Current Affairs Update: September, 2010 National Awards Jnanpith Awards for ONV Kurup, Akhlaq Khan Shahryar Eminent Malayalam litterateur O N V Kurup and noted Urdu poet Akhlaq Khan Shahryar have been chosen for the Jnanpith Award for the year 2007 and 2008 respectively for their contribution to literature. The recipients for the country’s highest literary honour were announced in New Delhi on Friday after a meeting of Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by noted Oriya writer and Jnanpith award winner Sitakant Mahapatra. • Born in 1931 in Kerala’s Kollam district, Kurup is a leading voice among the contemporary Malayalam poets who has reinvented the narrative transition of Malayalam poetry through his long poems like ‘Ujjayini’ and ‘Swayamvaram’. • According to a statement by Bharatiya Jnanpith, the trust which presents the award, Kurup began his career as a "progressive writer and matured into a humanist though he never gave up his commitment to socialist ideology". • Kurup has 20 collections of poetry to his credit. He is also winner of several awards and honours including Kerala SahityaAcademy award, Sahitya Academy award, Vayalar award and Padmashri. • Born in 1936 in a Muslim Rajput family in Uttar Pradesh’sBareilly district, Shahryar shaped himself as an "intellectual poet", whose poetry strongly expresses an "ideological non- commitment". • His roots, according to the statement, lies in the poet’s desire for self-nrealisation and his attempt to understand modern problems. Railways to honour Sushil Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her decision to honour Railways’ wrestler Sushil Kumar for his gold medal performance in World wrestling championship in Moscow by rewarding him with a purse of Rs. 10 lakh. • The Railway Minister said that Sushil would receive other awards too. Mamata complimented him for his spirit, drive and dedication and said that his victory was a victory for the ‘Rail parivar’ and dedication to the nation. • Sushil is posted as an Assistant Commercial Manager with the Northern Railway and is the third railwayman to secure a podium finish at the World wrestling championships after Bishambar Singh and Ramesh Kumar secured a silver and bronze in 1967 and 2009 respectively. Irom Sharmila awarded Tagore peace prize • Social activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast-unto-death for the past nine years demanding withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 from Manipur, has been awarded ‘Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize’ 1 Dr. Ram Mehar Arya • The award carrying Rs 51 lakhs, a gold medal and a citation was given to Ms Sharmila by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM). • Ms Sharmila, who began fast-unto-death after the Assam Rifles killed 10 people at Malom village in Imphal valley in a encounter, would complete ten years of her struggle on November 2 next, they said. • She has already been awarded many prizes by both national and international organisations in her struggle for restoration of human rights in the. Filmmaker D Ramanaidu gets Dada Saheb Phalke award Movie moghul D Ramanaidu, a veteran producer with 130 films in a dozen languages in five decades, has been conferred the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for 2009 for rendering outstanding contribution to the world of Indian cinema. • 74-year-old Ramanaidu, the legendary and prolific film maker from Andhra Pradesh who has worked with a galaxy of actors, will be presented the honour during the National Films Award function scheduled to be held in October . • The award consists of a ‘Swarn Kamal’, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl. • Over the last 47 years, he has produced over 130 films in several Indian languages and has found a mention in the Guinness Book of Records. • His film, "Surigadu" was selected for the Indian Panorama in 1993. "Asukh", a Bengali film, won the National Award for the Best Film in 1999. Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunsiji, Shri Mohan Singhji and Dr. Murli Manohar Joshiji were honoured as Outstanding Parliamentarians. The three awardees belong to three different parties and this itself reflects the important role played by members from all parties whether from the Treasury benches or the Opposition benches. The effective functioning of Parliament is certainly dependent on the norms, conventions and rules that govern proceedings. But it is the calibre of the Members who breathe life and vitality into this institution. Outstanding Parliamentarians through their speeches and interventions make Parliament a forum not just to reflect public opinion but also to mould it. There is no doubt that in today’s age of information overload, Parliament has to raise the standard and quality of its debates and discussions Bhartendu Harishchandra awards for the year 2007 and 2008 The annual Bhartendu Harishchandra awards for the year 2007 and 2008 have been announced. Bhartendu Harishchandra was a patriot, prolific writer and a great social reformer. He dedicated his life to the development of Hindi literature. These Awards are given by the government since 1983 to encourage original book writing in Hindi on subjects related to journalism and mass communication. Later, in 1992-93 three more categories, namely- national integration, women’s problems and children’s literatures, were also included for the awards. Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting carries out this annual awards scheme. 2 Dr. Ram Mehar Arya Well known broadcaster Shri Navneet Mishra gets the first prize for his book Vani Akashvani (manuscript) in ‘Journalism & Mass Communication’ category for the year 2007. In this category senior Hindi journalist Shri Devendra Upadhyay receives the first prize for the year 2008. He was awarded for his book Bharatiya Sansad Aur Media. For the year 2008, no entry was found to be fit for any award in National Integration category. In Journalism & mass Communication category, five commendation prizes for each year were also announced. 3 Dr. Ram Mehar Arya International Awards Pride of India Award given to U.K.’s first Asian Sir Mota Singh, the United Kingdom’s first Sikh and Asian judge, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year, received the ‘Pride of India Award’ 2009, instituted by the India International Foundation (IIF). • Indian High Commissioner Nalin Surie presented the trophy at the 6th annual awards of the Foundation here on Monday night in the presence of a distinguished gathering, including non-resident Indian industrialist Lord Swraj Paul. • Lord Paul, recipient of the ‘Pride of India Award’ last year, lauded the outstanding achievements of India and said “sometimes India is more democratic than most of the Western countries.” • Sir Mota Singh has held various positions in Kenya and the U.K. in the legal fields. Sir Mota Singh, 79, was raised and educated in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1954, he shifted to England to study law. • He joined the English Bar in 1967, and within months, developed a successful practice in civil law. Sir Mota Singh said: “India, which was considered as a third world country only a few years ago, is now on the brink of being a super power.” World Statesman Award’ for PM Manmohan Singh Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been honoured with the 2010 ‘World Statesman Award’ by a US-based interfaith coalition for his commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights and peace in the service of humanity. • 77-year-old Singh was awarded in absentia by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and Indian Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, accepted the award on behalf of the Prime Minister at a glittering ceremony here. Tony Blair gets Liberty Medal Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has received the Liberty Medal for his global human rights work and commitment to international conflict resolution. • The medal is given annually by the Philadelphia-based NationalConstitution Center to individuals or organizations whose actions strive to bring liberty to people worldwide. • Blair was honoured for his work with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which promotes religious tolerance; for his initiative to improve governance in Africa; and for advancing peace in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, among other efforts. 4 Dr. Ram Mehar Arya Sofia Coppola’s ‘Somewhere’ wins top Venice prize Sofia Coppola’s "Somewhere," the tale of an actor, who sees the emptiness of his existence through the eyes of his child, won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice film festival. • Director Quentin Tarantino headed the jury, which unanimously chose Coppola’s film as the best movie at the 11-day annual festival. • The buzz in the final days of the festival had pegged "Somewhere" as a sure winner, and the jury appeared to have had no doubts, either. • "This film enchanted us from its first screening," Tarantino said. "It has the artistry we were looking for in a Golden Lion" winner, he told the closing ceremony. • Coppola has described the film, which made its world premiere at Venice, as a "portrait of today’s LA." • "Somewhere" is the fourth feature by Coppola, who is also one of the few female directors ever to be nominated for an Academy Award – for "Lost in Translation". Modern Family,’ ‘Mad Men’ sweep the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards Actor Archie Panjabi poses with her Emmy in Los Angeles. ‘Top Chef,’ hosted by Padma Lakshmi, adjudged outstanding reality series • ‘Mad Men,’ a dark period drama set in the 60′s New York, and comedy series ‘Modern Family,’ a mockumentary about three families, won the top honours at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards. • ‘Mad Men’ won the Emmy for best television drama for the third time in a row, while ‘Modern Family’ took home the trophy for outstanding comedy at the awards presented here. • The comic series took home four more awards, including the best supporting actor trophy, which went to Eric Stonestreet, and an award for its writers, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd.