institutions, Public Sector Undertakings and employees.
  
• Actor Aamir Khan has been selected for a US award for his television show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ along with eminent American director Kathryn Bigelow and the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). They will be honored at the inaugural awards dinner by the America Abroad Media (AAM) in Washington DC on October 28. “Their work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower citizens about the critical social and public policy issues of our time,” America Abroad Media said in a statement on 20th September.
  
• Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen shot by the Taliban for championing girls’ education, and US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden have been nominated for the European Parliament’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize. Malala, who has become emblematic of the fight against the most radical forms of Islamism, is backed by the three main political groups in parliament, making her a favorite for the award. Snowden, the US contractor who revealed widespread spying by the United States on friends and foes alike and who has sought asylum in Russia, has been nominated by the Greens and a far left group. A statement on 17th September, also named the Standing Man group, activists behind the Taksim Square protests in Istanbul in June which upset the accepted view that Turkey was on the smooth path to lasting political stability. The other nominees are jailed Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu and Eskinder Nega, Belarus political prisoners Ales Belyatsky, Eduard Lobau and Mykola Statkevich, and jailed former Russian oligarch and Putin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Also nominated is the CNN Freedom Project, a global media campaign to raise awareness on human trafficking. The winner of the prize will be announced in October. Last year’s award went to detained Iranians, lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and film maker Jafar Panahi, to honour those “standing up for a better Iran.”Past winners of the 50,000 euro ($65,000) prize include South African anti apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan
  
• President Pranab Mukherjee conferred National Communal Harmony Awards to Shri Khamliana, Shri Md. Abdul Bari and The Foundation for Amity and National Solidarity in New Delhi on 20th September. Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh were also present on the occasion. Shri Khamliana, a resident of Aizawl, is the Founder President of the Mizoram Youth Club which was established in 1990 and has nine branches all over the State. The Youth Club is a reputed and renowned organization in the State and has done exemplary work in diverse fields including extending support for rehabilitation of drug addicts, victims of AIDs and other similarly affected people. Shri Khamliana has conducted AIDS awareness and anti-drugs campaigns all over Mizoram. Shri Md. Abdul Bari, from Bhadrak, Odisha is the President of the Bhadrak Muslim Jamat.
  
• He is a known social activist who has been working towards maintaining communal harmony in the area. No major communal incident has taken place in Bhadrak district since 1993. Shri Bari has selflessly helped the police and local administration to maintain peace, unity and harmony in the district. He has received commendation and recognition from the Government as well as social organizations for his noble and selfless work. The personal example set by Shri Abdul Bari and his meritorious and creditable services to the society have inspired the present generation to promote an atmosphere of peace and harmony amongst the different religious communities residing in the district. The Foundation for Amity & National Solidarity (FANS) is a non-political, non-partisan, social organization based in Delhi which works to spread and promote amity and communal harmony in the country. Established in 1984, the Foundation in its 28 years of service to the nation has organized more than 400 events comprising of Seminars, Workshops, Inter-religious meets, Symposia, Declamation Contests, Youth Camps, Sadbhavana Sabhas and Peace Marches all over the country. The Foundation has successfully conducted four Regional Children camps and 14 All India Inter University National Integration Youth Camps in different parts of the country.
  
• An Indian freedom fighter was posthumously conferred a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at UK's House of Commons on 12 September, for his contribution during India's independence movement and its journey afterwards. Britain's minister for business engagement with India Gregory Barker and Virendra Sharma, chair of the Indo-British all party parliamentary Group jointly presented the award to late Jawaharlal Darda's son, Vijay Jawaharlal Darda, MP and chairman and editor-in-chief of Lokmat, the most widely circulated Marathi language newspaper.
  
• President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 6 September, conferred Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony, 2013 on Maestro Zubin Mehta in New Delhi. The award carries an amount of One Crore Rupees (Rs. 1 Crore), a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. The annual award was instituted by the Govt. of India during the commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex. The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012. A High-level Jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and comprising the Chief Justice of India, Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Smt. Sushma Swaraj and Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi after detailed discussions on 4th July, 2013, unanimously decided to select Shri Zubin Mehta to be the second recipient of the Tagore Award, 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.
  
• Haraprasad Das was conferred the Moortidevi Award for 2012 for 'Vamsha, a poetic recreation of the Mahabharata in contemporary idiom, which has been hailed as a post-modern masterpiece. as, who has eleven works of poetry, four of prose, three translations and one piece of fiction to his credit, was given the award on 3 September, at Shastri Bhavan by the Moortidevi Award Selection Board, chaired by oil minister Veerappa Moily.
  
• Indian American Kavita Shukla in the first week of September 2013 won INDEX design award for her innovative design, FreshPaper. It helps keep food fresh for a longer period. The award carries 500000 Euro award. It recognizes the best of innovations addressing problems facing the world. The Award is given biennially in Copenhagen, Denmark. Kavita Shukla was among the five winners in categories such as Home, Body, Work, Play and Community. Kavita’s design won in the Home category. It succeeded the jury with its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. FreshPaper is simple, low-tech and hyper affordable, with the potential to scale into new markets. The FreshPaper is compostable and infused only with organic spices.

AWARDS AUGUST 2013

AWARDS AUGUST 2013

• Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai (16), an outspoken proponent of girls’ education who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year, has been awarded a top Dutch children’s honour for her activism. Organizers announced on 27 August, that she will be presented with the International Children’s Peace Prize on September 6 in The Hague, Netherlands. Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman will do the honours. The prize, an initiative of the Dutch-based Kids Rights Foundation, was launched in 2005 by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, when he chaired the Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. It carries a cash value of €100,000 ($133,000) that is invested in projects relating to the winner’s cause.
  
• The inaugural Mahathir Award for Global Peace has been awarded to former South African president Nelson Mandela. Current South African president Jacob Zuma accepted the award on Mandela’s behalf on 27 August. Describing Mandela as a friend, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said it was appropriate that the South African leader was the first recipient of the award as he was truly a man of peace. The Mahathir Award for Global Peace will be presented annually to recognise those who have made valiant efforts in promoting peace. The Mahathir Award for Global Peace is an international peace award by the Mahathir Global Peace Foundation, which was formed to contribute to global peace efforts. During the event, the foundation presented Mahathir with the Lifetime Campaigner for Global Peace award.
  
• Justice Rajendar Sachar (Chairman of Sachar Committee) and film actor Aamir Khan will be conferred Honoris Causa (Doctorate) by the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad during its fifth convocation to be held on August 24th at Global Peace Auditorium in university premises. Union HRD Minister Dr M.M. Pallam Raju will be the Chief Guest while Dr. Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, Chancellor of Urdu University will preside over the convocation.
  
• Eminent Sarod player Rajiv Taranath of Mysore on 18 August, has been selected for this year’s Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru National Award, instituted by the Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru National Memorial Trust. Hindustani classical vocalist Kaushik Aithal of Bangalore and tabla player Anubrata Chatterjee of Kolkata has been chosen for the young artiste award. Mr. Taranath will get a purse of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation, while Mr. Aithal and Mr. Kaushik will be presented a purse of Rs. 25,000 each. Mr. Taranath is the only Sarod player in southIndia. Kaushik Aithal is an up-and-coming Hindustani classical vocalist from Bangalore.Mr. Chatterjee, a popular name among young tabla artistes, has accompanied stalwarts such as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Amjad Ali Khan, and Shiv Kumar Sharma.
  
• Tata Steel on 22 August 2013 was adjudged the Best Performing Integrated Steel Plant in the country for the year 2011-12 based on the recommendations made by a Panel of Judges that selected companies for the Prime Minister`s Trophy awards for the year 2011-12. The Government of India decided to award the Certificate of Excellence to Tata Steel as per the scheme for the Prime Minister's Trophy for 2011-12. Tata Steel has scored maximum marks in overall performance for the fourth consecutive year. Tata Steel had won the Prime Minister’s trophy twice for 2008-09 and 2010-2011 while the Certificate of Excellence in 2009-10 and 2011-12.The Prime Minister’s Trophy was instituted in 1992 by former Prime Minister Late P. V. Narsimha Rao for excellence in the performance of integrated steel companies with an objective to give recognition for outstanding performance in the vital sector of the national economy which draws heavily on national resources of capital and skilled manpower.
  
• A team of three Indian-American students defeated teams from 17 other regions to win top honour at the 11th National Geographic World Championship in Russia's St. Petersburg city. The team included Captain Gopi Ramanathan,15, from Sartell, Minnesota, Asha Jain,13, from Minocqua, Wisconsin, and Neelam Kaur Sandhu,14, from Bedford, New Hampshire. Ramanathan, already has won his state geography bee twice. He had finished seventh in the 2012 National Bee in Washington, DC. Students around the world earned the chance to be part of the World Championship competition by winning or being a top finisher in the national competitions of their home regions. The competition was sponsored by Google, and presented by the US National Geographic Society in partnership with the Russian Geographical Society.
  
• Eminent Malayalam poet Sugathakumari was conferred the ‘Saraswati Samman 2012’ for her collection of 27 poems in book “Manalezhuthu” (Writings on the Sand) at a function New Delhi on 2nd August. The prestigious award — instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation — carries a citation and a plaque, apart from Rs. 10 lakh as prize money. It is given annually to an outstanding literary work published during the last 10 years in any of the Indian languages. Human Resource Development Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, who presented the award, said Sugathakumari’s life and writings were a true reflection of the humanitarian spirit and value systems intrinsic to the Indian culture. Sugathakumari said it was a matter of pride and joy for her to be chosen as the 22nd recipient of the award for her work published in 2006. Past recipients include Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Vijay Tendulkar, Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana, Dr. Dharam Veer Bharati and Srilal Shukla.
  
• Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan will be honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award for his contribution towards promotion of communal harmony and peace.The award carries a citation and a cash award of Rs five lakh. It will be conferred on Khan on August 20, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi."The advisory committee of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award decided that the 21st Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award be given to famous Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan for his outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill," an AICC release said. The award ceremony is held every year on the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister and was instituted to commemorate his lasting contribution to promoting peace, communal harmony and fighting against violence. The former recipients of the award include Mother Teresa, Bismillah Khan, Mohammed Yunus, Teesta Setalvad, Swami Agnivesh, Harsh Mander, Sunil Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Maulana Wahiuddin Khan and K R Narayanan.
  
• NTPC has been conferred three Awards by the World HRD Congress and Star Group at the 4th Asian’s Best Employer Brand Awards held at Singapore recently. The award was received by S.P. Singh, General Manager (HR), NTPC. The company has been Awarded for Talent Management, Award for Excellence in HR through Technology and Asian’s Best Employer Brand Award (RANK 14th). NTPC currently employs about 25,000 people.
  
• Barack Obama, the US President would confer the Presidential Medal of Freedom on former US President, Bill Clinton and talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. It is the highest civilian honour of America. The announcement of the Freedom Honorees was done on 8 August 2013. Clinton and Winfrey are among the 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the year 2013. The award was created by John F Kennedy and this year it marks its 50th Anniversary of the executive order signed by him. Since the day of its formation, the Presidential medal has been awarded to more than 500 exceptional individuals from different sections of society. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with the comparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States. Individuals, who have made some meritorious contribution for the national security and national interest of US, Cultural/Public/Private endeavors and World Peace are recognized by this award. Being a civilian award, it can be awarded to a military person and can be worn along with the uniform. It can also awarded even to non-US residents. 

AWARDS JULY 2013

AWARDS JULY 2013

• The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the Ramon Magsaysay Awards for the year 2013 to three individuals and two organizations for changing their societies for the better on 24 July. Afghanistan's first woman governor Habiba Sarabi and a Myanmar civil society organiser Lahpai Seng Raw, who both helped families displaced by conflict in their home nations, are among five winners of Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize for the year 2013.
  1. Habiba Sarabi of Afghanistan honoured for helping build a functioning local government and pushing for education and women's rights in Afghanistan's Bamyan Province despite discrimination and poverty.
  2. Lahpai Seng Raw of Myanmanr honoured for helping the rehabilitate work in damaged communities amid armed conflict.
  3. Ernesto Domingo, a 76-year-old Physician honored for dedicating his career to pushing for the poor's access to Health services and for groundbreaking and successful advocacy of neonatal Hepatitis vaccination that has saved millions of lives in the Philippines.
  4. The Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (Corruption Eradication Commission), Indonesia's independent anti-corruption Government body, was honored for a 100-percent conviction rate in the 169 cases it fought between 2004 and 2010, during which it recovered more than US 80 million dollars in stolen assets.
  5. The Nepalese group Shakti Samuha (Power Group), formed by survivors of human trafficking, has recognised for helping fellow victims by setting up halfway homes and emergency shelters.
  
  
• Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who exposed the widest US global surveillance operations awarded German Whistleblower Prize 2013 worth US $ 3,900 in absentia on 25th July. Snowden has exposed the substantial and unsuspecting monitoring and storage of communication data by US and other western intelligence agencies, which cannot be accepted in democratic societies.
  
  It was the top secret National Security Agency documents that were leaked by Snowden since the beginning of June 2013 which in turn made it possible and unavoidable intensive investigations to establish whether the operations of domestic and foreign intelligence services have violated the existing rules applicable to them.
  
  Snowden has undertaken great personal risks in leaking the documents on the operations of the US and other western intelligence agencies, aware of the current criminal prosecution of whistleblowers in security areas.
  
  Even after proving that the espionage operations partly or to a large extent were protected by the law, Snowden has helped in exposing such a dangerous situation, which cannot be accepted in democratic societies.
  
• Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland has been listed among 13 novels long listed for the Man Booker Prize 2013. The long list for the prize, one of the English language's top fiction awards, names 13 writers from seven countries. The "Man Booker dozen" 2013 comprises an diverse list of 13 novels that will astonish and intrigue in equal measure.
  
• There are 13 outstanding novels range from the traditional to the experimental, from the first century AD to the present day, from 100 pages to 1000 and from Shanghai to Hendon..
  
• The Lowland, is story set in India and America, which is going to be published in September 2013 and is one of the highly anticipated books of the fall. It is being pitched as an easy frontrunner in London’s literary circles.
  
• Paradip port has been conferred the ‘Major Port of the Year’ award in recognition of its excellent performance in 2012-13. S.S. Mishra, Chairman, Paradip Port Trust, received the award at the SCOPE International Conference & Exhibition 2013 held in Chennai on 25 July .In 2012-13, PPT handled a total of 56.55 million tones of traffic, up from 54.25 mt in 2011-12. Also, during the year, the port added 22 mt of capacity bringing the total to 102 mt.
  
• The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) has conferred its highest honour ‘The Honorary Fellowship’ on HRD Minister Dr M.M. Pallam Raju for his scientific vision and invaluable contribution to the progress in the field of electronics and telecommunication. The IETE honoured the Minister at a function held in New Delhi on 18th July. It earlier conferred on him a ‘Fellow of IETE’ in 2006 on his assumption of charge as Minister of State for Defense. Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad and Temple University, USA, conferred an honorary doctorate and Doctor of Humane Letters respectively in the years 2008 and 2013. On the occasion Dr. Pallam Raju said “It is a privilege to be accorded this honour by a distinguished institution such as the IETE. I truly thank the IETE for having considered me worthy of this honour.” The honour is accorded to persons of eminence who are achievers in the field of Electronics, Telecommunication and Information Technology or have made valuable contribution in the aforesaid fields for the betterment of the society. The IETE is India’s leading professional society devoted to the advancement of science and technology and of Electronics, Telecommunication and IT.Founded in 1953, it serves more than 52,000 members through its 52 centres all over India and abroad.
  
• Paul Hewson, popularly known as Bono, the face of the rock band U2 and anti-poverty activist, was awarded with the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest cultural award of France on 17th July for the contribution to music.
  
• He was also praised for utilizing his popularity serve the humanitarian causes. The Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters was awarded to him by the French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti in Paris. The award was started in the year 1957 and the previous awardees include Shakira, David Bowie, Roger Moore, Bruce Willis, Bob Dylan and Sean Connery, among others.
  
• Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony, 2013 is being conferred on the noted Maestro Zubin Mehta. A High-level Jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and comprising the Chief Justice of India, Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Smt. Sushma Swaraj and Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi after detailed discussions on 4th July, 2013, unanimously decided to select Shri Zubin Mehta to be the second recipient of the Tagore Award, 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony. The annual award was instituted by the Govt. of India during the commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012.The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.
  
• An Indian woman entrepreneur Vandana Gandhi has received UAE’s prestigious award for business excellence for her work in the field of nursery education. Founder and CEO of British Orchard Nursery won the Emirates Women’s Award 2013 (EWA) in the ‘Overall Winner in Business Category’. The awards, which honor local and expatriate business achievers from diverse fields, were organized by Dubai Quality Group. Winners in various categories were selected on the basis of their leadership skills, strategy and financial planning, achievement levels, community contribution and innovation. British Orchard Nursery is the first nursery chain to be ISO 9001:2008 quality certified.

AWARDS JUNE 2013

AWARDS JUNE 2013

Kevin Barry, the Irish author won 1,00,000 Euro International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel, City of Bohane.The book has described, the Ireland of 2053 a place where one would not want to be alive. This is not a future of shiny technology but one in which history turns in circles and quirks an eyebrow at the idea of ‘progress. The prize is open for novels in any language that has been published in or translated into English and is organized by Dublin City Libraries on behalf of Dublin City Council. The award is sponsored by IMPAC, an international management productivity company.

• Three Indian projects will receive U.N. Public Service Awards this year. The awards are given for projects that fight poverty and promote sustainable development. The projects are Mass Contact Programme of Kerala, Swavalamban of District Administration of Dhanbad in Jharkhand and Graamin Haat programme of Department of Cottage and Rural Industries in Madhya Pradesh.
  
• The Kerala government’s Mass Contact Programme, initiated by the Chief Minister’s Office, was launched in 2011, with the main aim of combating red tape and bureaucracy in administration. It enables interaction between the people and the government by encouraging them to approach the government directly to get their concerns addressed without delay or corrupt practices.
  
• The Swavalamban initiative of Dhanbad district administration has improved disbursement of pensions in the district. Before the implementation of the initiative, the largely manual process of disbursement in the payment of pensions, particularly registration of new pensioners, was very cumbersome, tedious, involved lot of paper work, inefficient, non-transparent, and provided unreliable information.
  
• A pensioner had to wait days, weeks or months and sometimes had to pay bribes to get entitlements. The initiative has cut down the time from three months to a maximum of three days, by automating payment and creation of direct cash transfers into pensioners’ bank accounts. Payment through Business Correspondent in remote rural areas has dramatically improved the delivery of services.
  
• In addition, the database of all pensioners was digitized with help of a new software. Monitoring at district government level has been simplified making it only a mouse click away. The Madhya Pradesh government’s Graamin Haat has helped in women’s empowerment. Although women comprise almost 50 per cent of the population of Madhya Pradesh, their participation in the decision-making process at all levels is very limited.
  
• Women also have no control over resources and their contribution to the family and society remained largely unrecognised. The Haat Development Committee that operates weekly markets (haats) decided to create Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) that would operate its own haats. The first such initiative took place in Digwar village 10 years ago. It was the first time that a haat was managed by rural women who were illiterate and inexperienced in managing such enterprise. Women now not only had an important place in the haat and thus in society but also control over resources.
  
• Internationally acclaimed Indian American Cardiac Surgeon and Healthcare Economist Dr Mukesh Hariawala on 28 June 2013, conferred the prestigious Indian Healthcare Visionary of the Decade award at a glittering ceremony of the 4th Annual Business Leadership Conclave at Hotel Leela in Mumbai. Also felicitated with other prestigious awards were industrialists Ratan Tata , Transformational Leader of the Decade and Mukesh Ambani who is the Millennium Business Leader of the Decade.
  
• International Data Group’s Computerworld Honours Program, Computerworld Honors Laureate selected UIDAI for 21st Century Achievement Award 2013 under the category ‘Economic Development’. It was given acknowledging the pivotal role played by UIDAI in leveraging technology to change people lives, streamline delivery of welfare services and provide opportunity to people to participate more fully in society. The Computerworld Honors Program, recognizes and honours visionary application of Information Technology promoting positive social, economic and social change. The initiative of Government of India was widely appreciated by the participants and media who were excited about the transformational impact of the project in socio economic life. The award was received by Ms. Keshni Anand Arora, IAS, DDG on behalf of UIDAI. Founded by International Data Group (IDG) in 1988, The Computerworld Honors Program is governed by the not-for-profit Computerworld Information Technology Awards Foundation. Computerworld Honors is the longest running global program to honor individuals and organizations that use information technology to promote positive social, economic and educational change. Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers, providing peer perspective, IT leadership and business results.
  
• Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was on 11 June honored with USD 10,000 'Nomura Award' in Singapore for her humanitarian works. The activist has decided to donate the reward money for the education of prisoners' children."I will be donating the entire award money for educating prisoners' children," Bedi, who was present at the award function in Singapore, said. Bedi was given the award constituted by Nomura Group of Japan for "improving the world for future generations". The group is one of the leading financial services group.

AWARDS MAY 2013

AWARDS MAY 2013

• Anish Kapoor, the Indian-origin sculptor was honoured with Knighthood, which is the highest honour of Britain. He was conferred the award by the Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list 2013 for Visual Arts services. Anish Kapoor is said to be the pioneering sculptors of his generation and is known for enigmatic sculptural forms as well as monumental public sculptures.
  
• The late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been awarded the country's National Journalism Prize (The Simón Bolívar National Award of Journalism 2013) even though he was accused of persecuting the press during his 14 years in power. The National Journalism Prize Foundation says in a statement on 13 June, that its jury voted unanimously to give Chavez the prize because he gave voice to "the oppressed of the world" and fought a "constant battle against media lies. "Chavez died from cancer on March 5. His selection for a journalism award has stirred debate in Venezuela because international organizations including Human Rights Watch and the Inter American Press Association in the past repeatedly accused the Chavez government of threatening press freedom. The foundation jury was comprised of journalists and academics seen as government supporters.
  
• U.S. author AM Homes has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her book, May We Be Forgiven.The 30,000-pound award, formerly known as the Orange Prize, was presented at a ceremony in London on 10 June, by actress Miranda Richardson, chairwoman of the judging panel.
  
• American writer Lydia Davis won 2013 Man Booker International Prize for her innovative and influential writing. The winner of the Prize was announced at the awards ceremony at Victoria and Albert Museum in London on 22 may 2013. This was the fifth Man Booker International Prize. Well-known Kannada author UR Ananthamurthy was the only Indian to be shortlisted for the prestigious award. The Man Booker International Prize recognizes one writer for his or her achievement in fiction. Worth 60000 ponds, the prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language. The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there are no submissions from publishers.
  
• US singer-songwriter Carole King became the first woman to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The President of America, Barack Obama conferred upon her, the Gershwin Prize that is given as a lifetime achievement in popular music. The award was given away at the White House in Washington. Carole King is 71 years of age. Carole King has won the Grammy Award four times. The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, also known as, Gershwin Prize is conferred upon the performer or composer for lifetime contribution to popular music. The award was created in 2007 by the Library of Congress.
  
• The Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy won United Nation's Public Service Award for his Mass Contact Programme on 22 May 2013. In the Mass Contact Programme, he engaged with masses of Kerala to address the grievances. He was conferred with the first prize from the Asia Pacific region along with other awardees that are selected on yearly basis from five different zones of the world. Since the year 2003, United Nations has been awarding people as part of the programme for Public Service Day that is celebrated on 23 June. The United Nation's Public Service Award was instituted through the UN resolution and is announced after the three-tier security as well as meticulous examination. The UN Public Service Day ceremonies are scheduled to be organized from 24 June 2013 to 27 June 2013 in Bahrain. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will confer the awards on the awardees on 27 June 2013.
  
• The US has honored three Indian-Americans with the prestigious Champions of Change awards for their achievements as immigrant innovators and entrepreneurs. The three -- Shradha Agarwal from Chicago, Riddhiman Das from Kansas and Amar Sawhney from Massachusetts -- were presented with the award at the White House on 29 May. They were among 11 people honored. The Indian-Americans and others were felicitated at the "Champions of Change" event at the White House that highlighted immigrant innovators and entrepreneurs - the best and brightest from around the world who are helping create American jobs, grow the economy, and make the US more competitive, an official statement said. The Champions of Change programme was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature groups of Americans - individuals, businesses and organisations - who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
  
• Physicists Peter Higgs and Francois Englert and the European Organization for Nuclear Research will share the 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research in recognition of their work establishing the existence of the so-called God particle, the Asturias Foundation said on 29 May.
  
• Working independently, Higgs and Englert - along with the late Robert Brout - formulated in 1964 the existence of a subatomic particle that came to be known as the Higgs boson. But it was only in 2012 that the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, was able to confirm the existence of this particle through experiments conducted with the Large Hadron Collider."This finding, which has been called the greatest discovery in the history of the understanding of Nature, enables a glimpse at what happened immediately after the Big Bang," the Asturias Foundation said. Along with a cash prize of 50,000 Euros (about $64,000) and a sculpture by Joan Miro, each award recipient gets a diploma and an insignia bearing the Prince of Asturias Foundation's coat of arms. The prizes, which Spain's Crown Prince Felipe will hand out at a ceremony in the fall in the northern city of Oviedo, are regarded as the Ibero-American world's equivalent of the Nobels.
  
• Blue is the Warmest Color, directed by French-Tunisian filmmaker Abdellatif Kechiche won the top honor - the Palme d'Or - at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. A three-hour lesbian love story based on a graphic novel by Julie Maroh starring Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux won the ovation of the Jury and was almost unchallenged. The film is basically a story about a teenage girl who falls in love with a slightly older woman. Overall, the movie is about sexual awakening, heartbreak, and self-discovery. Mexico's Amat Escalante won the best director prize for his film Heli. Hollywood veteran actor Bruce Dern took the best actor prize for his performance in Nebraska. Argentine-born Frenchwoman Berenice Bejo was awarded the best actress prize for her role in The Past.
  
• Manoj Das, the Noted Oriya writer on 28 May 2013 was presented the NTR National Literary Award. The NTR National Literary Awardwas chosen by the jury of NTR Vignana Trust, headed by its chairperson N. Lakshmi Parvati which carries a cash prize of 1 lakh Rupees and citation. The award recognises Das’s contribution to literature, both in Odiya and English. Manoj Das was also conferred with Padma Sri award and had his stories figured in the compilation of best literary works released in the US. The award is instituted in memory of the actor-turned-politician who made a mark for his struggle to protect Telugu pride. He has penned down his first novel at the age of 14.
  
• Cottage and Village Industry Department of the Madhya Pradesh Government on 16 May 2013 bagged United Nations Public Service Award for year 2013 for their initiative named Graamin Haat. The United Nations honours outstanding public welfare works at international level under different categories every year. The initiative of Graamin Haat was started in the state with the aim of strengthening and empowering the women's self-help groups. The initiative has helped the self help group in becoming more self-reliant economically and ensured participation of women in social decisions. The award will be presented to Kanchan Jain, the Principal Secretary of the Department on 27 June 2013 in Manama, the Kingdom of Bahrain at the United Nations Public Service Forum Day and Awards ceremony between 24 and 27 June. This year theme is – “Transformative e-Government and Innovation: Creating a Better Future for All.”
  
• Singer Hariharan was conferred with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran in Indore on 20 May 2013. The Madhya Pradesh government honoured the playback singer with the award. The award distribution was a part of three-day cultural event held in Indore. Madhya Pradesh government instituted the award in 1984. Hariharan, a Padma Shri recipient, sung many songs in different languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Marathi.
  
• The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the Asom Ratna Award for the year 2012 to Indira Goswami (posthumously) on 13 May 2013 at a function at Guwahati, Assam. Indira Goswamy was a legendary story teller and prolific novelist who courageously advocated social change in a very volatile period in Assam’s history. She would be particularly remembered for her role as a mediator in talks between armed militants in Assam and the Government of India. In all her works, ‘Mamoni’ as she was known, had focused on women, the disadvantaged and the oppressed in society. By creating a consciousness about these problems, she was able to sow the seeds of change.
  
• The Ministry for Information & Broadcasting, on 10 May 2013 presented the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for life time achievement to Pran Kishan Sikand, popularly known as Pran, at his residence in Mumbai. Pran is the 44th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award that was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year Dadasaheb Phalke, who is considered to be the Father of Indian Cinema. Pran has acted in over 400 films in a career spanning six decades. In 2001, the Government of India had honored Pran with the Padma Bhushan award.
  
• Senegalese singer Youssou Ndour and Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho were named as the recipients of Polar Music Prize 2013. Each winner will get one million kronor (98,600 Euros) from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The awards will be presented at a Stockholm ceremony on 27 August 2013 by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Sweden's highest musical honor is awarded annually to both a pop performer and classical artist. The prize is awarded for exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music. The academy recognized Ndour as a singer, poet, storyteller, singer of praise, entertainer and verbal historian.
  
• A young Indian biologist, Dr. Aparajita Datta was honored with the Whitley award, also known as Green Oscar, in London on 2 May 2013. Aparajita Datta, the Indian wildlife biologist was conferred with the award by Princess Anne, at the Royal Geographical Society in London for her efforts in order to save the endangered hornbills in Eastern Himalayas. Aparajita Datta is the head of the program for conservation of the hornbills in dense tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh, at Nature Conservation Foundation. The tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh are an abode to five hornbill species. Aparajita Datta set up the community-based conservation program along with tribal hunters in order to protect hornbills. The focus of the program was to bring down the poaching activities. The Whitley awards are given every year in order to honor exceptional individuals for the efforts in conservation of nature in the developing countries. Aparajit Datta won the award along with eighth other conservationists who belonged to different countries. They shared the prize money worth 295000 pounds.
  
• Jenita Mary Nongkynrih, A young woman scientist from Meghalaya was selected for ISRO Young Scientist Award 2013 for her urban information system project in the North East. The award for Jenita Mary Nongkynrih carries a citation and cash of 50000 rupees. Jenita Mary Nongkynrih is currently working as a scientist at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Umiam, Nongkynrih.

AWARDS APRIL 2013

AWARDS APRIL 2013

• Jai Chandiram, the former Deputy Director-General of Doordarshan and renowned media person on 26 April 2013 was awarded with the lifetime achievement award by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT). Jai Chandiram is known for the contributions that she made towards Women’s Right .She was the first Asian President of the IAWRT. She was the Head of Department for television studies at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. She also was the Head of Department at Educational Media Production Center of Indira Gandhi National Open University (EMPC-IGNOU)
  
• Yash Chopra, Rajesh Khanna and Asha Bhosale are to be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards 2013 to be given on 30 April 2013 at Bhaidas Auditorium in Mumbai. Asha Bhosle will be honoured with the Phalke Ratna Award for the contributions made by her in the field of music for over a period of five decades. Late Yash Chopra for his contributions to Indian Film Industry will be posthumously awarded with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award. Pamela the wife of the iconic filmmaker Yash Chopra will receive the Saraswatibai Phalke Award. Rajesh Khanna will be honoured with the first superstar of Indian Cinema Award. Dada Saheb Phalke is known as the Father of Indian Cinema and was the first producer, director and screen-writer of India for the silver screen. His first film was Raja Harishchandra in 1913. The Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Awards are presented annually to celebrate the jayanti of Dada Saheb Phalke. On this occasion different people from Bollywood are honoured with trophies for their outstanding contribution to the Indian Film Industry.
  
• Legendary actor, Pran Krishan Sikand, 93, on 12 April 2013 was awarded with Bollywood’s highest honour in Indian Cinema Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2012. He is the 44th Dada Saheb Phalke Award Winner. He gave a different and unique frame to the negative and character roles of Indian Cinema with his impressive performances. Pran served Bollywood for a career span of more than six decades in more than 350 films and is known for his brilliant performances in films like Ram Aur Shyam, Purab aur Paschim, Karz, Zanjeer and Amar Akbar Anthony and many more. In 2001 he was awarded with India’s third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan. In his career span, he received four film fare awards. In 2010 he was named among the Top 25 Asian Actors of All times by CNN. The award is conferred by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs.10 lakhs and a shawl.
  
• NTPC has been awarded as Business Leader in the Power Sector at the NDTV Business Leadership Awards held in New Delhi on 9 april. The award was presented by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India in the presence of Dr Prannoy Roy to Arup Roy Choudhury, CMD, NTPC.India’s top business leaders were awarded on the occasion.
  
• Chairman of the Awards Jury of the ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India) and former Chief Justice of India Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah in New Delhi on 5 April, presented the ‘ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance -2012’ to two ‘Best Governed Companies’:1) Indian Oil Corporation Limited; and 2) HCL Technologies Limited. The Awards were presented during the ongoing 2nd CSIA International Corporate Governance Conference. The Company Secretaries of the awardee companies, Raju Ranganathan, Company Secretary, Indian Oil Corporation Limited; and Manish Anand, Company Secretary, HCL Technologies Limited were also honored for their contribution in adhering to good corporate governance practices. ICSI Life Time Achievement Award for the year 2012 was presented to Deepak S. Parekh, Chairman, Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd for translating excellence in Corporate Governance into reality.
  
• In recognition of its strong fundamentals and dynamic growth model, J & K Bank won the prestigious FE (Financial Express) India’s Best Banks Award for 2012-13.It Ranked as No. 1 in ‘Best Old Private Sector Bank’ category. It got 3rd in the overall banking industry in terms of ‘Profitability’ and 1st in terms of ‘Profitability’ in the category of ‘Old private sector banks’.

AWARDS MARCH 2013

AWARDS MARCH 2013

• Indian scientist Sugata Mitra was awarded the million-dollar TED Prize on 26 February 2013 for pursuing his idea for building the schools in the Internet. TED Prize is actually awarded to the extraordinary people who have creative as well as bold ideas for global change. Sugata Mitra is a researcher who started inspiring the children across the world to arouse curiosity in them. In 1999, Sugata along with his colleagues installed the Internet-connected computer in New Delhi and left it with the hidden camera. Eventually, the slum kids started learning English as well as searched the Internet for various Science and other topics. Sugata performed these experiments for 13 years, which eventually earned him 1 million US dollars TED Prize. TED Prize was first introduced in 2005.
  
• B Surender Mohan, CMD, NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) was conferred with the CEO with HR Orientation Award on 17 February 2013 at the World HRD Congress 2013 in Mumbai. Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited is a Navratna Government of India Enterprise. World HRD Congress is actually the largest meeting of the HR professionals from the world which brings together global personalities. World HRD Congress is held annually and the purpose of the meeting is to honour best CEOs who implement as well as innovate the new techniques in HR arena. The World HRD Congress 2013 was held at Hotel Taj Lands End, Mumbai. 170 HR professionals from USA, South America, India and England participated in this meeting. B Surender Mohan was chosen for this award by Jury and Council of Board Members of World HRD Congress 2013.
  
• Information Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh, P. Vijaya Babu was conferred with Narla-Deveneni puraskaram at a function held at Guntur on 28 February. With an experience of over 25 years in main stream journalism, Mr. Vijaya Babu has been chosen for the ‘puraskaram’ for his contribution to the field of journalism. The award was instituted in memory of former Editor of Andhra Prabha and Andhra Jyothi Narla Venkateswara Rao and Deveneni Subba Rao. From this year, Annamaya Seva Samithi has been entrusted with the task of presenting the award. The previous recipients of the award were Turlapati Kutumba Rao, Ch. Raghavachari, Harihara Priya, Sankara Narayana and senior journalist from Tenali B.L Narayana.
  
• Bollywood actor Anupam Kher was honoured by Herb J. Wesson, Jr, President Los Angeles City Council and Tom Labonge, Council Member 4th District with a City Proclamation at Los Angeles City Hall on February 26 in Los Angeles, California.It may be known that the actor’s performances in films like Bend It Like Beckham and went on to do Bride & Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices, American Blend, Hope and a Little Sugar, Midnight’s Children and TV series ER has been appreciated and been an inspiration for other actors.
  
• Vishwaroop, CEO, NTPC SAIL Power Company (NSPCL) has been conferred with “Exemplary Leader Award” by World HRD Congress “Global HR Excellence Awards” held in Mumbai on 25 February. Vishwaroop has been honored for his contribution to the Power Sector. NTPC SAIL Power Company (NSPCL) is the joint venture between NTPC Limited and SAIL for generating power for the steel plants in India.
  
• The 85th Academy Awards (Oscars) ceremony took place on 24 February 2013. The annual Academy Awards were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The Oscars 2013 ceremony was held at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The main winners of the Oscars 2013 were Life of Pi, with four awards; Argo with three awards; Les Miserables with three awards.
  Some of the key awards are -
  
  List of the awardees of 85th Academy Awards:
  • Best Picture: Argo
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained
  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables
  • Best Animated Feature Film: Brave
  • Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi
  • Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina
  • Best Directing: Ang Lee for Life of Pi
  • Best Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man
  • Best Documentary Short: Inocente
  • Best Film Editing: William Goldenberg for Argo
  • Best Foreign Language Film: Amour (Austria)
  • Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell for Les Misérables
  • Best Music-Original Score: Mychael Danna for Life of Pi
  • Best Music-Original Song: Skyfall from Skyfall (Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth)
  • Best Production Design: Rick Carter (Production Design); Jim Erickson (Set Decoration) for Lincoln
  • Best Visual Effects: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott for Life of Pi
  • Best Writing-Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio for Argo
  • Best Writing-Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained
• Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar legend was honoured with the posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy award. His daughter sitarist Anoushka Shankar accepted the award on his behalf on 9 February 2013 ahead of the Grammy’s show that took place in Los Angeles on 10 February 2013. Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones attended the pre-Grammy ceremony at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for accepting the honour which was given to their deceased father. Pandit Ravi Shankar died on 11 December 2012 at 92 years of age. Pandit Ravi Shankar was in the list of seven other artistes named for Lifetime Achievement Award honourees. The Indian sitar legend also won best world music album Grammy for the Living Room Sessions Part 1. PanditRavi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka Shankar was also nominated in this category for album Traveller.
  
• The Romanian film Child's Posehas picked up the coveted Golden Bear prize for best film at the 63rd Berlin film festival. The film, directed by Calin Peter Netzer, tells the story of a wealthy mother who uses her connections to try and stop her son from going to jail. US filmmaker David Gordon Green won best director at the festival for his comic road movie Prince Avalanche, while best actress went to Chile's Paulina Garcia for her role as a Santiago divorcee in Gloria.The biggest surprise at the Berlin awards ceremony was the best actor prize going to Nazif Mujic, a Bosnian Roma who had never acted before and had to be talked into playing himself in a drama based on his real-life ordeal.
  
• Michael Clarke, the Australian cricket captain won the fourth Allan Border Medal in Melbourneon 4 February 2013. 31-year old Clarke had won the medal earlier in 2005, 2009 and 2012. Apart from Clarke, the only other player to win this medal four times is Captain Ricky Ponting. Michael Clarke also won the Test cricketer of the year award for the second consecutive time after he scored 1080 runs in nine tests from 25 February 2012 to January 28 2013.Allan Border Medal is a prestigious award given away in the Australian cricket. It was first awarded in 2000. The Allan Border Medal is named after the former captain of Australia, Allan Border.

AWARDS FEBRUARY 2013

AWARDS FEBRUARY 2013

• Indian scientist Sugata Mitra was awarded the million-dollar TED Prize on 26 February 2013 for pursuing his idea for building the schools in the Internet. TED Prize is actually awarded to the extraordinary people who have creative as well as bold ideas for global change. Sugata Mitra is a researcher who started inspiring the children across the world to arouse curiosity in them. In 1999, Sugata along with his colleagues installed the Internet-connected computer in New Delhi and left it with the hidden camera. Eventually, the slum kids started learning English as well as searched the Internet for various Science and other topics. Sugata performed these experiments for 13 years, which eventually earned him 1 million US dollars TED Prize. TED Prize was first introduced in 2005. 

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• B Surender Mohan, CMD, NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) was conferred with the CEO with HR Orientation Award on 17 February 2013 at the World HRD Congress 2013 in Mumbai. Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited is a Navratna Government of India Enterprise. World HRD Congress is actually the largest meeting of the HR professionals from the world which brings together global personalities. World HRD Congress is held annually and the purpose of the meeting is to honour best CEOs who implement as well as innovate the new techniques in HR arena. The World HRD Congress 2013 was held at Hotel Taj Lands End, Mumbai. 170 HR professionals from USA, South America, India and England participated in this meeting. B Surender Mohan was chosen for this award by Jury and Council of Board Members of World HRD Congress 2013.

• 
  

• Information Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh, P. Vijaya Babu was conferred with Narla-Deveneni puraskaram at a function held at Guntur on 28 February. With an experience of over 25 years in main stream journalism, Mr. Vijaya Babu has been chosen for the ‘puraskaram’ for his contribution to the field of journalism. The award was instituted in memory of former Editor of Andhra Prabha and Andhra Jyothi Narla Venkateswara Rao and Deveneni Subba Rao. From this year, Annamaya Seva Samithi has been entrusted with the task of presenting the award. The previous recipients of the award were Turlapati Kutumba Rao, Ch. Raghavachari, Harihara Priya, Sankara Narayana and senior journalist from Tenali B.L Narayana.

• 
  

• Bollywood actor Anupam Kher was honoured by Herb J. Wesson, Jr, President Los Angeles City Council and Tom Labonge, Council Member 4th District with a City Proclamation at Los Angeles City Hall on February 26 in Los Angeles, California.It may be known that the actor’s performances in films like Bend It Like Beckham and went on to do Bride & Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices, American Blend, Hope and a Little Sugar, Midnight’s Children and TV series ER has been appreciated and been an inspiration for other actors.

• 
  

• Vishwaroop, CEO, NTPC SAIL Power Company (NSPCL) has been conferred with “Exemplary Leader Award” by World HRD Congress “Global HR Excellence Awards” held in Mumbai on 25 February. Vishwaroop has been honored for his contribution to the Power Sector. NTPC SAIL Power Company (NSPCL) is the joint venture between NTPC Limited and SAIL for generating power for the steel plants in India.

• 
  

• The 85th Academy Awards (Oscars) ceremony took place on 24 February 2013. The annual Academy Awards were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The Oscars 2013 ceremony was held at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The main winners of the Oscars 2013 were Life of Pi, with four awards; Argo with three awards; Les Miserables with three awards. 

• Some of the key awards are -

• 
  

• List of the awardees of 85th Academy Awards:

• Best Picture: Argo

• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln

• Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook

• Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained

• Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables

• Best Animated Feature Film: Brave

• Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi

• Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina

• Best Directing: Ang Lee for Life of Pi

• Best Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man

• Best Documentary Short: Inocente

• Best Film Editing: William Goldenberg for Argo

• Best Foreign Language Film: Amour (Austria)

• Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell for Les Misérables

• Best Music-Original Score: Mychael Danna for Life of Pi

• Best Music-Original Song: Skyfall from Skyfall (Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth)

• Best Production Design: Rick Carter (Production Design); Jim Erickson (Set Decoration) for Lincoln

• Best Visual Effects: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott for Life of Pi

• Best Writing-Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio for Argo

• Best Writing-Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained

• Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar legend was honoured with the posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy award. His daughter sitarist Anoushka Shankar accepted the award on his behalf on 9 February 2013 ahead of the Grammy’s show that took place in Los Angeles on 10 February 2013. Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones attended the pre-Grammy ceremony at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for accepting the honour which was given to their deceased father. Pandit Ravi Shankar died on 11 December 2012 at 92 years of age. Pandit Ravi Shankar was in the list of seven other artistes named for Lifetime Achievement Award honourees. The Indian sitar legend also won best world music album Grammy for the Living Room Sessions Part 1. PanditRavi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka Shankar was also nominated in this category for album Traveller.

• 
  

• The Romanian film Child's Posehas picked up the coveted Golden Bear prize for best film at the 63rd Berlin film festival. The film, directed by Calin Peter Netzer, tells the story of a wealthy mother who uses her connections to try and stop her son from going to jail. US filmmaker David Gordon Green won best director at the festival for his comic road movie Prince Avalanche, while best actress went to Chile's Paulina Garcia for her role as a Santiago divorcee in Gloria.The biggest surprise at the Berlin awards ceremony was the best actor prize going to Nazif Mujic, a Bosnian Roma who had never acted before and had to be talked into playing himself in a drama based on his real-life ordeal.

• 
  

• Michael Clarke, the Australian cricket captain won the fourth Allan Border Medal in Melbourneon 4 February 2013. 31-year old Clarke had won the medal earlier in 2005, 2009 and 2012. Apart from Clarke, the only other player to win this medal four times is Captain Ricky Ponting. Michael Clarke also won the Test cricketer of the year award for the second consecutive time after he scored 1080 runs in nine tests from 25 February 2012 to January 28 2013.Allan Border Medal is a prestigious award given away in the Australian cricket. It was first awarded in 2000. The Allan Border Medal is named after the former captain of Australia, Allan Border.

చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు డిసెంబరు 24

*🌎చరిత్రలో ఈరోజు / డిసెంబరు 24*🌎

*◾డిసెంబర్ 24, గ్రెగొరియన్‌ క్యాలెండర్‌ ప్రకారము సంవత్సరములో 358వ రోజు (లీపు సంవత్సరములో 359వ రోజు ). సంవత్సరాంతమునకు ఇంకా 7 రోజులు మిగిలినవి.*▪

*🕘సంఘటనలు 🕘*

*🔥1865: శ్వేతజాతి ఆధిపత్యం తగ్గిపోవడాన్ని సహించలేని కొందరు దురహంకారులు కుక్లక్స్‌ క్లాన్‌ అనే సంస్థను స్థాపించారు. ఆ తర్వాత ఆ సంస్థ సభ్యులు నల్లజాతివారిపై చేసిన అత్యాచారాలకు అంతేలేదు.*

*🔥1914: మొదటి ప్రపంచయుద్ధంలో భాగంగా జర్మనీ-బ్రిటన్‌ల మధ్య పోరు జరుగుతోంది. డిసెంబర్‌ 24 రాత్రి జర్మన్‌ సైనికులు తమ చుట్టూ ఉన్న ప్రాంతాన్ని కొవ్వొత్తులతో అలంకరించి పాటలు పాడటం ప్రారంభించారు. ఇంగ్లిష్‌ సైనికులు కూడా వారితో గొంతు కలిపారు. ఇరుపక్షాల సైనికులూ సిగార్లూ మద్యంసీసాలు బహుమతులుగా ఇచ్చిపుచ్చుకున్నారు. క్రిస్‌మస్‌ ట్రూస్‌గా పేరొందిన ఇలాంటి సంఘటన ప్రపంచ చరిత్రలో మరెప్పుడూ జరగలేదు.*

*🔥1968: నాసా అంతరిక్షనౌక అపోలో 8లో ప్రయాణించిన వ్యోమగాములు చంద్రుడి కక్ష్యలో ప్రవేశించి ఆ ఘనత సాధించిన తొలి మానవులుగా చరిత్ర పుటలకెక్కారు.*

*🔥1986:పార్లమెంటు ఆమోదించిన 'వినియోగదారుల హక్కుల రక్షణ చట్టానికి రాష్ట్రపతి ఆమోదం లభించింది. నాటి నుంచి ఈ రోజును జాతీయ వినియోగదారుల హక్కుల పరిరక్షణ దినోత్సవంగా జరుపుకొంటున్నాం.*

*🔥1925: ప్రాట్ & విట్నీ మొట్టమొదటి విమాన ఇంజెను తయారుచేయటం పూర్తిచేసింది*

*🔥1999: ఇండియన్ ఎయిర్‌లైన్స్ విమానం కామ్దహార్‌కు హైజాక్ చేయబడింది.*

*🔥1989: మనదేశంలో మొట్టమొదటి ఎమ్యూజ్‌మెంట్‌ పార్క్‌ 'ఎస్సెల్‌ వరల్డ్‌' ముంబయిలో ప్రారంభమైంది.*

*🔥1999: కాఠ్మండు నుంచి ఢిల్లీకి వస్తున్న ఇండియన్‌ ఎయిర్‌లైన్‌ విమానాన్ని టేకాఫ్‌ అయిన కొద్దిసేపటికే తీవ్రవాదులు హైజాక్‌ చేశారు.*

*🔥2000: భారత్కు చెందిన చదరంగం ఆటగాడు, విశ్వనాథన్ ఆనంద్ ప్రపంచ ఛాంపియనయ్యాడు. ఆ ఘనత సాధించిన తొలి ఆసియా ఆటగాడు విశ్వనాథన్‌ ఆనంద్‌.*

*🔥2002: ఢిల్లీ మెట్రో రైల్వేను ప్రధానమంత్రి అటల్ బిహారీ వాజపేయి ప్రారంభించాడు.*

*❣జననాలు* ❣

*♦1907: బులుసు వెంకట రమణయ్య, తెలుగు కవి మరియు రచయిత. (మ.1989)*

*♦1924: మహమ్మద్ రఫీ, హిందీ, ఉర్దూ, మరాఠీ మరియు తెలుగు భాషల సినిమా నేపథ్యగాయకుడు. (మ.1980)జి సైదేశ్వర రావు*

*♦1924: సి.కృష్ణవేణి, తెలుగు సినిమా నటీమణి, గాయని మరియు నిర్మాత.*

*♦1956: అనిల్ కపూర్, భారతీయ నటుడు మరియు నిర్మాత.*

*🍃మరణాలు*🍃

*🔹1987: ఎం.జి.రామచంద్రన్‌, సినిమా నటుడు, తమిళనాడు మాజీ ముఖ్యమంత్రి. (జ.1917)*

*🔹1988: మోదుకూరి జాన్సన్, సుప్రసిద్ధ నటులు, నాటక కర్త. (జ.1936)*

*🔹2005: భానుమతి, ప్రముఖ దక్షిణ భారత సినిమా నటి, నిర్మాత, దర్శకురాలు, స్టూడియో అధినేత్రి, రచయిత్రి, గాయని మరియు సంగీత దర్శకురాలు. (జ.1925)*

*🔥 జాతీయ దినాలు* 🇮🇳

*🌷అంతర్జాతీయ జీవ వైవిధ్య దినోత్సవం.*

*🌷సెంట్రల్ ఎక్సయిజ్ డే*