Awards -

A.1. National Awards: 1. Bharat Ratna Establishment: ‘Bharat Ratna’, the highest civilian Award of the country, was

instituted in the year 1954. Importance:

Bharat Ratna is given for exceptional work is the advancement of art, literature and science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order.

In December 2011, the Government of India modified the criteria to allow sportspersons to receive the award; since then, the award may be conferred “for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour.”

Any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex is eligible for these awards.

The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. No formal recommendations for this are necessary.

On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. The Award does not carry any monetary grant.

The decoration is in the form of a peepal leaf, about 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide and 3.1 mm thick. It is of toned bronze. On its obverse is embossed a replica of the sun, 1.6 cm in diameter, below which the words “Bharat Ratna” are embossed in Hindi. On the reverse are State emblem and the motto, also in Hindi.

The emblem, the sun and the rim are of platinum. The inscriptions are in burnished bronze.

Till now 43 people have been honoured with The Bharat Ratna.

The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.

The holders of the Bharat Ratna rank 7th in the Indian order of precedence.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the first foreigner to be honoured with this award in 1987.

Indira Gandhi was the first woman recipient of Bharat Ratna.

The original statutes of January 1954 did not make allowance for posthumous awards (and this perhaps explains why the decoration was never awarded to Mahatma Gandhi).

It was amended in January 1966 and included posthumous awards; Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first person to be honoured with Bharat Ratna posthumously.

Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest person alive at the time of receiving the award (at the age of 40) and the only sports person to receive the award.

Dhondo Keshav Karve is the eldest person alive at the time of receiving the award (age 100).

First Awardee: The first three recipients of Bharat Ratna were C. Rajagopalchari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and Dr. C.V. Raman in 1954 List of Bharat Ratna Recipients:

Year Name of Laureates

Notes

1954 C. Rajagopalachari Independence activist, last and only Indian Governor-

General of India

C. V. Raman Nobel laureate physicist (1930)

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Philosopher, India’s first Vice-President (1952–62), and second President (1962–67)

1955 Visvesvaraya Civil engineer, statesman and Diwan of Mysore (1912–18)

Jawaharlal Nehru Independence activist, author, and first Prime Minister of India (1947–64)

1957 Govind Ballabh Pant

Independence activist, first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh(1950–54)

1958 Dhondo Keshav Karve

Social Reformer

1961 Bidhan Chandra Roy

Physician-Surgeon and second Chief Minister of West Bengal (1948–62)

Purushottam Das Tandon

Independence activist, educator

1962 Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Independence activist, lawyer, first President of India (1950–62)

1963 Zakir Hussain Independence activist, second Vice-President of India (1962–67), and third President of India (1967–69)

Pandurang Vaman Kane

Indologist and Sanskrit scholar

1966 Lal Bahadur Shastri Independence activist and third Prime Minister of India (1964–66); (Posthumous recipient)

1971 Indira Gandhi Former Prime Minister of India (1966–77, 1980–84)

1975 V. V. Giri Trade unionist, first Acting President of India, and fourth President of India (1969–74)

1976 K. Kamaraj Independence activist and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1954–57, 1957–62, 1962–63; (Posthumous recipient)

1980 Mother Teresa Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity and Nobel peace prize laureate (1979); (Naturalized citizen recipient)

1983 Vinoba Bhave Independence activist, social reformer, and Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate (1958); (Posthumous recipient)

1987 Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Independence activist; (1st Non Indian Citizen recipient)

1988 M. G. Film actor and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

Ramachandran (1977–80, 1980–84, 1985–87); (Posthumous recipient)

1990 B. R. Ambedkar Chief architect of the Indian Constitution and social reformer; (Posthumous recipient)

Nelson Mandela Leader of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1993); (2nd Non Indian citizen recipient)

1991 Rajiv Gandhi Ninth Prime Minister of India (1984–89); (Posthumous recipient)

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Independence activist and first Deputy Prime Minister of India (1947–50); (Posthumous recipient)

Morarji Desai Independence activist and sixth Prime Minister of India (1977–79);

1992 Abul Kalam Azad Independence activist; (Posthumous recipient)

J. R. D. Tata Industrialist and philanthropist

Satyajit Ray Filmmaker

1997 Gulzarilal Nanda Independence activist and two times interim Prime Minister of India

Aruna Asaf Ali Independence activist; (Posthumous recipient)

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Aerospace and Defense Scientist, eleventh President of India (2002–07)

1998 M. S. Subbulakshmi

Carnatic classical vocalist

Chidambaram Subramaniam

Independence activist and former Minister of Agriculture of India (1964–66)

1999 Jayaprakash Narayan

Independence activist and social reformer; (Posthumous recipient)

Ravi Shankar Hindustani classical Sitar player

Amartya Sen Nobel laureate economist (1998)

Gopinath Bordoloi Independence activist, first Chief Minister of Assam (1946–50); (Posthumous recipient)

2001 Lata Mangeshkar

Playback singer

Bismillah Khan Hindustani classical Shehnai player

2009 Bhimsen Joshi Hindustani classical vocalist

2013 C.N.R. Rao Chemist

Sachin Cricketer

Tendulkar

2014 Madan Mohan Malaviya

Educationist and politician (President of Indian National Congress (INC) in 1909, 1918); (Posthumous recipient)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Former Prime Minister of India (1996), (1998), (1999-2004), poet

Points to be noted:

There are total 12 Posthumous recipients of Bharat Ratna.

Two Non-Indians recipients.(Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Nelson Mandela)

One Naturalised Citizen to receive the Bharat Ratna. (Mother Teresa)

Six are former Prime-Ministers.(Pandit Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Morarjee Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee)

Five former President of India. (Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Zakir Hussain, V.V Giri, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam)

Maximum four Bharat Ratna were awarded in year 1999.

Till to date, Seven persnolities from received this award About Madan Mohan Malviya: He was born on December 25, 1861 and was an educationist and politician notable

for his role in India’s freedom struggle. He was popularly known ‘Mahaman’. He is founder of Asia’s largest residential university – Banaras Hindu University. He was President of Indian National Congress in 1909 and 1918. He is also remembered for his stellar role in the Independence movement and his

espousal of Hindu nationalism. He is considered as one of the initial leaders of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha

and died in 1946. About Atal Bihari Vajpayee He was born on 25th December 1924. He is an Indian statesman who was

the11th Prime Minister first for 13 days in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004. Notably he is the first PM from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term.

He is amongst the founder members of erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh which later became known as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He was parliamentarian for over 4 decades and was elected to the Lok Sabha for 9 times, and 2 to the Rajya Sabha.

He was also the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Janta Government headed by Morarji Desai i.e. from 1977-79.

In 2009, he retired from active politics due to health concerns. Recently, Union government had announced to observe his birthday as Good

Governance Day.

2. Padma Awards: Establishment: Padma Awards were instituted in the year 1954. Importance:

The award is given in three categories, namely: 1. Padma Vibhushan (exceptional and distinguished service) – second degree

honour

2. Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of a high order) – third degree honour 3. Padma Shri (distinguished service) – fourth degree honour

It is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines, such as Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry etc.

All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards.

Foreigners are also eligible for Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards.

Except for brief interruption(s) during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997, these awards have been announced every year on Republic day.

The decoration comprises a Sanad (Certificate) issued under the hand and seal of the President and a Medallion.

The details of Medallion are as follows: 1. Padma Vibhushan: Medal is circular in design with a geometrical pattern

superimposed on the circle. The diameter of the circular portion is 4.4 cm and the thickness is about 0.6 mm. On the obverse there is a lotus flower embossed in the circular shape. The word ‘Padma’ is embossed in Hindi above and the word ‘Vibhushan’ below the lotus are in burnished bronze. All embossing on either side of decoration is in ‘White Gold’.

2. Padma Bhushan: Design same as Padma Vibhushan medal but the embossing on either side is in standard gold.

3. Padma Shri: Same design as other Padma medals but all embossing on either side of the decoration is in stainless steel.

Recent Awardee: In 2014, President has approved 127 awards. The list includes 2 Padma Vibhushan, 24 Padma Bhushan and 101 Padma Shri awards. Padma Vibhushan was awarded to Dr Raghunath A Mashelkar, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra, B K S Iyengar, Yoga, Maharashtra. 3. Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award: Establishment: It is instituted in 1992. Who gives the Award? It is awarded by All India Congress Committee of the Indian

National Congress Party (INC) Importance:

Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award (Rajiv Gandhi National Communal Harmony Award) is an Indian award given for outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national integration and peace.

It is given on 20 August, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, which is celebrated as Sadbhavna Diwas (Harmony Day).

The award carries a citation and a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh. Recent Awardee: In 2014 noted filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who had directed the Bollywood classic “Umrao Jaan”, was awarded Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award. 4. Jamnalal Bajaj Awards: Establishment: It was established in 1978.

Who gives the award? It was awarded by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation of Bajaj Group, in the memory of group founder, philanthropist and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Jamnalal Bajaj. The award ceremony takes place on his birth anniversary, November 4 Importance: Jamnalal Bajaj Award is an Indian award, for promoting Gandhian values, social work and social development. The award comprises a citation, a trophy and a cheque of Rs five lakh each. It is given

in four categories, namely: 1. Constructive Work 2. Application of Science and Technology for Rural development. 3. Outstanding contribution for the Development and Welfare of Women and

Children (Established in 1980, in the memory of Janaki Devi Bajaj) 4. International Award for promoting Gandhian values outside India. (Established

in 1988 on birth centenary of Jamnalal Bajaj, given to an individual of foreign nationality)

Recent Awardee: 1. Constructive Work: Shri Surendra Koulagi(Founder, Janapada Seva Trust,

Karnataka) 2. Application of Science & Technology for Rural Development: Shri. Ram Kumar

Singh (Managing Trustee & Director, Suruchi Shikshan Vasahat Trust, Gujarat) 3. Development and Welfare of Women and Children: Smt. Chennupati

Vidya (Founder President, Vasavya Mahila Mandali, Andhra Pradesh) 4. Contribution in Promotion of Gandhian Values Outside India by Individuals

other than Indian Citizens : Mr. Sulak Sivaraksa (Founder, International Network of Engaged Buddhists, Thailand)

5. International Gandhi Peace Prize (Gandhi Shanti Puraskar): Establishment: It was established in 1995, on the occasion of the 125th birth

anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi. Importance: The International Gandhi Peace Prize was established as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi. It is named after Mahatma Gandhi and awarded annually by the Government of India. This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. The award carries 1 Crore (10 million) in cash, convertible in any currency in the world, a plaque and a citation. It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed or sex. First Awardee: First time the award was conferred to first President of Tanzania

Julius Nyerere in 1995. Recent Awardee: Indian environmentalists, social activist and a pioneer of Chipko Andolan, Chandi Prasad Bhatt was conferred with the 2014 Gandhi Peace Prize. 6. Indira Gandhi Peace Prize: When established? It was constituted in 1986. Who gives the Award? It is awarded by Government of India. Importance:

It is also known as the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and

Development.

It is the prestigious award given annually by India to individuals or organizations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.

The prize carries a cash award of 2.5 million Indian rupees and a citation.

The recipients are chosen from a pool of national and international nominees. First Awardee: The first award was given in 1986 to an international organization of Parliamentarians- Parliamentarians for Global Action. Recent Awardee: The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2014 was awarded to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) contribution in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space. Previous Recipients: The last five previous recipients are as follows:

Year Recipient Country 2013 Angela Merkel (Chancellor of Germany) Germany 2012 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (President) Liberia 2011 Ela Bhatt (Founder of Self Employed Women Association

(SEWA)) India

2010 Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva (Ex- President) Brazil 2009 Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister) Bangladesh

First three recipients of the award were • 1986 - Parliamentarians for Global Action, it was an International Organisation of

Parliamentarians • 1987 - Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Soviet Union Leader • 1988 - Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway 7. Jnanpith Award: Establishment: It was instituted in 1961. Who gives the Award? It is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain family, the publishers of the newspaper The Times of India. Importance:

It is a literary award in India and one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country other being Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.

Any Indian citizen who writes in any of the official languages (22 official languages mentioned in the eighth Schedule of the Constitution) of India is eligible for the honour.

First Awardee: first award was given in the year 1965 to G. Sankara Kurup for his work in Malayalam.

Recent Awardee: In 2013 Kedranath Singh was given the award of his work in Hindi language.

8. Sahitya Academy award: Establishment: It was established in 1954

Who gives the award? It is the highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India Importance:

Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages recognised by the Sahitya Akademi.

The award's purpose is to recognize and promote excellence in Indian writing and also acknowledge new trends.

It is limited to twenty one individuals at any given time. Recent Awardee: On 19th December Sahitya Akademi Awards 2014 were announced, these are,(Awards for Manipuri and Sanskrit languages will be declared later)

Language Title and Genre Author Assamese Mariam Astin Athaba Hira Barua(Short

Stories) Arupa Patangia Kalita

Bengali Piya Mana Bhabe (Poetry) Utpal Kumar Basu Bodo Udangnifrai Gidingfinnanei (Poetry) Urkhao Gwra Brahma Dogri Hashiye Par (Novel) Shailender Singh Gujarati Chhabi Bhitarani (Essays) (late) Ashvin Mehta English Trying to Say Goodbye (Poetry) Adil Jussawalla Hindi Vinayak (Novel) Ramesh Chandra Kannada Uttaraardha (Essays) G.H. Nayak Kashmiri Kore Kakud Pushrith Gome (Poetry) Shad Ramzan Konkani Manthan(Essays) Madhavi Sardesai Maithili Uchat (Novel) Asha Mishra Malayalam Manushyanu Oru Aamukham (Novel) Subhash Chandran Marathi Chaar Nagarantale Maaze Viswa

(Autobiography) Jayant Vishnu Naralikar

Nepali Satta Grahan (Short Stories) Nanda Hankhim Odia Bipula Diganta (Poetry) Gopalkrushna Rath Punjabi Agarbatti (Poetry) Jaswinder Rajasthani Sundar Nain Sudha (Short Stories) Rampal Singh Rajpurohit Santali Mala Mudam (Play) Jamadar Kisku Sindhi Sija Agyaan Buku (Poetry) Gope Kamal Tamil Agngnaadi (Novel) Poomani Telugu

Mana Navalalu - Mana Kathanikalu (Literary Criticism)

Rachapalem Chandrashekara Reddy

Urdu Shahdaba (Poetry) Munawwar Rana Recipients of Sahitya Akademi Awards in Marathi: 2010 - Ashok Kelkar 2011 - Manik Godghate - Vāryāne Halate Rān 2012 - Jayant Pawar - Phoenixchya Rakhetun Uthla Mor 2013 - Satish Kalasekar - Vachanaryachi Rojanishee

2014 - Jayant Vishnu Narlikar Chaar Nagranatale Maaze Viswa (Autobiography) 9. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Establishment: The award was instituted in the year 1991–92. Importance: The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (RGKR) is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports, given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, government of India. The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "sports gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. Recent Awardee: In 2013 the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was given to Ronjan Sodhi in shooting. For the 2014 Award the selection committee headed by Kapil Dev gave no nomination for the award. The committee did not find anyone suitable for the country’s highest sports award. 10. Arjuna award: Establishment: The award was instituted in 1961 Importance: The Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll. It is awarded annually. Recent Awardee: The 2014 Arjuna Award was given to 14 sports personalities. These are Abhishek Verma (archery), Tintu Luka (athletics), H.N. Girisha (para-athletics), V. Diju (badminton), Geethu Anna Jose (basketball), Jai Bhagwan (boxing), R. Ashwin (cricket), Anirban Lahiri (golf), Mamta Pujari (kabaddi), Saji Thomas (rowing), Heena Sidhu (shooting), Anaka Alankamony (squash), Tom Joseph (volleyball), Renubala Chanu (weightlifting), and Sunil Kumar Rana (wrestling). 11. Dronacharya award: Establishment: The award was instituted in 1985. Importance: Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.300, 000. It is awarded annually. Recent Awardee: In 2014 following personalities were awarded the Dronacharya award- Mahabir Prasad (wrestling); Lifetime achievement: N. Lingappa (athletics), G. Manoharan (boxing), Gurcharan Singh Gogi (judo), Jose Jacob (rowing). 12. National Film Awards: Establishment: The Awards were first presented in 1954. Importance:

The National Film Awards is one of the most prominent film award ceremonies in India.

Every year, a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the award ceremony is held in New Delhi, where the President of India presents the awards. This is followed by the inauguration of the National Film Festival, where the award-winning films are screened for the public.

Due to the national scale of the National Film Awards, it is considered the Indian

equivalent of the American Academy Awards. Recent Awardee: The 61st National Film Awards ceremony was held on May 3, 2014 to honour the best films of 2013 in the Indian cinema.

Category Winner Film Best Film (Hindi)

Jolly LLB (Director-, Actor-)

Best Direction Hansal Mehta Shahid (Hindi) Best Actress Geetanjali Thapa (Liar’s Dice, Hindi) Best Actor Raj Kumar and Suraj Venjaramoodu Shahid (Hindi) and

Terariyathavar (Malyalam) Respectively

Special Mention

Gauri Gadgil and Sanjana Rai Yellow (Marathi)

Best Feature film in Marathi

Aajcha Divas Majha (Director- Chandrakant Kulkarni, lead actors- Sachin Khedekar, Ashwini Bhave, Mahesh Manjrekar )

13. Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Establishment: It was instituted in 1969 (100th birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke) by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema. Who gives the award? It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Importance:

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema. The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema" and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of 1,000,000.

Phalke (1870–1944), who is popularly known as and often regarded as "the father of Indian cinema", was an Indian film-maker who directed India's first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).

As of 2013, there have been 45 awardees. Among those, actor Prithviraj Kapoor is the sole posthumous recipient.

First Awardee: The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, who was honoured at the 17th National Film Awards. Recent Awardee:

Veteran poet, lyricist, and filmmaker Gulzar was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 61st National Film Awards for the year 2013.

He is the 45th recipient of the award.

His real name is “Sampooran Singh Kalra.

In 2013, he was appointed as the Chancellor of the Assam University.

He wrote his first song ‘Mora Gora Ang Lai Le‘ for Bimal Roy´s film Bandini.

His poetry are of Triveni (it is a form of Hindi/urdu poetry) type.

His poems include Chand Pukhraaj Ka, Raat Pashminey Ki and Pandrah Paanch Pachattar.

His short stories are published in Raavi-paar (also known as Dustkhat in Pakistan) and Dhuan (smoke).

For the peace campaign (Aman ki Asha) jointly started by India’s and Pakistan’s leading media houses, he wrote the anthem “Nazar Main Rehte Ho”, which was recorded by Shankar Mahadevan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

14. Saraswati Samman: Establishment: It was instituted in 1991. Who gives the Award? K. K. Birla Foundation presents the award. Importance:

The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any 22 Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.

It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India.

It consists of Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a plaque. Candidates are selected from literary works published in the previous ten years by a panel that included scholars and former award winners.

First Awardee: The first recipient of the award was Harivanshrai Bachchan for his four volume autobiography, Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se Door and Dashdwar se Sopan Tak. Recent Awardee:

In 2013 Govind Mishra was awarded Saraswati Samman for his book Dhool Paudho Par published in 2008.

He is the second Hindi author who was conferred this honour after it was given to Harivansh Rai Bachchan in 1991.

Mishra's first novel "Wo Apna Chehra" was published in 1969. His famous novel "Lal Peeli Zameen" published in 1976 was much talked about.

He is also the recipient of various awards like 'Sahitya Akademi Award', 'Vyas Samman' and 'Bharat-Bharti Samman'.

15. Maharashtra Bhushan: Establishment: It was instituted in 1995 Who gives the award? It is presented by government of Maharashtra Importance:

The Maharashtra Bhushan is a highest and prestigious award presented annually by the government of Maharashtra state in India.

It was initially conferred in every year in the fields of Literature, Art, Sport, and Science.

Later the fields of Social Work, Journalism, and Public Administration

and Health Services were included. The award is presented for outstanding achievement in their field.

At present, the award carries a cash prize of 5 lakh, a memento and citation.

The winners are selected by a committee appointed of the Government of Maharashtra

First Awardee: The Maharashtra Bhushan was first awarded in 1996 to Purushottam Laxman Deshpande for his contribution to literature. Recent Awardee: Maharashtra Bhushan for 2012 was awarded to Nuclear Scientist Dr. Anil Kakodkar for his contributions to Nuclear Science. 16. Maharashtra State Film Awards: Establishment: It was instituted in 1963. Who gives the Award? Maharashtra State Film Awards, one of prestigious awards of Marathi cinema, are awarded by the Government of Maharashtra to Marathi language films and artistes. 51st Maharashtra State Film Awards 2014:

Category Winner Best Film Avatarachi Goshta (Director- Nitin Dixit) Best Actor Mohan Joshi (film- Rangkarmi) Best Actress Samidha Guru (film- Kapus Kondyachi Goshta) Best Direction Avatarachi Goshta (Director- Nitin Dixit) Best Grameen Film 72 Miles Ek Pravas (Director- Rajiv Patil)

17. Jayant V. Narlikar awarded Sahitya Akademi Award. Astrophysicist Jayant V. Narlikar was conferred the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his autobiography.

The Pune-based 76-year-old scientist's autobiography "Chaar Nagrantale Majhe Vishwa" was unanimously selected for the award in Marathi literature category, it was announced.

Known for theories:-

Quasi-steady state cosmology

Hoyle-Narlikar theory of gravity

Notable awards

Padma Vibhushan

Adams Prize (1967)

Padma Bhushan

18. President Pranab Mukherjee presented Saakshar Bharat Awards 2014 President Pranab Mukherjee on 8 September 2014 presented the Saakshar Bharat Awards 2014 at International Literacy Day Celebrations. The function was organized by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. He gave away 11 Saakshar Bharat Awards 2014 to State, Districts, Blocks, Gram Panchayats, State Resource Centre (SRC) and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) for their best performance in the field of adult education. One of the recipient of Saakshar Bharat National Award 2014 was G.S.R. K.R. Vijaykumar, the District collector of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. He received

the award for turning 4.75 lakh non literates into literates within nine months in the total literacy programme. Saakshar Bharat Awards 2014 were given in following categories: 1. State- State Literacy Mission Authorities (SLMAs) 2. District- Zilla Lok Shiksha Samitis (ZLSSs) 3. Gram Panchayat- Gram Lok Shiksha Samitis (GLSSs) 4. Resource Support Organisations like University Dept. of Adult & Continuing Education, SRCs, JSSs, NGOs and other organisations. Saakshar Bharat Awards Saakshar Bharat Awards were instituted by the National Literacy Mission Authority, Government of India to encourage institutions working in the field of literacy and skill development. The awards are presented on the occasion of International Literacy Day every year on 8 September 2014. About Saakshar Bharat Saakshar Bharat is a centrally sponsored scheme of Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) and Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. It was launched on 8 September 2009. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------ A.2. International Awards: 1. Raman Magsaysay Award: Establishment: The prize was established in April 1957. Magsaysay Awards were

first awarded in 1958. Who established? It was established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund based in New York City with the concurrence of the Philippine government. Importance:

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. He died in a plane crash in 1957.

The Award is given to individuals or organizations of Asia who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions which have transformed their societies for the better.

It is awarded annually. It is the highest honour of Asia and it is often known as “Nobel Prize of Asia”.

The awards were given in six categories, these are: 1. Government Service 2. Public Service 3. Community Leadership 4. Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts 5. Peace and International Understanding 6. Emergent Leadership

Recent Awardee: The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards for year 2014 were announced on 31 July 2014 and it included six winners.

1. Saur Marlina Manurung (Indonesia) 2. Randy Halasan (The Philippines) 3. Hu Shuli (China) 4. Omara Khan Masoudi (Afghanistan) 5. The Citizen Foundation (Pakistan) 6. Wang Canfa (China)

2. Nobel Prize: Establishment: The will of the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel established the prizes in 1895. Who gives the award? The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in a number of categories by Swedish and Norwegian committees in recognition of cultural and/or scientific advances. The prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace were first awarded in 1901. The related Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was created in 1968. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel Prize in Physics, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences; the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; the Swedish Academy grants the Nobel Prize in Literature; and the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded not by a Swedish organisation but by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Importance:

The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, while the other prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Nobel Prize is widely regarded as the most prestigious award available in the fields of literature, medicine, physics, chemistry, peace, and economics.

The various prizes are awarded yearly. Each recipient, or laureate, receives a gold medal, a diploma and a sum of money, which is decided by the Nobel Foundation.

The prize is not awarded posthumously; however, if a person is awarded a prize and dies before receiving it, the prize may still be presented.

Though the average number of laureates per prize increased substantially during the 20th century, a prize may not be shared among more than three people.

Recent Awardee:

Category Winner Contribution 2013 Winner

Physics

Shuji Nakamura (University of California Santa Barbara) and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano of Japan

For the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources

François Englert, Peter W. Higgs

Chemistry Stefan Hell (Max Planck Institute For the development of Martin Karplus,

for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen), William Moerner ( Stanford University in California) and Eric Betzig (Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia)

super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.

Michael Levitt, Arieh Warshel

Medicine or

Physiology

British-US scientist John O’Keefe and married couple May-Britt and Edvard Moser from Norway

For discovering the brain’s “inner GPS”.

James E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman, Thomas C. Südhof

Economics Jean Tirole (Toulouse University)

for his work on market power and regulation, and his work on taming powerful firms

Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert Shiller

Literature Patrick Modiano (French author)

for the “art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation”

Alice Munro

Peace

Malala Yousafzai, the teenage Pakistani education campaigner shot on a school bus in 2012 by a Taliban gunman, and Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children’s rights activist.

For their struggle against the suppression of exploitation of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Nobel Laureates of India: Year Laureates Subject Notes

1913 Rabindranath

Tagore Literature

He was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his “Geetanjali” a collection of his poems.

1930

Chandra Shekar Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman)

Physics

He was awarded Nobel Prize for his work in the field of light scattering. This effect is now named after him — the Raman scattering

1968 Dr. Hargobind

Khorana

Physiology / Medicine

He was awarded Nobel Prize for interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis. He shared the award with Robert W. Holley and Marshall W. Nirenberg. He acquired U.S. citizenship in 1966

1979 Mother Teresa Peace

She was awarded Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979, for her service through her Charitable Mission “Nirmal Hriday” at Calcutta to people suffering from

Leprosy and to those people dying in destitute. She was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian origin and became naturalized citizen of India in 1948.

1983 Subramanian

Chandrashekar

Physics

He along with William A. Fowler won the Nobel Prize in Physics in for their mathematical theory of black holes. The Chandrasekhar limit is named after him. He acquired US citizenship in 1953. He is Nephew of Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman

1998 Dr. Amartya Sen Economics

He was awarded Nobel Prize for his work in Economic Theory related to Poverty, Democracy, Development and Social Welfare.

2009 Dr.

Venkataraman Ramakrishnan

Chemistry

He won the Nobel Prize along with a co-American Thomas Steitz and Ada Yonath of Israel for mapping ribosomes, the protein procucing factories within cells at the atomic level. He has Dual British and U.S citizen.

2014 Kailash Satyarthi Peace

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2014 jointly with Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

He has been active in the Indian movement against child labour since the 1990s. His organization, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, has freed over 80,000 children from various forms of servitude and helped in successful re-integration, rehabilitation and education.

3. Man Booker Prize: Establishment: It was instituted in 1969 Who gives the award? The award is sponsored by the Man Group of Britain. Importance:

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction (formerly known as the Booker-McConnell Prize and commonly known simply as the Booker Prize) is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language, and published in the UK.

The prize money awarded with the Booker Prize was originally £21,000, and was

subsequently raised to £50,000 in 2002 under the sponsorship of the Man Group, making it one of the world's richest literary prizes.

First Awardee: The first recipient of the Booker Prize was P.H. Newby for novel- Something to Answer for. Recent Awardee: The winner of the Man Booker Prize 2014 was Richard Miller Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North. He is an Australian novelist from Tasmania. 4. Man Booker International Prize: Establishment: It was instituted in June 2004 Who gives the Award? The award is sponsored by the Man Group of Britain. Importance:

The Man Booker International Prize is an international literary award.

It is given every two years to a living author of any nationality for a body of work published in English or generally available in English translation.

While the Man Booker Prize was, from its beginning, only open to writers from the Commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe (but now it is open to authors from all over the world), the International Prize is open to all nationalities. The award is worth £60,000 and an author can only win once.

First Awardee: First Awardee was Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare Recent Awardee: In 2013 Lydia Davis (United Nations) received the Prize. Indian writer U R Ananthamurthy was nominated for the award in 2013. 5. Laureus World Sports Award: Establishment: It was established in 1999 by founding patrons Daimler and Richemont and is supported by its global partners Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen. Who gives the award? It is presented by Laureus World Sports Academy. Importance:

The Laureus World Sports Awards is widely considered the "Oscars of sports”.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honoring remarkable individuals from the world of sports along with the greatest sporting achievements throughout the year.

It is awarded in six categories- Sportsman, Sportswoman, Best Team, Breakthrough, Comeback and Action Sports Awards.

Recent Awardee:

On 26th March 2014, The Laureus World Sports Award for 2014 was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Awards were announced in seven categories. The winners are:

Award Winner Reference

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Sebastian Vettel

Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, the youngest four-time Formula One world champion in history at 26, was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

Laureus World Sportswoman of

Missy Franklin

US swimmer Missy Franklin, at 18, became the youngest ever winner of the Laureus World

the Year Sportswoman of the Year Award. She is the first

woman swimmer in history to win six gold medals at a single World Championships. She continues to refuse prize money and endorsements so that she can maintain her amateur status in college.

Laureus World Team of the Year

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich is the first football club to complete the treble of UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup.

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Marc Márquez

Spain’s Marc Márquez received the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award, after winning the World MotoGP Championship at just 20 years and 266 days. He also made history by becoming the youngest winner of a Grand Prix, in Austin in April, at 20 years 63 days.

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, returning after a seven-month absence because of injury to win the French Open and US Open Grand Slam titles and regain his No 1 world ranking.

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Marie Bochet

France’s Marie Bochet, aged 19, and is the first athlete to complete a Grand Slam of all five events at one Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

Jamie Bestwick

Britain’s BMX star Jamie Bestwick, is the only athlete in X Games history to win eight straight gold medals, two more than legends such as Tony Hawk and Shaun White.

There were two additional Awards:

The Laureus Spirit of Sport Award was presented to the Afghanistan Cricket Team for qualifying themselves in the Cricket World Cup.

The Laureus Sport for Good Award was presented to Magic Bus, the sports-based community project in India.

6. Oscars (Academy Awards): Establishment: The awards were first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Who gives the Award? The awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture

Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Importance:

Oscars are originally known as the “Academy Awards”.

It is an Annual American Award presented for the achievements in the film industry.

The awards were first televised in 1953.

During the 29th ceremony, (March 27, 1957), the category for Best Foreign Language Film was introduced, before that it was honoured with Special Achievement Award.

Recent Awardee:

The 86th Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

During the ceremony, the AMPS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honouring films released in 2013.

Gravity won maximum awards i.e. 7, these are Best director, Best visual effects, Best sound editing, Best sound mixing, Best cinematography, Best film editing, Best original score. It was nominated in 10 Categories.

Some of the important awardees of 86th Academy Awards are as follows: 1. Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave, Director- Steve McQueen , Lead Actor- Chiwetel

Ejiofor (As Solomon Northup) 2. Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity). 3. Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club). 4. Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) 5. Best Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty, Italy.

The 87th Academy Awards is scheduled for February 22, 2015. 7. Field’s Medal- Mathematician’s Nobel Prize: Establishment: It was established in 1936 Who gives the Award? It is awarded by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) at the International Congress of IMU Importance:

The Fields Medal is officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics.

It is often viewed as the greatest honour a mathematicians can receive and it is described as the “Mathematician’s Nobel Prize”.

The informal name of the honour i.e. Fields Medal is in the honour of Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields.

It is awarded every 4 years to 2, 3 or 4 mathematicians not above the 40 years of age.

The medal is stamped with the head of Archimedes.

United States of America (USA) have highest number of Field Medallists up till now i.e. 20.

In 2010 the International Mathematical Union (IMU) was held at Hyderabad, India and in 2018 it will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

First Awardee: The medal was first awarded in 1936 to Finnish mathematician Lars Ahlfors and American mathematician Jesse Douglas Recent Awardee: Fields Medal for the year 2014 was awarded in August 2014 Seoul, South Korea. The awardees are as follows: 1. Maryam Mirzakhani- Iranian born mathematician became the First women to

win a prestigious coveted Fields Medal 2. Manjul Bhargava- a Canadian-American teaching at Princeton University. He also

became the first mathematician of Indian origin to win the Fields Medal. 3. Artur Avila- He is the first Latin American to win the award. He is from Brazil. 4. Martin Hairer- He is from Austria.

8. Pulitzer Prize: Establishment: It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of American (Hungarian-born) publisher Joseph Pulitzer. Who gives the award? It is administered by Columbia University in New York City. Importance:

The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.

Prizes are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. In twenty of the categories, each winner receives a certificate and a US$10,000 cash award.

The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal

9. George Polya Prize: Establishment: It was established in 1969. Importance:

It is awarded in the honour of Hungarian mathematician George Polya

Polya (1887-1985), is credited with fundamental advances in combinatorics, numerical analysis, number theory and probability theory.

George Polya Prize is given every two years alternately in two categories: for a notable application of combinatorial theory; and for a notable contribution in another area of interest like as approximation theory, complex analysis, number theory, orthogonal polynomials, probability theory, mathematical discovery and learning.

Recent Awardee: The 2014 George Polya Prize was presented to Nikhil Srivastava and colleagues Adam W Marcus and Daniel A Spielman 10. India-Born poet Wins Pulitzer.

India-born poet Vijay Seshadri has won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of poems – “3 Sections”. He received the award in the category of Books, Drama and Music. He became the fifth person of Indian origin to bag this prize.

Awards :- Other person of Indian origin, who won this prize : 1 Gobind Behari Lal in 1937 for coverage of science; 2 Jhumpa Lahiri in 2000 for Interpreter of Maladies, collection of short stories; 3 Geeta Anand in 2003 for coverage of corporate scandals in US; 4 Siddharth Mukherjee in 2011 for The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of

Cancer. 11. Abel Laureate – 2014:-

On 26th March 2014, The Norwegian Academy of Science announced the 2014 Abel Award to Yakov G. Sinai of Princeton University, USA and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences. The award was presented on 20th May 2014, in Oslo.

The award was honoured to Yakov G. Sinai for his “fundamental contributions to dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and mathematical physics”.

Some other awards won by Yakov Grigorevich Sinai

The Boltzmann Medal (1986), Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics

(1990), Dirac Medal (1992), the Wolf Prize in Mathematics (1997), Nemmers Prize (2002) and the Henri Poincaré Prize (2009).

Abel Prize:- The Abel Prize is considered to be the mathematician’s Nobel Prize (both in

prestige and value). For mathematics, there is no Nobel Prize. The Abel Prize is an international prize presented by the King of Norway to one or

most outstanding It was first proposed during the 100th birthday of Abel in 1902.

Named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829), the award was established on 1st January 2002 by the Government of Norway for outstanding scientific work in the field of mathematics, the 200th birth anniversary of Abel’s birth

12. UNESCO Asia‐Pacific Heritage Awards 2014 announced UNESCO Asia‐Pacific Awards 2014 for Cultural Heritage Conservation were announced in Bangkok on 2 September 2014. Esplanade House & Shri Sakhargad Nivasini Devi Temple Complex bagged the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards from India. Out of 46 entries a total of 14 projects have been recognized for UNESCO Asia‐Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2014. The award is an annual recognition of conservation projects by non-state actors across five categories: Award of Excellence, Award of Distinction, Award of Merit, Honourable Mention and Jury Commendation for Innovation. Awards for 2014 Award of Distinction: Saryazd Citadel, Yazd, Islamic Republic of Iran The award recognized the commitment made by private sector partnerships to protect a unique historic desert complex, while providing significant socio‐economic benefits for the local community through renewed employment opportunities. Awards of Merit: • Shri Sakhargad Niwasini Devi Temple Complex, Kinhai Village, Maharashtra, India • Exeter Farm, Glenwood, New South Wales, Australia • Frankton Boatshed, Queenstown, New Zealand • Wak Hai Cheng Bio, Singapore • Phraya Si Thammathirat Residence, Bangkok, Thailand Honourable Mention: • Shahzada Hussain Mausoleum, Karez Village, Helmand Province, Afghanistan • Cape Inscription Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters, Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia • Rottnest Island World War II Coastal Defences, Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia • Nanjing Yihe Mansions, Jiangsu Province, China • Esplanade House, Mumbai, India • De Driekleur, Bandung, Indonesia • Gali Surjan Singh, Lahore, Pakistan Jury Commendation for Innovation: • Lucky Shophouse, Singapore

About Shri Sakhargad Niwasini Devi Temple complex The Shri Sakhargad Niwasini Devi Temple complex is located in Kinhai village near Satara, Pune. It was restored by the city-based Kimaya architects, headed by conservationist Kiran Kalamdani. About the UNESCO Asia‐Pacific Heritage for Cultural Heritage Conservation Awards The Awards was established in 2000 with the aim to encourage other property owners to undertake conservation projects within their communities, either independently or by seeking public‐private partnerships. The UNESCO Asia‐Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme recognizes the efforts of private individuals and organizations that have successfully restored and conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region. The conserved or restored heritage structure, place or property must be over 50 years old and for settlements and landscapes, the essential historic elements must be more than 50 years old to consider for these awards. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.3. Others

1. Labour MP of the year 2014. On 6th November 2014, Indian-origin British politician Nigel Keith Anthony

Standish Vaz, was named as the Labour MP of the year 2014. He was chosen for this award for his valuable work for underrepresented,

deprived and minority sections in the United Kingdom.

2. Jnanpith award conferred on Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the 49 Jnanpith Award to eminent Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh for his outstanding contribution towards Indian literature on 10thNovember 2014.

3. UN honoured J&K woman cop serving in Afghanistan.

An inspector named Shakti Devi (38) from Jammu & Kashmir Police was awarded with the prestigious International Female Police Peacekeeper Award 2014 in Winnipeg, Canada.

4. Muzaffar Ali presented Rajiv Sadbhavana award On Wednesday 20th August 2014, renowned Indian filmmaker and poet Muzaffar

Ali was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana award at Jawahar Bhavan in New Delhi by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, the president of All-India Congress Committee (AICC).

5. Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana award:- The Sadbhavana award, was instituted in 1992 by the All India Congress

Committee in honour of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The AICC celebrates “sadbhavana diwas” every year to mark the birth anniversary

of Rajiv Gandhi.

6. Shah Rukh Khan conferred with top French award. On 1st of July 2014, Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan was conferred with top

French civilian award ‘Knight of the Legion of Honor”. Shah Rukh was awarded

Padma Shri in 2005 by Government of India and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

by the government of France in 2007 for his contribution to cinema

7. Gandhi Peace prize 2013 On 15th July 2014, President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Chandi Prasad

Bhatt, pioneer of the Chipko Movement, with the Gandhi Peace Prize 2013. About Gandhi Peace Prize/Gandhi Shanti Puraskar: Gandhi Peace Prize is an international award started in the year 1995, on the

occasion of 125th birth anniversary of M.K. Gandhi. This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their

contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

8. Queen confers Knight Grand Cross on Ratan Tata. (National & International)

On 12th April 2014, Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the Tata Group was honoured by Queen Elizabeth with a GBE (Knight Grand Cross), one of the UK’s highest civilian awards.

9. Tagore honoured in the House of Commons, UK:- Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore was honoured in the House of

Commons, UK. India, Bangladesh and UK joined hands to honour Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861-7 Aug 1941) one of the greatest poets of the common wealth, at the mother of all parliaments, the House of Commons.

Tagore is the first non-European, Non-American and non-White to win the Nobel Prize. He won the noble prize in literature in 1913 for his well known collection Gitanjali.

List of famous books written by Tagore: Gitanjali Gora Kabuliwala The Post Office Chokher Bali The Gardener Sesher Kobita Stray Birds

10. A.S. Pillai, father of BrahMos, gets Lal Bahadur Shastri Award

On 7th October 2014, India's renowned defence technologist and father of ‘BrahMos’ cruise missile, Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai, was conferred the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award :-

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award honours each year an Indian, residing in India or abroad, who is an exceptionally outstanding and distinguished business leader, management practitioner, public administrator, educator or institution builder for his or her sustained individual contributions and achievements of high professional award and excellence.

The award, which carries cash of Rs. 5 lakh, citation and a plaque, was given to

Pillai for his outstanding contribution in the field of aerospace and missile technology. Pillai is recipient of the 15th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award.

During a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium, the President said conferment of this award on Pillai is recognition for the outstanding work done by our space and defence research scientists.

Work:-

A recognised scientist, Pillai had graduated in Electrical Engineering from Madras University. He underwent management programme at Harvard Business School and obtained PhD from Pune University. He has worked with great visionary leaders like Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Prof Satish Dhawan and APJ Abdul Kalam to contribute in country’s major space research programme.

He has worked as Chief Controller (Research and Development), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ‘BrahMos Aerospace’, a joint venture between India and Russia.

Pillai has also contributed to the successful development of SLV3, India’s first satellite launch vehicle, as a core team member and in the evolution of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) configuration for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He has written many books including revolution in leadership, nano science and nano technology for engineering.

Awards:-

Pillai is a recipient of civilian honours Padma Shree in 2002 and Padma Bhushan in 2013. Recently he received the lifetime award from Rotary Club of Madras.

11. Gallantry Awards:-

Gallantry Award for rescuing two girls of Mohinaba Girl's school from drowning at Navagam reservoir in Narmada.

Winner of Charumati Yoddha Award (Jyotisangh), Ahmedabad.

Winner of Ambubhai Purani Vyayam Vidyalay Award (Rajpipala).

12. Indian mathematician Nikhil Srivastava named joint winner of 2014 George Polya Prize.

On 11th July 2014 Nikhil Srivastava, a young Indian mathematician became the first joint winner of the prestigious 2014 George Polya Prize for finding a solution to a problem that had eluded mathematicians for more than half a century (Kadison-Singer conjecture).

What is Kadison-Singer conjecture? The Kadison-Singer conjecture is a mathamatical puzzle which was first proposed

by Richard Kadison and Isadore Singer in 1959. What is George Polya Prize: Established in 1969, George Polya Prize is given every two years alternately in two

categories: for a notable application of combinatorial theory; and for a notable contribution in another area of interest like as approximation theory, complex analysis, number theory, orthogonal polynomials, probability theory, mathematical discovery and learning.

13. Angelina Jolie Is Made an Honorary Dame by the Briton’s Queen.

(International) On Friday 13th June 2014, Angelina Jolie was awarded with the honorary title by

Queen Elizabeth II in London. The 39-year-old actress and humanitarian co-chaired a global summit to end sexual violence in conflict in London. She was made an “honorary Dame Commander” for her services to UK foreign policy and her campaigning to end sexual violence in war zones.

This title is the female equivalent of an honorary knighthood.

14. A Nageswara Rao became first Indian actor to be honoured by US post service

Indian Telugu Actor, Akkineni Nageswara Rao became the first Indian actor to be honoured with a postage stamp by the US Post Service (USPS). It was announced by the Akkineni Foundation of America (AFA) on 30 August 2014. The stamp will be issued on the birth anniversary of Nageshwara Rao that is on 20 September 2014 in Dallas Texas. The AFA is planning to release the stamp in India on 17 December 2014 at the first International Akkineni Awards Ceremony being planned at ANR College, Andhra Pradesh. About Akkineni Nageswara Rao

Nageswara Rao popularly known as ANR was born in Rama Puram, Andhra Pradesh on 20 September 1923 and died on 22 January 2014. He was also a film producer with the name of the Annapurna Studios banner.

His first movie was Dharmapatni and last movie was Manam in Telugu. He acted in 255 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. He had 75 year acting career and he was named as Nata Samrat.

His movies are Maya Bazaar, Chenchu Lakshmi, Laila Majnu, Missamma, Anarkali, Batasari, Devadasu, Prem Nagar, Premabhishekam, and Meghasandesham.

He received Padma Bhushan (1988), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1991) and Padma Vibhushan (2011) for his contribution to Indian Cinema.

He also received many awards including Filmfares, Nandi Award and Kalaimamani.

ANR founded Annapurna International School of Film and Media in 2011 to encourage talents in the acting field.

15. Dr. Kamal Bawa won MIDORI Prize in Biodiversity 2014

Dr. Kamal Bawa, an Indian Scientist, on 8 September 2014 won the MIDORI Prize in Biodiversity 2014. Bawa was honoured for his research that included climate change in the Himalayas.

The name of the winners along with Kamal Bawa was announced in Tokyo, Japan and Montreal, Canada by the AEON Environmental Foundation and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat.

MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity

The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is a biennial international prize which was established in 2010 at the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the AEON

Environmental Foundation. The date of its establishment coincided with the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity.

The MIDORI Prize are given to three individuals for their outstanding contributions for conservation and sustainable use at local and global levels and who have developmentally influenced various biodiversity-related efforts, as well as raising awareness about biodiversity.

The MIDORI Prize is co-hosted by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and will be a key instrument at the service of the objectives of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020. About Dr. Kamal Bawa

He is a professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston

He also is the President of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)

In February 2012, Bawa received International Recognition as the recipient of the first Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science, a major international prize

16. Malala Yousafzai conferred 2014 Liberty Medal

Malala Yousafzai was conferred with the 2014 Liberty Medal on 21 October 2014 at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia.

The Pakistani teenager and Nobel Peace Prize winner is the youngest recipient of the American award, which was established in 1988 to commemorate the 200 years of the US Constitution.

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Awards-2 A.1. Manmohan Singh received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh on 3 November 2014 received the Japan’s top national award The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers 2014. He was awarded for his contribution to the enhancement of relations and promotion of friendship between Japan and India for about 35 years. Manmohan Singh became the first Indian to receive this rare honour. He is among other 57 foreign recipients who are also named for the Order of the Paulownia Flowers 2014. About the award The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers

In 1888, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers was established as the highest award under the Orders of the Rising Sun. The award is presented by the Japanese Government.

The medal features rays of sunlight radiating from the rising sun wreathed by Paulownia flowers. It is worn on the left chest.

It is a high level National Order and a rare honour awarded to those who are recognised for their distinguished contribution.

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A.2. Azim Premji awarded Swiss Ambassador's Award Swiss Ambassador's Award was constituted in 2010. The award recognises individuals who have contributed to the promotion of Indo-Swiss relations or have stood out for their exceptional role in society and industry. In past, the award has been conferred on Yash Chopra director – producer of Bollywood; Ratan Tata Chairman-Emeritus of Tata Sons; Glenn Saldanha CMD of Glenmark Generics Limited and RV Kanoria, Chief Managing Director of Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Ltd. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.3. Indian-American Neha Gupta won International Children’s Peace Prize 2014 Neha Gupta on 18 November 2014 was awarded with the prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize 2014. Neha, an 18-year-old Indian American from Philadelphia was awarded for her work to help orphans in India and other vulnerable children. Neha became the first ever American to be awarded with the prize. In 2013, the award was conferred on Malala Yousufzai, who went on to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. About Neha Gupta o Neha through her own organization Empower Orphans has helped 25000

vulnerable children by raising over 1.3 million US dollar o She is a citizen of the United States of America, born in New Zealand to Indian

parents ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------ A.4. Maharashtra State Marathi Flim Awards – 2014

1st Prize Avatarachi Gostha 2nd Prize Pitrurunn 3rd Prize Jay Jay Kar Best Actor Ashok Lokhande (Yeshwantrao Chavan bakhar

eka vadalachi) Best Actress Smitha Tambela (72 mile ek pravas) Raj Kapoor Life Time Achievement

Award Tanuja

V Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award

Uma Bhende

Best Story Gayatri Kolte (Tani ) Best Social film Dr. Prakash Baba Amte Best Social film Director Samruddhi Pore Best Rural Movie 72 mile ek pravas ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.5. 61st National Film Awards for 2013 Announced

The 61st National Film Awards for the year 2013 in the Feature Film category, Non-Feature Film category and Best Writing on Cinema.

S.No.

Name of Award Name of Film Awardees Medal & Cash Prize

1

BEST FEATURE FILM

Ship of Theseus (English-Hindi)

Producer: Recyclewala Films Pvt Ltd Director : Anand Gandhi

Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,50,000/- each to the Producer and Director

2

INDIRA GANDHI AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT FILM OF A DIRECTOR

Fandry (Marathi)

Producer: Navalkha Arts and Holy Basil Combine Director : Nagraj Manjule

Swarna Kamal and Rs 1,25, 000/- each to the Producer and Director

3

BEST POPULAR FILM PROVIDING WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Hindi)

Producer: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, ROMP Pictures Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,00,000/- to the Producer and Director

4 BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES

Tuhya Dharma Koncha (Marathi)

Producer: Indian Magic Eye Motion Pictures Pvt Ltd. Director : Satish Manwar

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,50,000/- each to the Producer and Director

5

BEST FILM ON ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION/ PRESERVATION

Perariyathavar(Malayalam)

Producer:Ambalakkara Global Films Director : Dr Biju

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,50,000/- each to the

Producer and Director

6 BEST CHILDREN’S FILM

Kaphal (Hindi)

Producer: Children’s Film Society of India Director : Batul Mukhtiar

Swarna Kamal and Rs 1,50,000/- each to the Producer and Director

7 BEST DIRECTION

Shahid (Hindi)

Hansal Mehta

Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,50,000/-

8 BEST ACTOR

Shahid (Hindi) & Perariyathavar(Malayalam)

Raj Kumar & Suraj Venjaramoodu

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000/- (Cash component to be shared)

9 BEST ACTRESS Liar’s Dice (Hindi)

Geetanjali Thapa

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000/-

10 BEST CHILD ARTIST

Fandry (Marathi) & Thanga Meengal(Tamil)

Somnath Avghade & Sadhana

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000/- (cash component will be shared)

11 BEST MARATHI FILM

Aajcha Diwas Majha

Producer: White Swan Productions Director :Chandrakant Kulkarni

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000/- each to the Producer

and Director

12 BEST ENGLISH FILM

The Coffin Maker

Producer: Shree Narayan Studio Director : Veena Bakshi

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000/- each to the Producer and Director

13 BEST NON FEATURE FILM

Rangbhoomi (Hindi)

Producer : Films Division Director : Kamal Swaroop

SWARNA KAMAL & Rs 1,50,000/- each to the Producer & Director

14

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL/ HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION

The Last Adieu (English)

Producer : Films Division Director : Shabnam Sukhdev

RAJAT KAMAL & Rs 50,000/- each to the Producer & Director

15

BEST ARTS /CULTURAL FILM

Shared a. The Lost Behrupiya(Hindi) b. O Friend, This Waiting ! (English, Telugu)

Producer : Holybull Entertainment LLP Director : Sriram Dalton Producer : Justin McCarthy Director : Sandhya Kumar & Justin McCarthy

RAJAT KAMAL & Rs 50,000/- each to the Producer & Director (cash component to be shared among the films)

16

BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FILM

The Pad Piper (English)

Producer : Akanksha Sood Singh Director : Akanksha Sood Singh

RAJAT KAMAL & Rs 50,000/-

each to the Producer & Director

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.6. Indians awarded with Queen’s New Year Honours 2015 Queen’s New Year Honours for the year 2015 were given on 1 January 2015. The honours were conferred on more than thousand persons, which included several persons of Indian-Origin from various field. Indians conferred Queen’s New Year Honours Knighthood Nilesh Jayantilal Samani (an Indian-origin professor at the University of Leicester) - his contribution to Cardiovascular Sciences changed scientific thinking and impacted on clinical practice in the field Medallist of the British Empire Fauja Singh (world’s oldest Marathon runner at age 103) – for athletic achievements and charity. Title of Commander of the British Empire was awarded to Meera Syal (Actor and author) - for services to drama and literature Shakuntala Michaela Ghosh - for services to Venture Philanthropy and the Voluntary Sector, particularly to the homeless and disadvantaged young people in London Uma Mehta (chief community services lawyer in the London borough of Islington) – for services to children Title of Officers of the Order of the British Empire was awarded to Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia - for services to interfaith and community cohesion Venugopal Karunakaran Nair - for services to Science Dilip Nathwani - for services to treatment of infectious diseases Surat Singh Sangha - for services to entrepreneurship Jatinder Kumar Sharma - for services to further education Title of Members of the Order of the British Empire was awarded to Subhash Chander Chaudhary - for services to biotechnology manufacture in North East England) Surinder Kaur Ghura - for services to interfaith understanding and to the community in Newcastle upon Tyne Gurmel Singh Kandola (chief executive, National Sikh Museum, Derby) - for services to the community Surinder Pal Singh Khurana - for services to the community in North East Lincolnshire Atul Maru - for services to law enforcement Vanita Parti - for services to the beauty industry and to street children in India Ushma Patel - for services to public administration and to the community through the Dharmaj Society of London New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system and is given annually on New Year's Day, i.e. 1 January. It is marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. These awards are presented by or in

the name of the reigning monarch, at present by Queen Elizabeth II. The honours are being given since 1890. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------