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Home , Baba Amte, Chung To, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Divya Bharti, Jamnalal Bajaj Award, Mahabir Pun

Bank Probationary Officer General Awareness AWARDS AND HONOURS

Magsaysay for Amte Couple Honorary fellowship for Y.V. Ramon Magsaysay foundation in Manila declared Y.V. Reddy Governor Reserve Bank of was its 2008 Magsaysay Award for community leadership awarded an honorary fellowship by The London School to the philanthropist doctor couple Mandakini and of Economics and Political Science (LSE) recognising Prakash Amte. Prakash is the son of social activist his commitment to the under previleged. and the couple is among the several indi- viduals from different countries who have been se- IT@school wins national level award lected for this years award. The IT@School programme of State Gov- They follow the footsteps of Baba Amte who won ernment has bagged the award for the ‘best govern- the award in 1985. ment initiative in IT-enabled teaching’. The award was Other winners of the year are Akio Ishii from Ja- pan, for journalism, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, for peace given at the e-India 2008 conference held at New Delhi. and international understanding. Phalke Award for Ananda Halappali from will receive the Veteran Bengali film director Tapan Sinha was se- award for emergent leadership for providing effective services to victims of trauma from war and disasters. lected for Lifetime achievement Therdachai Jivacate of and cen- award for the year 2006. He was conferred recently tre for Agriculture and Rural development share the the “one time award for lifetime achievement” by na- award for public service. tional government while commemorating 60th Inde- Grace Padacawas awarded the Magsaysay 2008 pendence day. award for government service. She is the Philippine Provincial Governor who empowered the voters in Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award her province of Isabela to ‘reclaim their democratic Chairman, Indian Council of Gandhian studies N. right to elect leaders of their own choosing”. Radhakrishnan has been selected for the Rajiv Gan- dhi Sadbhavana Award for the year 2007. 54th National Film Award declared The 54th for 2006 were an- Khel Ratna Award nounced with film ‘Pulijanmam’ by director ICC Twenty -20 winning captain Mahendra Singh Priyanandan being selected as the best feature film. Dhoni has been selected for The best actor award was bagged by actor Soumi- Award for the year 2007. He is the second cricketer tra Chatterjee for his role in the Bengali film after Sachin Tendular to win the prize. “Podokkhep”. while Priyamani won the best actress Global Vision Award award for her role in Tamil Film ‘’. The award for the best director has gone to Madhur Bhan- The US- India business council, a business advo- darkar for his film ‘Traffic Signal’. cacy organisation jointly formed by the U.S. and In- super hit film ‘Lage Raho Bhai’ dia, has honoured Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and by director Raj Hirani has been adjudged the best Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises by conferring with the popular film providing wholesome entertainment. The ‘Global Vision’ award. film also won awards in the best screenplay and best Best National Male Actor Award lyrics category. The 54th National Film Award for Best Actor was given to Bengali actor . Mr. Chat- outstanding contribution to the development of space terjee was declared winner of the award for his perfor- technology. mance in the Bengali film ‘Podokkhep’. Commonwealth Award IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Indian - Origin writer Indra Sinha’s book ‘Animal’s Lebanese author Rawi Hage has won the £ 100,000 People’, based on the Bhopal gas tragedy, has been (about 63.5 lakh) International IMPAC Dublin Literary adjudged this year’s best book in Europe and South Award, the world’s richest prize for a work of fiction. by the common wealth. ’s Lawrence Hill won the top commonwealth writers prize for ‘The Book Godfrey Philips bravery award of Negros’. Hill has been named the winner of the best Dancer - turned - actor Sudha Chandran is among book award. 10 persons chosen for the Godfrey Philips bravery Awards. Sudha Chandran, who had a successful ca- India Abroad Person of the year 2007 reer as a performing dancer despite losing her leg in Award 1982, conferred the ‘Mind of Steel’ award for achieving India - born internationally acclaimed filmmaker success against all odds. Mira Nair has been honoured with the ‘Person of the Global Award on architecture Year’ award by the ‘India Abroad’ news paper in rec- ognition of her work. The award was presented to Ms. Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik’s work - a polar bear Nair by Pepsi Company CEO Indra Nooyi at New York. on top of a globe praying “save my family” has won the first prize in a competition on ‘sculpture on global J.C. Daniel Award warming’ in Berlin. P. Ramdas, director and producer of the first neo- Knighthood realistic malayalam film ‘News Paper Boy’ was select- ed for the J.C. Daniel Award for 2007. India- born British author Salman Rushdie was kinghted by Queen Elizebeth II in London June for Punyabhushan Puraskar 2008 his “Services to Literature”. Former CSIR Director RA Mashelkar has been cho- Officer de la legion d’ honneur sen for the Punyabhushan Puraskar 2008 for his con- tribution to the field of science and technology. The Bollywood filmmaker was conferred award is instituted by Tridal in the memory of freedom on the title ‘Officer de la legion d’ honneur’, the high- fighters , Rajguru and Sukhdev. The est French distinction, for his contribution to Indian award carries a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh and citation. Cinema. Golden Key Award Prem Bhatia Award Internationally acclaimed pop singer Remo Nirupama Subramanian, ‘’ Corrospon- Fernandes has been conferred with the ‘Golden Key dent in , has been awarded the Prem Bhatia to Alexandra’ Award by the Egyptian government. Award for the best political reporting for 2008. Ms. The singer is on forefront to preach social message Subramanian has been awarded for her ‘sensitive and through music. astute coverage of major developments in Pakistan, including the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the law- Pritzker Architecture Prize 2008 yer’s campaign for the restoration of independent supe- Jean Nouvel, the French architect has won the Pritz- rior judges, the parliamentary elections, and the induc- ker Architecture prize 2008, for his “courageous pur- tion of the new democratic government in Pakistan.” suit, exuberance and insatiable urge for creative ex- Raja Rammohan Roy Puraskar 2008 perimentation”. The prize, instituted by the Hyatt Foundation car- ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair wa conferred ries a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion. It is con- with the Raja Rammohan Roy Puraskar 2008 for his sidered to be the Nobel Prize equivalent for architec- K. K. Birla Foundation Awards ture. Conferred Jit Gill Memorial Award The Governor of Rajasthan S. K. Singh gave away Social activist has been awarded the the K. K. Birla Foundation’s Bihari and Vachaspati World Bank’s Jit Gill Memorial Award for his contri- awards for 2007 in Jaipur. The Bihari award which car- bution in public service. ries a cash component of Rs. 1 lakh was given to Yash- want Vyas for his satirical novel in Hindi on communal The 92nd Pulitzer Prizes: Washington violence ‘Comrade Godse’. post Wins Six Pulitzer Prizes Adiseshiah Award for Yogendra Singh The Washington Post won six Pulitzer Prizes, in- cluding the public service award for its reporting on Yadav conditions of U.S. war veterans at America’s flagship Political scientist and Psephologist Yogendra military hospital. The 92nd annual Pulitzer Prizes in Singh Yadav has won this year’s Malcolm Adiseshiah Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music were announced Award. A senior fellow of the Centre for Study of De- at in New York City. The Public veloping Societies was chosen from a list of eleven Service winner receives a gold medal and winners in nominees. the remaining 20 categories receive $ 10,000. The New P.R.Dasmunshi Selected Best York Times won in the explanatory reporting catego- ry. The Chicago Tribune was awarded for investiga- Parliamentarian tive reporting. Awards for Breaking news reporting, The Union Information and Broadcasting Minis- national reporting, international reporting, feature writ- ter Priyaranjan Dasmunshi has been selected as the ing and commentary went to the Washington Post. winner of the Best Parliamentarian of the year award. The Boston Globe won for criticism of the visual arts It is worthnoting that P. R. Dasmunshi is a five time M. and Investor’s Business Daily won for editional car- P. from Raiganj (West Bengal). He was first elected to tooning. Concord Monitor won award in feature pho- the Lok Sabha in 1971. P. R. Dasmunshi tography. G. D. Birla Award for Prof. Santanu Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards Bhattacharya Presented Prof. Santanu Bhattacharya of the Indian Institute Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) presented Rajiv of Science in has been selected for the G. Gandhi National Quality Awards on April 11, 2008. D. Birla Award for Scientific Research for his signifi- Steel Authority of India Limited’s Bokaro Steel Plant cant contributing to chemical biology and molecular Design. The award has been instituted by the K. K. won the Best of All Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Birla Foundation and carries a cash prize of Rs.1.5 lakh. Awards, 2007. The winners in the other category in- clude-Tata Motors , Tata Ryerson, Jamshedpur, Birla Foundation Awards Announced T. V. Super Fitter Industries Jammu and Wealthmax K. K. Birla Foundation awards for 2007 were an- Enterprise Management, Bangalore. nounced on Feb. 19, 2008 in New Delhi. Following are Prem Bhatia Award for Nirupama the awardees- Subramanian 16th Vachaspati Puraskar for 2007 (For any work written in ) - Mahakavi Swami Rambhadra- Nirupama Subramanian the Hindu’s correspondent charya for ‘Sribhargavaraghaviyam’. in Pakistan has been awarded the Prem Bhatia Award Bihari Puriskar for 2007 (Meant for Hindi and Raj- for the best political reporting for 2008. Mrs. Subrama- asthani writers belonging to Rajasthan) - Yashwant nian has been awarded for her sensitive and astute Vyas for ‘Comrade Godge’. coverage of major development in Pakistan. Shankar Puraskar for 2007. (Given for an outstand- 2008 Oscar Awards Announced ing work in Hindi on Indian philosophy, culture and The 80th Annual Academy Awards, popularly art during the last 10 years) - Prof. R.S. Tripathi. For known as Oscar Awards were announced in a gala Baudh Prasthan. function in the night of Feb. 24, 2008. Following are Saraswati Samman (Meant for an outstanding lit- the categorywise awardees- erary work in any Indian language) - Dr. Naiyer Ma-  Best Picture-No Country For Old Men sud; For Taoos Chaman Ki Myna  Best Director-Joel Coenand Ethan Coen (No Coun- G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research - Santanu try For Old Men) Bhattacharya. For his contribution in the field of Chem-  Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) ical Biology and Molecular design.  Best Actress-Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) Laureus Awards Announced, Roger  Best Supporting Actress-Tilda Swinton (Mihael Federer Wins Again Clayton)  Best Supporting Actor-Javier Bardem (No Coun- Roger Federer won the Laureus World Sportsman try For Old Men) of Year Award for 2008 while ’s Justine Henin  Best Foreign Language Film-The Counterfeiters won the World Sportswoman of the Year Award 2008. () The awards were conferred on February 18, 2008 in  Best Animated Feature Film-Ratatouille Saint Petersburg. The Awardees are as follows- Awardees Award 53rd Film Fare Awards Roger Federer () Sportsman of the year Aamir Khan directed movie ‘Taare Zameen Par’ Award swept the 53rd Film Fare Awards. Justine Henin (Belgium) Sportswoman of the Following are the list of award winners - year Award  Best Actor-Shahrukh Khan (Chak De) (Rugby Union) Team of the year  Best Actress- (Jab We Met) Paula Radcliff (GBR) Comeback of the year  Best Director-Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par) Award  Best Film- Taare Zameen Par Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Break through of the  Best Story-Arnol Gupta (Taare Zameen Par) year  Best Male Playback Singer-Shaan (Saawariyan) Shaun White (USA) Action Sports person  Best Female Playback Singer-Shreya Ghoshal of the year (Guru) Esther Vergeer() Sportperson of the  Best Newcomer-Ranbir Kapoor year with a disability.  Best Fresh Face- Sergei Bubka (Ukrine) Lifetime Achievement  Best Music Director-A. R. Rahman (Guru) Award  Best Lyricist-Prasoon Joshi (Taare Zameen Par) Dick Pound (Canada) Spirit of Sport Award  Best Supporting Actor-Irfan Khan (Life in a Metro) Brendan and Sean Tuohey Sport for Good Award  Best Supporting Actress-Konkana Sen (Life in a (USA) Metro) ANOC Merit Award for Kalmadi  Best Actor (Critics)-Oarsheel Safary (Taare Zameen Par) Indian Olympic Association (lOA) President,  Best Actress (Critics)- (Cheeni Kum) Suresh Kalmadi, has been conferred with the Associ-  Best Film (Critics)-Chak De ation of National Olympic Committee’s Merit Award  Best Oialogue-Imtiyaz Ali Gab We Met) for his contribution to the Olympic Movement. Mr.  Best Screenplay-Life in a Metro Kalmadi will be presented with the ANOC merit award  Lifetime Achievement Award- at the XVI General Assembly Meeting to be held in  R. D. Burman Award-Monty Sharma (Saawariyan) Beijing from April 7 to 9, 2008.  Power Awards-Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra International Indian Film Academy SA) 2008 held recently in Paris. This is one of the most (IIFA) Awards 2008 Conferred prestigious awards for business performance. International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards One World Award for Janhit were conferred on June 8, 2008 in Bangkok (Thailand) Foundation Chief for films exhibited in 2007. ‘Chak-De India’ swept nine honours with Shah Ii Rukh Khan receiving the best Anil Rana, Director of Janhit Foundation-a Meerut actor II award for his inspiring role as hockey coach in based NGO-has bagged the prestigious One World the film. Chak De’s Director Shimit Amin received the Award for his efforts for conservation of biodiversity best Director’s award. Jaideep Sahani received the and nature in Western Uttar Pradesh. The award was award for best story for the film. The awards in the presented to Mr. Rana at Modena () recently by technical section won by the film were: Cinematogra- ’s former Agriculture Minister Renate Ku- phy, Sound re-recording and editing. Kareena Kapoor naset. bagged the best actress award for ‘Jab We Met’. Irfan The 54th National Film Awards for 2006 Khan and Konkana Sen Sharma won for supporting roles in ‘Life in a Metro’. The award for Outstanding Announced Contribution to Indian Cinema was won by Shyam The 54th National Film Awards for 2006 were an- Benegal while the award for best performance in neg- nounced on June 10, 2008. Starrer ‘Lage ative role was won by for his role in Raho Munna Bhai’ which popularised the teachings Shootout at Lokhandwala. Javed Akhtar grabbed award of won the four honours. It became for best lyricist. was conferred the award for the first Hindi film sequel to repeat feat of winning as his performance in a comic role while veteran actress Munna Bhai MBBS had bagged the similar honour in Mumtaz was given away the award- Achievement in 2003. Apart from winning the award for Best Popular Indian Cinema. Shaan was adjudged the best play- Film-Lage Raho Munna Bhai also won awards for oth- back singer for ‘Jabse Tere Naina’ () while er categories like best lyrics (Swanand Kerkere), best Shreya Ghoshal received best playback singer (female) screen-play Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and for Barso Re in ‘Guru’. A. R. Rahman was adjudged Abhijit Joshi and best supporting actor Dilip Prab- for the award of Best Music Director for Barso Re havalkar who portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in the film. Barso Re in ‘Guru’. Veteran Bengali film Soumitra Chatterjee won the best actor award for the Bengali film Podokkhep while Tamil UN Award for R. S. Pandey Actress Priyamani won the best actress award for the Steel Secretary R. S. Pandey was presented the film Paruthiveeran. Best Feature Award went to Priy- prestigious United Nations Public Service Award in anandan’s Malyalam film Pulijanmam. Kabir Khan’s New York on June 23,2008 to mark ‘Public Service Day’. Kabul Express (Hindi) and Madhu Kathapram’s Ea- The award was bestowed on Mr. Pandey for con- kanatham (Malyalam) shared the Indira Gandhi Award ceptualising and implementing a unique programme for the Best First Film of a Director. of communitisation of public institutions and service The best Children’s film award was bagged by ‘Care in Nagaland during 2002-04 when he was state Chief of Footpath’ a film. Madhur Bhandarka’r got Secretary. the Best Director award for ‘Traffic Signal’. Dilip Prab- Mr. Pandey a 1972 batch IAS Officer of Nagaland havalkar got the best Supporting Actor for Lage Raho Cadre has also won the Civil Service Award for his Munnabhai (Hindi) and Shevri (Marathi); Best Sup- contribution to governance through this innovative por- ting Actress Award went to Konkana Sen Shar- programme. ma for Omkara Hindi Vishal Bhardwaj got the special Jury Award for Direction while Gautam Ghosh bagged Fox Mandal Bags Law Firm Award Best Cinematography award for ‘Yatra’. ‘Khosla Ka Fox Mandal Little (FML), India’s full service law Ghosla’ won the award for the Best Hindi film. Divya company has won the best national law firm award at Chahadkar in Antarnad (Konkani) has been chosen the International Legal Alliance Summit Awards (ILA- for the Best Child Artist award. The Dutt Award for the best feature film on is 2008 national integration was bagged by Kannada film ‘Kal- , the 57th Miss Universe beau- larli Huvagi’. Two new awards categories-best anima- ty pageant was held at the Crown Convention Center tion and best make up artist-have been constituted in” Nha Trang () on July 14, 2008. Dayana this year. Telgu film ‘Kittu’ won the award in the best Mendoza- Miss was crowned Miss Uni- animation film category and Anil Moti Ram Palande verse 2008 by title holder of . Eighty was awarded the best make-up artiste for the film Traf- contestants competed in the event which was broad- fic Signal. cast and distributed globally in mote than 180 coun- Edison Award for NDPL tries. The pageant was watched by nearly a billion North Delhi Power Limited has been awarded the television viewers worldwide. Edison Award by the Edison Electric Institute of the Salman Rushdie Wins the Best of of America for its operational excellence in the power industry and for utilising and integrating Booker Prize its Geograhical Information System (GIS) with other Salman Rushdie on July 10, 2008 beat five other applications for network planning, operations, com- fellow literary heavyweights to win the Best of Booker mercial and asset management. Prize for his path-breaking novel ‘Midnights Chil- dren’. Readers from all over the world voted the book World’s Richest Literary Prize for as their favourite. ‘Midnights Children’ which won a Lebanese Writer Booker Prize in 1981 and was chosen for the Booker of Lebanese author Rawi Hage has won the (E Bookers in 1993 was picked from a shortlist of six pre- 100,009, about Rs. 63.5 lakh) International IMP AC vious winners. Dublin Literary Award, the world’s richest prize for fiction Hage won the award for his book ‘De Niro’s Abhishek Majumdar Wins the Metro Game’ about his best friends from childhood who grow Plus Playwright Award to adulthood in war- ravaged Beirut. His book de- Abhishek Majumdar has won the Metro Plus Play- scribes the agonising choice they must make between wright Award 2008 for his entry Harlesden High Street. staying in the city and consolidating power through The award was instituted by ‘The Hindu’ newspaper crime or going into exile abroad alienated from the for the best original unpublished and unperformed only existence they have known. English script. The award carries a prize of Rs. 1 lakh for the winning entry. ‘Harlesden High Street’ is the Mandela Awarded Mahatma Gandhi fifth play written by the Bangalore-based playwright Peace Award Abhishek Majumdar. Former South African President was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi International Award 1st Prize for All India Radio in Iran for Reconciliation and Peace 2008 for touching hearts Festival of people across the world with contributions and sac- All India Radio’s Programme titled Janiba, Ame rifices in Durban on July 23, 2008. His long time prison Kama Kariba (Think Globaly, Act Locally) produced comrade and political adviser, Ahmed Katharda re- in Oriya Language by Mr. Padmalochan Das, Pro- ceived it on his behalf. gramme Executive, All India Radio, Sambalpur (Oris- sa) has bagged the 1st Prize in the category of Chil- Gujarati Girl Crowned Miss India dren’s Programme in the 9th International Radio Festi- Canada val of Iran in a glittering function held on May 21, Twenty one year old Rupal Lakhani of Gujarati or- 2008 in Isfahan city of Iran. Shri Das received a Gold- igin has beat 15 contestants to clinch Miss India Can- en Statute and cash prize of Euro 2000 for his award- ada Crown for 2008 in Toronto. ed programme. Currently, she is a dance instructor at the Shiamak Davar Institute in Toronto (Canada). Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman The Pratibha Patil presented the litical Science (LSE) in recognition of his commitment Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman and the President’s to the under previliged. Certificate of Honour to eminent scholars of Sanskrit, Pall, Prakirit, Arabic and Persian languages in New The Indian Litterateur Amit Delhi on July 10, 2008. The recipient of the Maharshi Chaudhuri Chosen as Judge for Man Badrayan Vyas Samman was Dr. Shrinivas Varakhedi. Booker Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2008 Announced As per press reports in the dat- ed March 20, 2008 the Indian writer, academic and mu- : Amte Couple Among the Winners sician Amit Chaudhuri has been chosen as judge for The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay the 2009 Man Booker International Prize. Award Foundation (RMAF) on July 31, 2008 an- The £ 60,000 Man Booker International Prize, which nounced that this year in 2008 seven individuals and recognises writers for their achievement in fiction is one organisation from India. , Japan, the Phil- awarded once every two years to a living author who ippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka will receive Asia’s has published fiction either originally in English or Premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2008. whose work is generally available in translation in the More than three decades after Baba Amte won the English language. Magsaysay Award for Public service, his son Prakash Amte along-with his wife won this Twenty-one Companies Get Awards year’s prestigious prize in the category of community for Meritorious Performance leadership. The Union Government on March 20, 2008 con- The other six awardees are listed below in ferred 21 power utilities including NTPC, Reliance En- categorywise— ergy and PGCIL with national awards for most meritori- 1. Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mu- ous performance during the year 2006-07. The coun- tually Reinforcing Institutions (CARDMRI) (from try’s largest power generating company NTPC Ltd. re- the Philippines) : [Category - Public Service] ceived four awards for excellent performance. The oth- 2. Grace Padaca (from the Philippines) - [Government er companies which got the awards are Tata Power, Service] Reliance Energy, JSW Energy and Torrent Power etc. 3. Therdehai Jivacate (from Thailand) - [ Public Service 4. Ahmad Syafii Maarif (from Indonesia) - [ Peace 2007 for Gates and International Understanding ] Foundation 5. Akio Ishii (from Japan) - [Journalism, Literature The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been and Communication Arts] selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disar- 6. Galapatti (from Sri Lanka)- [ Emergent Lead- mament and Development for 2007. The International ership] Jury for the Indira Gandhi prize announced the name of Gates Foundation for the award on March 14, 2008. MP Award for Noted Actor Manoj Kumar has been selected for Golden Peacock Awards for Excellence Madhya Pradesh Government’s National Kishore Ku- in Corporate Governance Presented mar Award on August 4, 2008, the birth anniversary of The Golden Peacock Awards for Excellence in Cor- the versatile playback singer who was born in Khand- porate Governance and CSR Reporting were present- wa (MP). ed on September 20, 2007 in London. The winners of the Golden Peacock Awards in var- London School Fellowship for RBI ious categories are as follows— Governor 1. Golden Peacock Global Award for Excellence in Reserve Bank of India Governor Yaga Venugopal Corporate Governance—BHP Billiton PLC. Reddy on July 17, 2008 was awarded an honorary fel- 2. Golden Peacock Award for Asia Pacific Region— lowship by the London School of Economics and Po- Telstra. 3. Global Award for emerging economies—Award the roles of different genes in human develop- shared by four Indian companies : ONGC and ment and disease. NTPC Ltd. in public sector Jubilant Organosys and  Physics: 's Prof. Albert Fert and Germany's GTL in private sector. Prof. Peter Gutenburg won the 2007 Nobel Prize in 4. Golden Peacock Award for CSR Reporting—Coca Physics for a discovery that has shrunk the size Cola Enterprises (for USA); Union Fenosa, of hard disks found in computers, iPods and other Vodafone Group Services and Telefonica 02 Eu- devices. rope PLC (for Europe).  Chemistry : Prof. Gerhard Ertl of Germany won the Theodore Von Karman Award for K. 2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of chemical reactions on solid surfaces, which are Kasturirangan the key to understanding questions related to the Eminent Scientist K. Kasturirangan, the former thinning of Ozone layer. Chairman of ISRO was conferred the prestigious The- odore Von Karman award of the International Acade- Man Booker Prize 2007 my of Astronautics, Paris for 2007 on September 23,  Irish author Ms. Anne Enright won the Man 2007 in Hyderabad during the 58th International As- Booker Prize 2007 for her novel, "The Gathering" tronautical Congress. on October 16, 2007.  She is the author of three previous novels: Nobel Prizes 2007 The wig My Father were, what are you like? The  The list of Nobel Prizes winners for 2007 was an- pleasure of Eliza Lynch. nounced by Royal Swedish Academy in Octo- ber 2007. The distinguished awardees associated National Communal Harmony with different fields included. Awards 2007  Literature: British writer Ms. Doris Lessing won  Dr. Ram Puniyani and Setu Charitable Trust have the 2007 Nobel literature Prize for her remarkable been selected for the National Communal Harmony works that have covered feminism, politics and Award for the year 2007. her youth in Africa. Ms. Lessing was the 11th woman to have won the prize since 1901. National Sadbhavana Award  Her best known book include “Her First” “The  The Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhavana Award- gross in singing’, ‘The Golden Notebook’ and 2006 was presented to Shri Hem Dutta, the 63- ‘the Fifth Child’. year-old social activist from Assam in New Delhi  Peace: The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was shared by on August 21, 2007. the former US Vice-President Mr. and the UN's top climate panel, Intergovernmental Panel Ramon Magsaysay Award 2007 on Climate Change (IPCC). The award was given  Noted media person, Mr. of In- for their efforts to build up and disseminate knowl- dia has been honoured with the prestigious Ramon edge about global warming and its effects. Magsaysay Award for 2007 in recognition of his  Economics : Three Americans, Mr. Leonid outstanding contribution to the fields of journal- Hurwicz, Mr. Eric S. Maskin and Mr. Roger. B. ism, literature and the art of creative communica- Myerson won the 2007 Nobel Economics Prize tion. The other prominent awardees are:- for developing a theory that helps explain situa-  Jovito. R. Salonga (Philippines) tion in which markets work, situation in which ¨ Government Service. they don't work and how incentives and private  Rev. Kim Sun - Tae (Korea) information affect the functioning of markets. ¨ Public Service.  Medicine: Prof. Mario Capecchi (USA) and Prof.  () Martin Evans (UK) with Professor Oliver ¨ Community leadership Smithies (USA) won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medi-  Tang Xiyang () cine for their creation of "designer mice" to track - Peace and International Understanding.  , (China) etry. But he is best known for his first novel, ¨ Emergent Leadership. Things Fall Apart (1958), and for another pub- Indira Gandhi Award for National lished more than 30 years later, Anthills of the Savannah. Integration Saraswati Samman for Naiyer Masud Prime Minister Dr. presented the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration Noted literateur Dr. Naiyer Masud, on 15 for 2006 to Mr. Ram Puniyani and Mr. Juzar February 2008, was selected for the 17th Saraswati Salehbhai Bandukwala in New Delhi on October Samman for his collection of short stories, “Taoos 31, 2007. The awards were given for their role in Chaman Ki Myna.” fighting communalism and promoting communal Vyas Samman for Sobti’s novel harmony. “Samay Sargam” Stockholm Water Prize Awarded Distinguished Hindi writer Krishna Sobti’s novel Professor Perry.L. Mc Carty from Stanford Uni- “Samay Sargam” has been selected for this year’s versity, California a pioneer in the development Vyas Samman, instituted by the K.K.Birla Foun- of the understanding of biological and chemical dation, on January 31, 2008. processes for the safe supply and treatment of water, received the 2007 Stockholm Water Prize Abel Prize on August 16, 2007, from the hands of H.M. King The Abel Prize is an international prize presented Carl XVI Gustaf of . annually by the King of to one or more outstanding mathematicians. The prize is named Orange Prize for Fiction after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction is one of (1802-1829). It has been described as the “Math- the ’s most prestigious literary ematician’s Nobel Prize” and is one of the most prizes, awarded annually for the best original full- prestigious awards in mathematics. length novel by a female author of any national- In 2007 it is awarded to S.R.Srinivasa Varadhan, ity, written in English and published in the UK in a person of Indian origin, (Courant Institute of the preceding year. Mathematical Sciences, New York University) “for The prize for 2007 goes to Chimamanda Ngozi his fundamental contributions to probability Adichie-Half of a Yellow Sun. theory and in particular for creating a unified Rehman Rahi gets Jnanpith Award theory of large deviation”. Eminent Kashmiri poet Rehman Rahi won the pres- Whitley Awards (UK) tigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2004 in New The Whitley Awards are made annually by the Delhi on March 9, 2007. Rahi, 82, is one of the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) to recognise and most eminent poets and critics of the Kashmiri celebrate effective national and regional conser- language. vation leaders across the globe. Man Booker International Prize for In 2007, The Gold Award was won by Dr Fernando Trujillo of the Omacha Foundation for his com- Achebe mitment to protecting ’s Amazon River Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe won the 2007 dolphins. Man Booker International Prize for fiction in Lon- Lal Bahadur Shastri Award don in 13 June 2007, beating nominees including Salman Rushdie, Doris Lessing, Philip Roth, Renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan Margaret Atwood and Ian McEwan. was conferred with the Lal Bahadur Shastri Na- Achebe, 76, has written more than 20 books tional Award for Excellence in Public Administra- including novels, short stories, essays and po- tion, Academics and Management for 2006. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards the awards for the year 2007 on Eleven scientists have been awarded Shanti November 14, 2007. Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for science and technol- Indira Gandhi National Award for Peace, ogy for the year 2007. Disarmament and Development 2006 Sahitya Akademi Awards Kenyan green activist and Nobel laureate Prof. Twenty four eminent writers were, on 20 February Wangari Mathai received the Indira Gandhi Na- 2008, conferred with the Sahitya Akademi awards tional Award for Peace, Disarmament and Devel- opment for 2006 from Hon'ble President Ms. for 2007 for their contribution to literature. Prathibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards on November 19, 2007. The award was conferred The Sangeet Natak Akademi, on 20 December 2007, on her for her contribution to envrionmental pro- selected 33 eminent persons for the Sangeet Natak tection. Prof. Maathai's "Green Belt Movement' Akademi Puraskar (Akademi awards) for the year has succeeded in planting 300 million trees across 2007. to prevent soil erosion. 2007 Kalidas Samman’ for Babasaheb Award for Interna- Purandare tional Understanding 2006 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva on Madhya Pradesh’s prestigious ‘Rashtriya Kalidas June 4, 2007 received the prestigious Jawaharlal Samman’ was bestowed upon renowned drama- Nehru Award for International Understanding tist, Babasaheb Purandare for his contribution to 2006 from Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam theatre. Kalidas Samman was awarded in Decem- for his contribution to 'Strengthening relations' ber 2007. among developing nations. Padma awards announced Right Livelihood Award, 2007 Cricket star , Grand Master The Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980 and renowned mountainer by Jakob von Uexkull, is an award that is pre- have been chosen for Padma sented annually, usually on December 9, to hon- Vibhushan among 13 people who were named for our those “working on practical and exemplary the nation’s second highest civilian award on the solutions to the most urgent challenges facing eve of the Republic Day. the world today”. The winners in 2007 are: in art; Justice (Dr) AS Anand, PN  Christopher Weeramantry, Sri Lanka Dhar and Union External Affairs Minister Pranab  Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, Kenya Mukherjee in public affairs; Dr. E. Sreedharan and  Percy Schmeiser and Louise Schmeiser, Canada Dr Rajendra Kumar Pachauri in Science and Engi-  Grameen Shakti, neering; Narayan Mittal, NR Narayana Murthy, PRS Oberoi and in Trade and Olof Palme Prize, 2007 Industry are among the other recipients of the The Olof Palme Prize, is an annual prize awarded this year. for an outstanding achievement in the spirit of The Government also named 35 persons for the Olof Palme. and 71 others for the  This years winner Parvin Ardalan Parvin Ardalan Awards. is a leading Iranian women rights activist, writer and journalist. Prem Bhatia Award 2007 Yashpal Mittal, Dr Anand Karve, Ms Ashoka Outstanding Political Reporting of the Year 2007 Gupta and Prof Michael Nagler were presented was awarded to Ms. Pallavi Aiyar, The Hindu Cor- respondent in China, for her sensitive and astute Thapar has won the award. No other Indian or South reports she has covered a wide field ranging from Asian anchor has won this award so far. the political and strategic, to Indo Chinese rela- tions and a society in transition. 2007 Miss China Ms. Zhang Zilin was announced as IIFA Awards the Miss World 2007 in (China) on Decem- ‘Rang de Basanti’ walked away with top honours, ber 01 2007. including for best film, in most of the categories it Congressional Gold Medal was nominated for the eighth IIFA Awards cer- emony held at Sheffield in Yorkshire on June 10, US lawmaker on December 17, 2007 voted to be- 2007. The following is the list of the winners of stow the Congressional Gold Medal its highest the awards: civilian honour, on pro-democracy  Best Picture: Rang De Basanti leader Aung-San Suu Kyi.  Best Actor: Hrithik Roshan (Krrish) Khel Ratna Award for Manavjith  Best Actress: Rani Mukherjee - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna Ace trap shooter Manavjith Singh Sandhu was  Best Director: Rajkumar Hirani - Lage Raho conferred the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Munnabhai Award for 2006. Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil presented the award to him on August 29, Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2007 at the Ashoka Hall in the Rashtrapathi , considered among the pioneers Bhavan in New Delhi. of new Indian cinema, got the 2005 Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Arjuna Awards for the year 2006 Sri Jayanta Talukdar (Archery), Shri 2005 National Film Awards Kalayathumkuzhiyil Mathew Binu (Athletics), After a long delay due to legal issues, the Na- Shri.B.Chetan Anand (Badminton), Shri Vijender tional Film awards for 2005 was finally announced (Boxing), Shri Pentala Harikrishna (Chess), Ms. on August 7, 2007. The following is the list of the Anjum Chopra (Cricket), Ms. Jyoti Sunita Kullu award-recipients: (Hockey), Shri Vijay Kumar (Shooting), Shri.  Best Feature Film: Kaalpurush (by Budhadeb Saurav Ghosal (Squash), Shri Subhajith Saha (Ta- Dasgupta) ble Tennis), Smt. Rani (Weight lifting), Ms.  Best Non-feature Film: Riding Solo to the Top of Geethika Jakhar (Wrestling), Shri Navneet Gautam the World (by Gaurav A Jani) (Kabaddi), Shri Rohit Bhakar (Badminton - disa-  Best Director: Rahul Dholakia (Parzania) bled category).  Best Actor: (Black) Arjuna Awards are given to not more than 15  Best Actress: (Parzania) sportpersons in recognition of outstanding Birla Foundation awards 2007 achievements at international level and for show- ing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and The K.K.Birla Foundation, on 19 February 2008, sense of discipline. decided to present the Sixteenth Vachaspati Puraskar for 2007 to Swami for Dronacharya Awards 2006 his work ‘Sribhargavaraghaviyam’ (Mahakavyam). Shri R.D. Singh (Athletics, Paraolympic Games), Asian Television Award Shri Damodaran Chanderlal (Boxing), Shri Koneru Ashok (Chess). Dronacharya Awards comprising Television personality and columnist karan Thapar cash award of Rs. 3 lakh, a plaque and a scroll of won the prestitious Asian Television Award for honour are given to not more than 5 coaches for best presentation of current affairs. he won his pres- outstanding and meritorious work on a consist- entation of CNN - IBNs' interview programe Devil's ent basis to enable sportspersons to excel in in- Advocate. This is the foruth time in nine years ternational events. Ramnath Goenka Award Dhyanchand Awards for the year 2007 On 16th July 2007, the President honoured 24 jour- Shri Varinder Singh (Hockey), Shri Shamser Singh nalists in Delhi with the prestigious Ramnath (Kabaddi), Shri (Wrestling). Goenka Award. Journalist of the Year Award went to Ritu Sareen of Indian Express (Print Nirmal Gram Puraskar - 2007 Media) and CNN IBN's News reporter Rajdeep The President gave away Nirmal Gram Puraskar Sardesai. for 2007 to 4, 945 Gram Panchayats and 13 Block International Cosmos Prize 2006 Panchayats from 22 States. Maharastra won 1974 awards, the highest among the states. In just 3 Mr. Raman Sukumar, Professor of the Centre for years, the awardees have increased from 40 to more Ecological Science at the Indian Institute of than 4500. The Nirmal Gram Puraskar is for the best Science, Bangalore [] has won the village and role models of rural sanitation. International Cosmos Prize 2006. The Prize recognises his outstanding work related to Sahitya Shiromani Samman ecology. The Hindi - Sahitya Committee conferred Miss Universe 2007 the Sahitya Shiromani Samman on noted lyricist in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). The award was A 20 year old dancer from Japan, Miss Riyo Mori, presented on the occasion of the 17th literary fes- was crowned Miss Universe 2007, at the Na- tival of the committee. tional Auditorium in City, Mexico,. This is the second time Japan has won the world Romanian film takes stockholm’s top prize beauty title after 1959, when Akiko Kosima be- The 18th Stockholm International Film Festival came the first Miss Universe from Asia. Also this handed its top Bronze Horse award for the best is the fourth time Mexico has been the host coun- film to ‘4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days’. The film try and the second time has hosted which won the Palmd’ Or in Cannes earlier this the Miss Universe Paegent. year is a devastating tale of back-alley abortion Sadbhavana Award conferred and despair during ’s communist era. One of the film’s stars Anamaria Marinca won the Mr. Hem Dutta, a social activist from Assam, was festivals’ Best Actress Award. Jason Patric wins honoured with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Na- Best Actor award. Paul Schrader wins Lifetime tional Sadbhavana Award on August 20, 2007. Achievement Award. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2008 Awards for Lata, Twelve distinguished Pravasi Bharatiyas were, on The Information and Broadcasting (I & B) Minis- 9 January 2008, honoured with the Pravasi try has chosen veteran Film actor Dilip Kumar Bharatiya Samman Award by the President Smt and melody queen for the life- Pratibha Devisingh Patil for outstanding contri- time achievement awards for their contribution to butions to their home countries and to relations Indian Cinema in the field of acting and film songs, with India. They are: in view of the 60th anniversary of India’s Inde- Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of pendence. , Mr. Neville Joseph Roach, chairman of TCS-FNs, Dr. Ravi Pillai, Mr. A..P.S Mani, Judge Golden Palm Award Ajit , Mr. Rafiudin S. Fazulbhoy, Mr Romanian Director Cristian Mungiu won the Bicky Chakraborty, The National Council of In- Golden Palm Award in the Cannes Film Festival dian Culture (), Mr. 2007 for his movie. 'Four Months, Three Weeks Krishnamurthy Kumar, Lord Karan Billimoria, Dr. and Two Days'. Thomas Abraham, and Dr. Joy Cherian.