Awards

International Astronautical Federation (IAF) World Space Award 2024

♦ Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, S Somanath was awarded the prestigious International Astronautical Federation (IAF) World Space Award 2024. The award was given in recognition of ISRO’s successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, a historic milestone in lunar exploration of the South Pole, making India one of the few countries to do so. The award ceremony took place in Milan, Italy  on 14 October 2024.

♦ The IAF World Space Award is presented to individuals for outstanding contributions in space science, space technology, space medicine, space law, or space management that have had exceptional impact on the world’s progress in astronautics.

Awards

2024 Nobel Economics Prize

♦ The 2024 Nobel Economics Prize was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson for research into differences in prosperity between nations on 14 October 2024. The three economists “have demonstrated the importance of societal institutions for a country’s prosperity,” the Nobel committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

♦ The economics prize is formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The central bank established it in 1968 as a memorial to Nobel, the 19th-century Swedish businessman and chemist who invented dynamite and established the five Nobel Prizes.

Awards

2024 Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo

♦ The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo on 11 October 2024. It is a Japanese organisation representing survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It got this award “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.”

♦ The Nobel Peace Prize 2023 was awarded to Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi.

Awards

2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

♦ The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to South Korean author Han Kang on October 10. She got this award "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life."

♦ Han Kang was born in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1970. She is widely known for her novel The Vegetarian, which was written in three parts. She is the first South Korean writer to win the award. 

♦ Kang began her career in 1993 with the publication of a number of poems in the magazine Literature and Society. Her prose debut came in 1995 with the short story collection Love of Yeosu, followed soon afterwards by several other prose works, both novels and short stories.

♦ The prize is awarded by the Swedish Academy and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

Awards

2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

♦ U.S. Scientists David Baker and John Jumper and Britain’s Demis Hassabis won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on 9 October 2024. They got this award for their work on understanding the protein structures.

♦ Half the prize was awarded to Baker “for computational protein design” while the other half was shared by Hassabis and Jumper “for protein structure prediction”, said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

♦ Baker is a professor at the University of Washington, in Seattle, while Hassabis is CEO of Google DeepMind, the AI research subsidiary of Google, where Jumper also works as senior research scientist.

♦ Hassabis and Jumper utilised artificial intelligence to predict the structure of almost all known proteins, while Baker learned how to master life’s building blocks and create entirely new proteins.

♦ The prize, widely regarded as among the most prestigious in the scientific world, is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

♦ Last year’s (2023) Chemistry award went to Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Aleksey Ekimov for their discovery of tiny clusters of atoms known as quantum dots, widely used today to create colours in flat screens, light emitting diode (LED) lamps and devices that help surgeons see blood vessels in tumours.

Awards

70th National Film Awards

♦ The President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the 70th National Film Awards in various categories in New Delhi on 8 October 2024). She also conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2022 to Mithun Chakraborty.

♦ Among the awardees were the Best Feature Film “Aattam (The Play)”, a Malayalam film directed by Anand Ekarshi; Best Non-Feature Film “Ayena (Mirror)”, directed by Siddhant Sarin; Rishab Shetty as Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in “Kantara” (Kannada); and Nithya Menen for her portrayal in “Thiruchitrambalam” (Tamil) and Manasi Parekh for “Kutch Express” (Gujarati) jointly as Best Actress in a Leading Role. The Best Direction award went to Sooraj R. Barjatya for Hindi film “Uunchai”.

♦ Some of the other award winners included “Brahmastra - Part 1: Shiva” in the Best Film in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comic category; “Kantara” for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment; and “Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography” for Best Book on Cinema.

♦ Pavan Raj Malhotra won the Best Supporting Actor award for “Fouja” (Haryanvi) and Neena Gupta the Best Supporting Actress Award for “Uunchai: Zenith” (Hindi) in the Feature Films category. “Fouja” was also adjudged the best in the Debut Film category.

♦ A. R. Rahman got the Best Music Director (background music) award for Mani Ratnam’s “Ponnyin Selvan-Part 1” (Tamil), which has also been selected as the best Tamil film and for Best Cinematography (Ravi Varman) and Best Sound Design (Anand Krishnamoorthi); and Pritam the Best Music Director (songs) award. 

Awards

2024 Nobel Prize

♦ U.S. scientist John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics on 8 October. They got this award for discoveries and inventions that laid the foundation for machine learning, the award-giving body said.

♦ Machine learning based on artificial neural networks is currently revolutionising science, engineering and daily life.

♦ Hopfield, a professor at Princeton University, created an associative memory that can store and reconstruct images and other types of patterns in data. Hinton works as a professor at University of Toronto, invented a method that can autonomously find properties in data and carry out tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures.

♦ The award comes with a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million), which is shared between the winners if there are several. The physics prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

♦ Last year’s (2023) Physics prize was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier for their work in creating ultra-short pulses of light that can give a snapshot of changes within atoms, potentially improving the detection of diseases.

Awards

Nobel Prize for Physiology 2024

♦ The American biologists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology 2024. The Nobel Academy at the Karolinska Institutet announced this on 7 October 2024. They were awarded the prestigious prize for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. 

♦ Victor Ambros was born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. He is currently works at the Programme in Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts in the U.S. Gary Ruvkun was born in Berkeley, California, USA in 1952. He is a professor of genetics at the Harvard Medical School and researches microRNA and RNA interference mechanisms at the Ruvkun Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital.

♦ Ambros and Ruvkun found the first miRNA gene in C. elegans. It was called lin-4. They confirmed its role by modifying the miRNA to result in different parts of the worm’s developmental process to be thrown out of sync. By studying a second miRNA gene they found seven years later, called let-7, they confirmed miRNAs are actually present across the animal kingdom.

♦ The prize includes a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (around Rs.8.3 crore), part of a bequest from the prize's founder, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.

♦ Winners will receive their awards on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
 

Awards

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

♦ Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty was conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, country’s highest recognition in the field of cinema on 30 September 2024. The award will be presented to him during the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on 8 October 2024. Chakraborty will be the 54th winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

♦ He was born on 16 June 1950, in Kolkata. Mithun Chakraborty has become one of the most recognisable names in Indian cinema.

♦ He won his first National Film Award for Best Actor on his very first film with Mrinal Sen’s Mrigayaa in 1976.

About Dadasaheb Phalke Award:

♦ The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

♦ Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 in honour of Dadasaheb Phalke, who is known as the father of Indian cinema. Phalke directed India’s first feature film Raja Harishchandra in 1913.

♦ 53 people have received the award so far, including Prithviraj Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, BR Chopra and Yash Chopra. Actor Waheeda Rehman received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2021.
 

Awards

National Energy Leader Award

♦ Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has once again bagged the prestigious National Energy Leader Award from the Confederation of Indian Industry – Green Business Centre (CII-GBC). This is the sixth consecutive year that RINL has received this accolade, underlining the company’s unwavering commitment to sustainable energy practices.

♦ RINL has also achieved the “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit Award for an impressive eighth consecutive year.”
 

Awards

Prasanthi Ram

♦ An Indian-origin lecturer Prasanthi Ram has won the Singapore Literature Prize for English fiction for her short story – ‘Nine Yard Sarees’. This was her debut work which was published in 2023. She is a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The short story cycle is about generations of a Tamil Brahmin family dispersed across Singapore, Sydney, New York and Connecticut.

♦ The prize for best English creative non-fiction went to Indian-origin artist Shubigi Rao, whose ‘Pulp III: An Intimate Inventory Of The Banished Book’ (2022) was the third instalment of her decade-long project on banished books.

♦ The best English debut prize went to 91-year-old National University of Singapore Professor Emeritus Peter Ellinger, whose win for Down Memory Lane: Peter Ellinger’s Memoirs (2023) made him the oldest winner of the Singapore Literature Prize.

♦ A total of 17 writers, translators and comic artists were awarded the Singapore Literature Prize, given out by the Singapore Book Council across four languages.

♦ The Tamil section winners are Poetry: Yaamakkodangi (2023) by Mathikumar Thayumanavan, Fiction: Cheenalakshumi (2022) by Kanagalatha K, Creative Non-fiction: Appan (2023) by Azhagunila, and Best Debut: Kaatralalyll (2023) by Tamilselvi Rajarajan. 

♦ The Singapore Literature Prize is a biennial award in Singapore recognise outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. The competition is organized by the Singapore Book Council (SBC) with the support of the National Art Council.
 

Awards

National Florence Nightingale Awards

♦ The President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2024 to the nursing professionals at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 11 September 2024. In all, 15 nurses were conferred the award in recognition of their outstanding commitment to duty and service to the community.

♦ A total of 15 awards are given in the category of Registered Auxiliary Nurses & Midwife, Registered Nurses and Midwife and Registered Lady Visitor. Each award consists of a Certificate of Merit, Cash Award of Rs.1,00,000 and a medal.

♦ The National Florence Nightingale Award was instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in the year 1973 as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to the society.
 

Awards

National Teachers Award 2024

♦ President of India Draupadi Murmu confered the National Teachers’ Award 2024 to 82 selected Awardees at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 5 September 2024. The purpose of the National Teachers’ Award is to celebrate the unique contribution of teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who, through their commitment and dedication, have not only improved the quality of education but also enriched the lives of their students.

♦ Each award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs.50,000 and a silver medal. 

♦ The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, has selected 50 teachers for this year’s National Teachers’ Awards. 

♦ The 50 selected teachers are from 28 States, 3 UTs and 6 Organizations. Out of 50 selected teachers, 34 are males, 16 are female, 2 are differently abled and 1 working with CWSN. In addition, 16 teachers from the Department of Higher Education and 16 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will also be awarded.

Awards

Ramon Magsaysay Award

♦ Film director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki was honoured with 2024's prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. This is often referred to as Asia's Nobel Prize. 

♦ The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said, he is known for his works such as 'Princess Mononoke', 'Spirited Away' and 'The Boy And The Heron'. Mr Miyazaki "tackles complicated issues, using art to make them comprehensible to children". 

♦ The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957. It was created to commemorate Ramon Magsaysay, the third president of the Philippines, who was known for his integrity in governance and public service.

♦ The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, based in Manila, Philippines, carefully selects recipients who have made significant contributions to Asian society. The award recognizes individuals and organizations whose work has had a transformative impact on their communities and beyond.
 

Awards

National Teachers Awards 2024

♦ The Ministry of Education announced the 'National Teachers Awards 2024' on 27 August 2024. A total of 50 teachers are selected from across the country. On the occasion of Teachers Day on September 5, the selected teachers will be felicitated with a certificate of merit, a Rs.50,000 cash prize and a silver medal in a ceremony to be held at Vigyan Bhawan.

♦ Two each from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been selected for National Teachers Awards 2024. Thaduri Sampath Kumar (Dammannapeta High School, Siricialla Rajjanna district), Pesara Prabhakar Reddy (Tirumalayapalem High School, Khamma district) from Telangana and M Srinivasa Rao (ASPS Municipality High School, Gudivada) and Kunati Suresh (Uranduru ZP High School, Srikalahasti Mandal, Triupati district) from Andhra Pradesh are among the 50 teachers.
 

Awards

24th International Mother Teresa Awards

♦ The 24th International Mother Teresa Awards Ceremony took place on 26 August 2024 at the Millennium Plaza Dubai, commemorating the 114th birth anniversary of the revered humanitarian. This event was organized by the All-India Minority and Weaker Sections Council, was held outside India for only the second time, with both international ceremonies having taken place in Dubai.

♦ Notable recipients included the late João Bernardo Vieira II, from Guinea-Bissau , Sidharth Srivastava and Namit Bajoria from the industry sector, and Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, Chairman of NRB Bank Limited. The arts were represented by Irka Bochenko, while education saw MP Rozario honored, among others.  

♦ Social work awards went to Murli Panjabi and Sureandar Singh Khandari from the UAE.  

♦ Ahmed al Hashemi receiving an award as a promising musician and child prodigy.

♦ Mother Teresa, born on August 26, 1910, and later beatified as Saint Teresa, founded the Missionaries of Charity.

♦ The awards, established after Mother Teresa’s passing in 1997, recognized exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields including education, science, culture, sports, social work, medicine, industry, and politics in India.
 

Awards

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024

♦ President Droupadi Murmu conferred Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024 to renowned and distinguished scientists at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 22 August 2024. In the first edition of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, 33 awards were presented in four categories - Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team. 

♦ Prof. Govindarajan Padmanabhan, a pioneer in molecular biology and biotechnology research in India, has received the Vigyan Ratna Award. This award is bestowed upon scientists who have made lifetime contributions to any field of Science and Technology.

♦ The Vigyan Shri Awards, given to scientists with distinguished contributions to Science and Technology, were presented to 13 scientists for their path-breaking research in their respective domains.

♦ The Vigyan Yuva-SSB Award, which recognizes scientists who have made exceptional contributions to any field of science and technology, was given to 18 scientists for their significant contributions in areas ranging from the study of Indian Ocean warming and its consequences to the development of indigenous 5G base stations and communication and precision tests of quantum mechanics.

♦ The Vigyan Team Award, given to a team of three or more scientists for making groundbreaking research contributions in any field of science and technology, was awarded to the Chandrayaan-3 team for the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander near the south pole of the moon.
 

Awards

Best Airport at the India Travel Awards

♦ The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad has been recognised as the Best Airport at the India Travel Awards for the third consecutive year. This recognition holds significant importance for RGIA, as it solidifies its position as a leading airport in India.

♦ In April 2024, RGIA was also honored with Skytrax’s ‘Best Airport Staff in India & South Asia 2024’ award in Frankfurt, Germany.
 

Awards

National Geoscience Awards

♦ The President of India, Droupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious National Geoscience Awards (NGA) for the year 2023 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi on 20 August 2024. A total of 12 awards to 21 Geoscientists, including academicians and professionals from across the country, were honoured under three categories: National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement (01 award), National Geoscience Award (10 awards) and National Young Geoscientist Award (01 award) in various specialized fields of geosciences.

♦ The National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement was bestowed upon Prof. Dhiraj Mohan Banerjee, Emeritus Scientist at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), recognized for his distinguished and pioneering work on phosphorites, isotope geology, and organic geochemistry of Precambrian sedimentary rocks of India. 

♦ Under the National Geoscience Award category, a total of 10 awards including 3 teams were conferred in various fields of geosciences. Dr. Ashutosh Pandey, Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram, received the National Young Geoscientist Award. Dr. Pandey was honored for his groundbreaking research and significant insights into the geodynamic evolution of the Eastern Dharwar Craton and suggesting an alternative model for the origin of Paleoproterozoic Lesser Himalayan mafic rocks.
 

Awards

Marshall Innovation Awards

♦ Indian origin space scientist Singam Srikanth Panini was chosen for ‘Marshall Innovation Awards’ by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Panini has been involved in NASA’s research for several years. The awards, presented in Huntsville, Alabama, honor outstanding NASA contributions. 

♦ Srikanth was recognized for creative work in the Astrophysics branch, exemplifying innovative accomplishments and efforts among numerous MSFC entries.
 

Awards

70th National Film Awards

The 70th National Film Awards were announced on 16 August 2024. Films certified in 2022 were eligible for the awards. Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his performance in the ‘Kantara’. The Best Actress Award was a tie between Nithya Menen for Thiruchitrambalam and Manasi Parekh for Kutch Express. Sooraj Bharjatya won Best Director for Uunchaai.

Winners list: 

Best Film: Aattam (Malayalam)

Best Debut Film: Fouja (Haryanvi)

Best Film providing wholesome entertainment: Kantara (Kannada)

Best Feature Film promoting national, social, and environmental values: Kutch Express (Gujarati)

Best Film in AVGC: Brahmastra Part 1 (Hindi)

Best Director: Sooraj Barjatya - Uunchai (Hindi)

Best Actor in Leading Role: Nithya Menen - Thiruchitrambalam (Tamil), Manasi Parekh - Kutch Express (Gujarati), Rishab Shetty - Kantara (Kannada)

Best Actor in Supporting Role: Neena Gupta - Uunchai (Hindi), Pavan Raj Malhotra - Fouja (Gujarati)

Best Child Artiste: Sreepath - Malikappuram (Malayalam)

Best Action Direction: Anbariv - KGF Chapter 2 (Kannada)

Best Choreography: Jani Master, Sathish Krishnan - Thiruchitrambalam (Megham Karukatha) (Tamil)

Best Lyrics: Naushad Sadar Khan - Fouja (Salaami) (Gujarati)

Best Music Direction: Pritham (songs) - Brahmastra Part 1 (Hindi), AR Rahman (background music) - Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 (Tamil)

Best Makeup: Somnath Kundu - Aparajito (Bengali)

Best Costume Design: Niki Joshi - Kutch Express (Gujarati)

Best Production Design: Ananda Addhya - Aparajito (Bengali)

Best Editing: Mahesh Bhuvanend - Aattam (Malayalam)

Best Sound Design: Anand Krishnamoorthi - Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 (Tamil)

Best Screenplay: Anand Ekarshi (screenplay writer) - Aattam (Malayalam), Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V Chittella (dialogues) - Gulmohar (Hindi)

Best Cinematography: Ravi Varman - Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 (Tamil)

Best Playback Singer: Bombay Jayshree - Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009 (Chaayum Veyil) (Malayalam), Arijit Singh - Brahmastra Part 1 (Kesariya) (Hindi)

Best Tiwa Film: Sikaisal

Best Telugu Film: Karthikeya 2

Best Tamil Film: Ponniyin Selvan Part 1

Best Punjabi Film: Baghi Di Dhee

Best Odia Film: Daman

Best Malayalam Film: Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009

Best Marathi Film: Vaalvi

Best Kannada Film: KGF Chapter 2

Best Hindi Film: Gulmohar

Best Bengali Film: Kaberi Antardhan

Best Assamese Film: Emuthi Puthi Manoj Bajpayee (actor) - Gulmohar (Hindi) Sanjay Salil Chowdhury (music director) - Kadhikan (Malayalam)

Best Non-Feature Film: Ayena

Best Debut Film: Madhyantara

Best Biographical/Historical/Compilation Film: Aanakhi Ek Mohenjo Daro

Best Arts/Culture Film: Ranga Vibhoga/Varsa

Best Script: Mono No Aware

Best Narrator: Murmurs of the Jungle

Best Music Direction: Fursat

Best Editing: Madhyantara

Best Sound Design: Yaan

Best Cinematography: Mono No Aware

Best Direction: From the Shadow

Best Short Film: Xunyota

Best Animated Film: The Coconut Tree

Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: On the Brink Season 2 – Gharial

Best Documentary: Murmurs of the Jungle

Best Critic: Deepak Dua

Best Book on Cinema: Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography
 

Awards

Pardo alla Carriera award

Actor Shah Rukh Khan received the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera award at the 77th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. He has been honoured with this award for his significant contributions to Indian cinema. He is the first Indian personality to be felicitated with the honour. The actor was presented with the award at the jam-packed Piazza Grande square. 

Awards

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar

♦ The Union Government has announced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, one of the highest recognitions in the fields of science, technology, and innovation in India. The objective of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar is to recognize the notable and inspiring contributions made by scientists, technologists, and innovators, either individually or in teams, across various fields of science, technology, and technology-led innovation.

♦ Bio-Chemist Govindarajan Padmanabhan was selected for India's first Vigyan Ratna award, the top most science award instituted by the government in 2024.
Padmanabhan has also received Padma Bhushan in 2003 and Padma Shri in 1991.

♦ The government revealed the recipients of the 33 Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskars. This year's awards include 18 Vigyan Yuva Puraskars for young scientists, 13 Vigyan Shri Puraskars, and a special Vigyan Team award presented to Team Chandrayaan-3. President Droupadi Murmu is set to present the awards on August 23, National Space Day.

The Vigyan Shri awardees are:

♦ Astrophysicist: Annapurini Subramanian

♦ Agriculture Scientist: Anandharamakrishnan C

♦ Atomic Energy: Avesh Kumar Tyagi

♦ Biological Sciences: Prof. Umesh Varshney and Prof. Jayant Bhalchandra Udgaonkar

♦ Earth Sciences: Prof. Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi

♦ Engineering Sciences: Prof. Bhim Singh

♦ Mathematics and Computer Science: Prof. Adimurthi Adi and Prof. Rahul Mukherjee

♦ Medicine: Prof. Dr. Sanjay Behari

♦ Physics: Prof. Lakshmanan Muthusamy and Prof. Naba Kumar Mondal

♦ Technology and Innovation: Prof. Rohit Srivastava

The Vigyan Yuva awardees are:

♦ Agricultural Science: Krishna Murthy S L and Swarup Kumar Parida

♦ Biological Sciences: Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi and Prof. Aravind Penmatsa

♦ Chemistry: Vivek Polshettiwar and Vishal Rai

♦ Earth Sciences: Roxy Mathew Koll

♦ Engineering Sciences: Abhilash and Radha Krishna Ganti

♦ Environmental Science: Purabi Saikia and Bappi Paul

♦ Mathematics and Computer Science: Mahesh Ramesh Kakde

♦ Medicine: Jitendra Kumar Sahu and Pragya Dhruv Yadav

♦ Physics: Urbasi Sinha

♦ Space Science and Technology: Digendranath Swain and Prashant Kumar

♦ Technology and Innovation: Prabhu Rajagopal
 

Awards

The countrys highest civilian award

♦ President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with ‘The Order of Fiji’, the country’s highest civilian award on 6 August 2024. This was presented by Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere.

♦ The award was presented during President Murmu’s three-day state visit to Fiji, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to the South Pacific nation.
 

Awards

World Craft City

♦ Kashmir City was awarded the prestigious Certificate of World Craft City by the World Crafts Council International. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha received this award from Sa’ad Hani Al-Qaddumi, President of the World Crafts Council.

♦ Srinagar is the 4th city in India to receive the prestigious title of ‘World Craft City’. Jaipur in Rajasthan, Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu, and Mysore in Karnataka are the other cities to receive this award.
 

Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

Union Minister Jitendra Singh was awarded the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the International Meet of leading medical professionals from around the world. He got this award in recognition of his exemplary dedication to the advancement of diabetology, diabetes care and diabetes research which earned him acknowledgement across the country and overseas.
 

Awards

Gandhi Mandela Award 2020

♦ Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum was honored with the Gandhi Mandela Award 2020. According to the Gandhi Mandela Foundation, the award recognizes individuals who promote peace, harmony, and the values upheld by both Gandhi and Mandela, including community service and social development. The Dalai Lama was the recipient of this prestigious award for the year 2019.

♦ Rigoberta Menchú Tum has devoted her life to advocating for Indigenous rights. Her tireless work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and the Princess of Asturias Award in 1998.

Awards

2024 International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Award

♦ Captain Avhilash Rawat and his crew have received the 2024 International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. They were honoured for their "determination and endurance" during a rescue mission in the Red Sea, where they faced serious fire after their ship was hit by an anti-ship missile believed to be fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

♦ The incident occurred on January 26, when the Marlin Luanda, carrying 84,147 tonnes of Naphtha, sailed from Suez to Incheon. Despite the missile strike causing a fire that threatened the entire ship, Captain Rawat efficiently coordinated firefighting efforts.

Awards

Russias most prestigious civilian honour

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the 'Order of St Andrew the Apostle' by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 9 July 2024. This is Russia’s most prestigious civilian honour. The award recognizes PM Modi’s distinguished contribution to developing a privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and fostering friendly ties between the two countries.

♦ This award was conferred upon Narendra Modi in 2019.

♦ The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle is awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit.

Awards

The Chevalier de la Légion dHonneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour)

♦ HCLTech chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra was conferred France's highest civilian honor, the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour). This is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients. 

♦ Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur was instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Awards

The Spice Award 2024

♦ Sopna Kallingal received the Spice Award 2024 from the Indian Institute of Spices Research (ICAR). The award has been given to her for her initiatives in enterprise diversification and integrated crop management strategies, promoting a sustainable spice-based cropping system.

Awards

Honorary Leopard Achievement Award

♦ Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will receive the Honorary Leopard Achievement Award from the Locarno Film Festival. He will receive the award on August 10 at the open-air venue Piazza Grande. He is also the first Indian personality to be honoured with the 'Pardo alla Carriere Ascona-Locarno Tourism'. The previous recipients are Italian filmmaker Francesco Rosi, American singer-actor Harry Belafonte, and Malaysian director Tsai Ming-Liang.

♦ The Locarno Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. This was established in 1946. 

Awards

2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

♦ Mumbai's Sanjana Thakur won the 2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize in London on 27 June 2024. She got a prize money of GBP 5,000. A total of 7,359 have participated in this competition worldwide.

♦ Sanjana’s story entitled ‘Aishwarya Rai’ takes its name from the famed Bollywood actress to reimagine and reverse the traditional adoption story.

♦ The literary magazine ‘Granta’ has published all the regional winning stories of the 2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

Awards

PEN Pinter Prize 2024

♦ Arundhati Roy was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize 2024 on 27 June 2024. This annual award was set up in 2009 by English PEN in memory of Nobel laureate playwright Harold Pinter. Roy will receive the award in a ceremony co-hosted by the British Library on October 10.

♦ The prize is awarded annually to a writer of outstanding literary merit resident in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland or the Commonwealth.

♦ Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize for her debut novel The God of Small Things.

Awards

Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award

♦ Film-maker Vinod Ganatra received the prestigious ‘Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award’ of South Africa for his contribution to films. He has become the first Indian to be conferred this award. He was honoured this award at the 7th Nelson Mandela Children’s Film Festival, for his immense contributions to the world of cinema for kids.

♦ Ganatra has bagged 36 national and international awards, including the ‘Janakinath Gaur Award’ from Doordarshan for his children’s programme, ‘Baingan Raja.’ He became the only Indian filmmaker to receive the ‘Liv Ullmann Peace Prize’, in Chicago, for his Gujarati film, ‘Harun-Arun’

Awards

Risk Manager of the Year Award 2024

♦ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has won the “Risk Manager of the Year Award 2024” by Central Banking, a leading publication based in London, UK.

♦ This accolade recognizes RBI’s exemplary strides in enhancing its risk culture and awareness, affirming its pivotal role in safeguarding the stability of the Indian financial system. The award was received by Executive Director Manoranjan Mishra on behalf of the RBI.

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for Telugu

♦ Ramesh Karthik Naik (26) was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for Telugu on 15 June 2024. He is from the tribal thanda of Vivek Nagar in Jakranpally mandal of Nizamabad district. Naik is the first tribal author from Telangana to receive this honour for his short story collection “Dhavlo“ (Song of Lament, 2021). The Sahitya Akademi announced the names of 23 writers Yuva Puraskar. 

♦ The other winners of the Yuva Puraskar are Nayanjyoti Sarma (Assamese), Sutapa Chakraborty (Bengali), Self Made Rani Baro (Bodo), Heena Choudhary (Dogri), Rinku Rathod (Gujarati), Shruti B.R. (Kannada), Mohd Ashraf Ziya (Kashmiri), Adwait Salgaonkar (Konkani), Rinki Jha Rishika (Maithili), Shyamkrishnan R. (Malayalam), Waikhom Chingkheinganba (Manipuri), Devidas Saudagar (Marathi), Suraj Chapagain (Nepali), Sanjay Kumar Panda (Odia), Randhir (Punjabi), Sonali Sutar (Rajasthani), Anjan Karmakar (Santali), Geeta Pradeep Rupani (Sindhi), Lokesh Raghuraman (Tamil) and Javed Amber Misbahi (Urdu). Yuva Puraskar awardees will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs.50,000.

♦ The National Academy of Letters also announced the names of 24 winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for 2024. The winners are - Ranju Hazarika (Assamese), Dipanwita Roy (Bengali), Birgin Jekova Machahary (Bodo), Bishan Singh 'Dardi' (Dogri), Gira Pinakin Bhatt (Gujarati), Krishnamurthy Biligere (Kannada), Muzaffar Hussain Dilbar (Kashmiri), Harsha Sadguru Shetye (Konkani), Narayangee (Maithili), Unni Ammayambalam (Malayalam), Kshetrimayun Subadani (Manipuri), Bharat Sasane (Marathi), Basanta Thapa (Nepali), Manas Ranjan Samal (Odia), Kuldeep Singh Deep (Punjabi), Prahlad Singh 'Jhorda' (Rajasthani), Harshdev Madhav (Sanskrit), Dugal Tudu (Santali), Lal Hotchandani 'Lachaar' (Sindhi), Yuva Vasuki (Tamil), P. Chandrashekhar Azad (Telugu) and Shamsul Islam Farooqi (Urdu).

♦ The winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs.50,000.

Awards

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024

♦ Vellayan Subbiah was named the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024. He is the Executive Vice-Chairman of Tube Investments of India (TII) and Chairman of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co Ltd.

♦ Subbiah is the fourth Indian to receive this coveted award. Earlier it was given to NR Narayana Murthy (2003), Uday Kotak (2014) and Kiran Majumdar Shaw (2020). With this award, India has become the only country among EY regions to win the global entrepreneurship award four times.

♦ He was earlier awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for India in 2023. 

♦ Subbiah was selected from among nearly 5,000 program participants that included 51 winners across 47 countries and jurisdictions competing for the global title.

♦ In 2024, this award was given based on four criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact.

Awards

Best Conduct of Business Regulator award

♦ The Asian Banker has given the 'Best Conduct of Business Regulator' award to SEBI in Asia Pacific for enhancing the regulatory framework for securities markets in India. The award was received by SEBI's Whole Time Member Kamlesh Chandra Varshney in a ceremony held in Hong Kong.

♦ The Asian Banker creates platforms to build a greater sense of community amongst players in the financial services industry, from traditional banks and digital disruptors to fintechs and platform players. It also publishes rankings and ratings of institutions, people and processes to establish high standards in the delivery of finance products and solutions.

Awards

Golden Wings award

♦ Sub-Lieutenant Anamika B Rajeev received the prestigious "Golden Wings" award at a naval air station in Tamil Nadu's Arakkonam. She became the Indian Navy's first woman helicopter pilot to receive this award. 

♦ A total of 21 officers were awarded the prestigious ‘Golden Wings’ by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. 

♦ In another feat, Lt Jamyang Tsewang, the first commissioned naval officer from Ladakh, also successfully graduated as a qualified helicopter pilot, according to the Indian Navy.

Awards

UNs WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award

♦ Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) awarded UN’s WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award for the project “Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast emergency Alerting”, recognised under AI, C-7, E-environemnt, in the category of 'Benefits in all aspects of life - E-environment”. 

♦ The C-DOT’s mobile–enabled Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting Platform is an end-to-end solutions for near real time delivery of life-saving emergency information to mobile phones through cellular networks. 

♦ Two AI Startups – DeepVision Tech and Nayancom- from India, selected by C-DOT through a selection process, also showcased their innovative solutions along with C-DOT.
 

Awards

The All India Tennis Association (AITA)

♦ The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced the Dilip Bose award for lifetime achievement to coach Nar Singh. The award along with a cash prize of Rs.50,000 will be presented during the 11th National coaches workshop to be held at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana in Pune.

♦ The secretary general of AITA, Anil Dhupar, announced a new lifetime achievement award for women coaches. The first award would be presented to Rohini Lokhande (69) who was a member of the national team along with Kiran Bedi, Nirupama Mankad, Susan Das and Udaya Kumar, before she took to coaching at a young age. Rohini was the first woman tennis coach to qualify from the National Institute of Sports. 

Awards

Annual Hindi Sahitya Bharati Award

♦ Krishna Prakash was honored with the prestigious Annual Hindi Sahitya Bharati Award. He is renowned as the head of Mumbai Police’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Force One. The recognition was bestowed during the Sab Me Ram Shashwat Shri Ram multicultural festival in Mumbai. 

♦ The Hindi Sahitya Bharati initiative was born out of the realization that bringing together intellectuals on a common platform can significantly enhance cultural and literary efforts. After extensive discussions and consensus among scholars, the name Hindi Sahitya Bharati was chosen to represent the initiative, reflecting the deep cultural and spiritual ethos of Indian society and aiming to propagate the values of universal brotherhood and harmony through Hindi literature.

♦ Krishna Prakash is a two-time Guinness World Record holder who will achieve his third this June for initiating the maximum number of letters through postcards to Lord Ram, enabling the common man’s direct connection with the divine.

Awards

UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award

♦ Indian Army Major Radhika Sen was awarded the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for 2023 on 30 May 2024. She is an Indian peacekeeper deployed in Congo under the United Nations (U.N.) Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).  She got this award for her work supporting conflict-affected communities. 

♦ The award recognises the efforts of a military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of the 2000 Security Council resolution, that calls for protecting women and girls from conflict-related sexual violence and sets gender-related responsibilities for the UN.

♦ Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the honour after Major Suman Gawani, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan and received the award in 2019.

♦ She was assigned to MONUSCO in 2023 as the Engagement Platoon Commander with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion, and completed her tenure in April 2024.

♦ Of the 6,063 Indian personnel in UN peacekeeping operations, 1,954 serve with MONUSCO, 32 of them women.
 

Awards

The Economic Times HR World Future Ready Organization Award 2024-25

♦ NHPC was conferred with the prestigious ‘The Economic Times HR World Future Ready Organization Award 2024-25’.

♦ The award has been given to NHPC in recognition of its preparedness in the areas of upskilling of employees, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) interventions, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, constant technological upgradations, Employee Engagement processes, robust Corporate Governance strategies etc.

♦ which establish it as a trusted brand amongst all its stakeholders. The award was received by Director (Personnel), NHPC, Uttam Lal along with Executive Director (HR), Lucas Guria and a team of NHPC officers at a glittering Awards Ceremony held in Mumbai.

Awards

Indian film All We Imagine as Light

♦ Indian film 'All We Imagine as Light' clinched the prestigious Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. This film was directed by Payal Kapadia.

♦ This film became the first Indian entry in three decades and the first ever by an Indian woman director to secure a spot in the festival’s main competition, let alone win the Grand Prix.

♦ Payal Kapadia had previously won the Golden Eye award at Cannes for her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing.’

Awards

Anasuya Sengupta

♦ Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian actor to win the Best Actress award at the prestigious 77th Cannes Film Festival.

♦ She received the trophy in the Un Certain Regard segment for her film 'The Shameless'. The movie was written and directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov. 

Awards

International Booker Prize 2024

♦ German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann won the International Booker Prize 2024 for their novel “Kairos.” The book contains a story of a tangled love affair during the final years of East Germany’s existence. The £50,000 ($64,000) in prize money will be divided between the translator and the author. 

♦ In 2023, "Time Shelter" was awarded the International Booker Prize. Its author was Georgi Gospodinov and translated by Angela Rodel.

Awards

Krishna Ella

♦ Bharat Biotech’s co-founder and executive chairman Krishna Ella was awarded the Dean’s Medal by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The award was presented to him by Dean Ellen J MacKenzie during the Bloomberg School's Convocation Ceremony held in Baltimore, Maryland. 

♦ This is the school's highest honour, reserved for outstanding public health researchers and practitioners who demonstrate exceptional leadership in safeguarding and improving public health.

♦ Under Dr Ella's guidance, Bharat Biotech manufactured the first indigenous rotavirus vaccine (Rotavac), the first WHO-prequalified Typhoid conjugate vaccine (Tybar TCV) and Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine, JENVAC.

Awards

The 77th Cannes Film Festival.

♦ Indian short film ‘Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know’ bagged first prize of La Cinef at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. This was directed by Chidananda S Naik. This movie is based on a local folklore of Karnataka which narrates a tale of an aging woman who steals a rooster. 

♦ This is India's second in five years. Previously Ashmita Guha Neogi won the award for her film CatDog in 2020. 

♦ Mansi Maheshwari's animation film ‘Bunnyhood’ clinched the third prize in the La Cinef competition.

♦ The second prize was jointly awarded to ‘Out of the Widow Through the Wall’ directed by Asya Segalovich from Columbia University, and ‘The Chaos She Left Behind’ created by Nikos Kolioukos from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. 

♦ At the Cannes Film Festival, the first prize winner receives a grant of 15,000 euros, the runner-up gets 11,250 euros, and the third prize recipient is awarded 7,500 euros.

Awards

Amal Clooney Womens Empowerment Award

♦ India's Arti (18) received the Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. She is a rickshaw driver from a village in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. She was honoured for inspiring other young girls through her work with the government's Pink E-rickshaw initiative, which provides safe transport for other women with a mission to drive change, quite literally. 

♦ This award was founded by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, the Prince's Trust International will now transform into the King's Trust International as it continues its work supporting young people across 20 countries through employment, education and enterprise programmes. The Prince's Trust Women's Empowerment Award recognises the global work of young women who have succeeded against the odds and made a lasting difference to those around them.

Awards

The Shaw Prize

♦ An Indian-origin Shrinivas R Kulkarni will be awarded the prestigious Shaw Award for his contributions to astronomy. He got this award for his ground-breaking discoveries about millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other variable or transient astronomical objects. Srinivas R Kulkarni is the Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science in the divisions of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology. He was also the director of Caltech Optical Observatory from 2006 to 2018.

♦ The other Shaw Prize awardees are Swee Lay Thein and Stuart Orkin, both from the US, who received the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine is awarded in equal shares, and Peter Sarnak, another US scientist who received the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences.

♦The Shaw Prize consists of three annual prizes: Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences, each bearing a monetary award of USD 1.2 million. The Shaw Award, also known as the Noble for the east was established in 2002.

Awards

Freedom of the City of London award

♦ Renowned actress Shabana Azmi honoured with 'Freedom of the City of London' award.

♦ She got this award in recognition of her prolific contribution to Indian Cinema and as a compaigner for women's rights.

♦ She has won five National Awards as Best Actress and six Filmfare Awards. 

♦ The Freedom of the City of London award is given to people with significant contributions to public life.

Awards

2024 World Food Prize

♦ Two agricultural scientists, Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin won the 2024 World Food Prize. They will share the $500,000 prize. They got this award for their work to create the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, an ambitious project to protect food crops from extinction. The annual award, which is considered the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture, goes to an individual or individuals who are confronting global hunger by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food.

♦ Cary Fowler currently serves as the U.S. special envoy for global food security, and Geoffrey Hawtin is the founding director and executive board member of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

♦ The Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened in 2008 and now holds 1.25 million seed samples from nearly every country in the world.

♦ The World Food Prize was founded by Norman Borlaug, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his part in the Green Revolution, which dramatically increased crop yields and reduced the threat of starvation in many countries. The food prize will be awarded at the annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, held Oct. 29-31 in Des Moines.

Awards

The Pulitzer Prizes for 2024

♦ The Pulitzer Prizes for 2024 were announced on 7 May 2024. The Columbia University in the USA hosted this 108th Pulitzer Prizes ceremony. 

♦ The awards, presented across 15 journalism categories and eight arts categories encompassing books, music, and theatre, highlight exceptional contributions in public service, investigative reporting, feature photography, and more.

♦ The Public Service award, considered the most esteemed, includes a gold medal, while other winners receive $15,000 in recognition of their exceptional work.

2024 Pulitzer Prize winners:

About the Pulitzer Prize
♦ The Pulitzer Prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper owner who, in 1904, provided funds for the foundation of the Pulitzer Prize as an incentive for excellence in journalism, arts, and culture. He donated money to the Faculty of Journalism at Columbia University to administer the prizes. The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917, and they continue to recognize outstanding achievements in these fields annually.

Awards

Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

♦ Palestinian journalists covering Gaza have been named winners of the 2024 UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

♦ The winners were chosen upon the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals.

♦ The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Prize is given annually, as a “tribute to the courage of journalists facing difficult and dangerous circumstances,” according to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. This was established in 1997.

Awards

Whitley Gold Award 2024

♦ Dr. Purnima Devi Barman was conferred with the prestigious Whitley Gold Award 2024. This award was given by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). She is a wildlife biologist from Assam. This award is considered as the  ‘Green Oscar’. Purnima received this award for her conservation efforts of the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork and its wetland habitat.

♦ Purnima won the GBP 1,00,000 Whitley Gold Award from the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). The WFN supports grassroots conservation leaders from around the world.

♦ The first Indians to get the Whitley Gold Award were Archana Godbole and Brad Norman in 2007.

♦ Whitley Gold Award 2024 wimmers list

Awards

2024 Goldman Environmental Prize

♦ Alok Shukla was awarded the prestigious 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize. He is a renowned environmental activist and convenor of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan. This prize is also known as the “Green Nobel Prize”. 
♦ The Goldman Environmental Prize is an annual award honours grassroots environmental champions worldwide for their outstanding contributions to environmental protection.
♦ Alok gets this award for his work to protect Hasdeo Arand, one of the largest contiguous stretches of very dense forest in central India spanning 170,000 hectares, with 23 coal blocks.  

2024 Goldman Environmental Prize winners list:

Awards

2024 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards

♦ Gina Justus was named the regional winner for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the prestigious 2024 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards.

♦ She is an English High School teacher at the Sharjah Girls Branch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Justus, originally from Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) has been working in the UAE since 2005 and was recognised for her                 outstanding mentorship and dedication to charity. 

♦ The 2024 competition saw a record-breaking number of nominations, with over 14,840 submissions from 141 countries. 

♦ The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards is a global competition that honors exceptional primary and secondary school teachers. 

Awards

Ratan Tata

♦ Ratan Tata was honoured with the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2021 on 22 April 2024.

♦ This recognition stands as a testament to his unwavering dedication to social development and outstanding corporate leadership.

♦ The award was announced in 2021, but Tata was unable to receive the award then because of the Covid pandemic.

♦ This award was established in 2008 by Achyuta Samanta, the KISS Humanitarian Award holds the highest esteem of KIIT and KISS, aiming to acknowledge individuals and organizations that epitomize humanitarian work on a global scale.

Awards

Kaushik Rajashekara

♦ An Indian-origin professor Kaushik Rajashekara elected as an International Fellow of the Engineering Academy of Japan. Currently, he is the Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering. This honour recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of power conversion and the electrification of transportation.
♦ In 2022, Mr Rajashekara received the most coveted prize in the field of international energy - the Global Energy Prize - bestowed by the Global Energy Association. Only three people in the world were selected in 2022 for the honour out of a record 119 nominations from 43 countries.

Awards

Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2024

♦ Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2024 for his career and contribution to the film industry.

♦ Previous recipients of this esteemed award include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and popular singer Asha Bhosale.

♦ This award was established by the Deenanath Mangeshkar Smriti Pratishthan in memory of the late Bharat Ratna awardee and legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar on February 6, 2022.

♦ The Pratishthan decided to honour several others with the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar award: music director AR Rahman and veteran Marathi actor Ashok Saraf for music; Padmini Kolhapure for films; singer Roopkumar Rathod for Indian music; actor        Atul Parchure for Marathi theatre; and retired teacher and author Manjiri Phadke for literature. Additionally, actor, producer, and director Randeep Hooda received a special award for his contributions to cinema.

Awards

World Literary Prize

♦ Kannada poet Mamta G Sagar was awarded the World Literary Prize for her contribution to literature by the World Organization of Writers (WOW). The ceremony was held as a part of the first Congress of WOW in Abuja, Nigeria. 

♦ In 2018, she produced a set of poetry films, ‘Interversions 1’, ‘Interversions 2’ and ‘Interversions 3’, with verses drawn from her works. She is currently collaborating with poets from Kaavya Sanje to bring out a compilation of her poetry, which has not been published before.
 

Awards

John L. Jack Swigert Jr. Award

♦ India's Chandrayaan-3 mission team was awarded the prestigious 2024 John L. 'Jack' Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration. The award was accepted by India's Consul General in Houston, D C Manjunath, on behalf of the ISRO at the inaugural event of the annual Space Symposium in Colorado.

♦ With the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission in August, 2023, India became the first country to land on the South pole of the moon.

♦ John L ‘Jack’ Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration is an honour bestowed by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in recognition of outstanding contributions to space exploration. It is named after John L. ‘Jack’ Swigert Jr., an American astronaut who flew on the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
 

Awards

Hockey India Awards

♦ The 6th edition of Hockey India Awards 2023 were held in New Delhi on March 31, 2024. Hardik Singh and Salima Tete were named Player of the Year 2023 among men and women respectively. 

♦ With a total prize pool of Rs.7.56 crores, the awards saw teams and individuals felicitated for their achievements in the past year. 
Main winners:

♦ Rs 5 Lakh each: PR Sreejesh (Goalkeeper of the Year), Harmanpreet Singh (Defender of the Year), Hardik Singh (Midfielder of the Year), Abhishek (Forward of the Year)

♦ Rs 10 lakh each: Deepika Soreng (Women Under-21 Player of the Year), Araijeet Singh Hundal (Men Under-21 Player of the Year)

♦ Rs. 25 lakh each: Salima Tete (Player of The Year Women), Hardik Singh ( Player of The Year Men)

♦ Rs 30 lakh: Ashok Kumar (Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award).
 

Awards

Bharat Ratna award

President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the Bharat Ratna award to former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani on 31 March 2024. The Central Government announced five names for the Bharat Ratna in 2024. 
 

Awards

Bharat Ratna Awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu presented the Bharat Ratna Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30 March 2024. Murmu conferred Bharat Ratna on four eminent personalities, including two former prime ministers, Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao. Former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur and agronomist MS Swaminathan were also conferred with the country's highest civilian award.
♦ The awards granted to Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Karpoori Thakur, and Swaminathan were taken by their family members.
 

Awards

Abel Prize

♦ A French mathematician Michel Talagrand (72) was awarded the 2024 Abel Prize. This award was treated as a Nobel prize in Maths and this is presented by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. He got this award for his work on probability theory and describing randomness. Michel Talagrand is a former researcher at France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris.

♦ Talagrand also developed mathematical tools and equations for systems that, while random, display some predictability in their randomness, a statistical principle called concentration of measures.

♦ Talagrand will receive 7.5 million Norwegian kroner ($700,000) by this award. 
 

Awards

Global Inequality Research Award

♦ Bina Agarwal and James Boyce was awarded the first “Global Inequality Research Award 2024 (GiRA 2024)” for their groundbreaking work in the field of social and environmental inequalities. 

♦ Bina Agarwal (University of Manchester), an economist, is the author of pioneering work on gender inequalities, environmental governance, ecofeminism and environmental inequalities.

♦ James K. Boyce (University of Massachusetts Amherst), an economist, is the author of seminal work on the relationship between social inequality and environmental degradation, and has made a major contribution to structuring the field of environmental political economy.

♦ The two laureates will be invited to receive their awards and present an overview of their work at conferences in Paris in the fall and spring of 2024, organized in conjunction with Sciences Po’s Social-Ecological Transitions (SET) initiative. 

♦ The World Inequality Lab (WIL) and Sciences Po’s Center for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) have joined forces for the first edition of the Global Inequality Research Award (or GiRA), which aims to recognize every two years researchers from all disciplines who have made a significant contribution to the understanding of global inequalities.
 

Awards

Bhutans highest civilian award

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Bhutan’s highest civilian award, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ on 22 March 2024. He is the first foreign Head of the Government to receive the honour. Bhutan’s king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck presented Modi with the honour. The announcement for the honour was made by the King of Bhutan during the 114th National Day celebrations on December 17, 2021.

♦ The award has been conferred to Prime Minister Modi in recognition of “his outstanding contribution to the growth of India-Bhutan relations and for his distinguished service to the Bhutanese nation and people.

♦ Previous recipients of the award include Queen Grandmother of Bhutan Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck in 2008; Je Thrizur Tenzin Dendup (68th Je Khenpo of Bhutan) in 2008 and Je Khenpo Trulku Ngawang Jigme Choedra in 2018. Je Khenpo is the chief Abbot of the central monastic body of Bhutan.

Awards

Diana Legacy Awards

♦ India's Uday Bhatia (18) and Manasi Gupta (24) are the winners of the Diana Legacy Awards. Alongwith 20 worldwide recipients, they received their awards from Prince William at an awards ceremony in London’s Science Museum. Uday Bhatia is the founder of Uday Electric, and Manasi Gupta is the founder of Huesofthemind Foundation.

♦ This award is given every two years in memory of Princess Diana. This award is given to exceptional youth of the world for their social work or humanitarian services. The Diana Award charity, established in memory of the late Princess of Wales, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
 

Awards

PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award

♦ Former chairman of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata was bestowed with the prestigious PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award for his outstanding philanthropic contributions. Ratan Tata has donated more than half of his income to charity, has given generous donations at an individual level as well as under Tata Trusts.

♦ The PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award, named after the former Prime Minister of India, is an award of recognition for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to social welfare and humanitarian causes.
 

Awards

Chameli Devi Jain Award

♦ Chameli Devi Jain Award 2024 for Outstanding Woman Media Person of the Year has been given jointly to independent journalist Greeshma Kuthar, and Ritika Chopra of the Indian Express. Kuthar was awarded for her deeply-researched long-form investigative reporting from conflict areas such as Manipur. Chopra has been awarded for her in-depth investigative stories in the fields of education and government policy. 

♦ The award is named after freedom fighter and community reformer Chameli Devi Jain who was imprisoned during India’s Independence movement. It is presented annually to those practising impactful journalism in fields such as social development, politics, gender justice, human rights, health, conflict and consumer values. In 2023, the award was received by Dhanya Rajendran, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute. 
 

Awards

96th Academy Awards

The 96th Academy Awards (Oscars 2024) ceremony was held at the Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan nabbed seven wins out of 13 nominations. Emma Stone won Best Actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in 'Poor Things'. 

Winners list:

♦ Best Picture - Oppenheimer

♦ Best Director - Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

♦ Best Actor - Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

♦ Best Actress - Emma Stone, Poor Things

♦ Best Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

♦ Best Supporting Actress - Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

♦ Original Screenplay - Anatomy of a Fall

♦ Adapted Screenplay - American Fiction

♦ Animated Feature - The Boy and the Heron

♦ Production Design - Poor Things

♦ Costume Design - Poor Things

♦ Cinematography - Oppenheimer

♦ Editing - Oppenheimer

♦ Makeup and Hairstyling - Poor Things

♦ Sound - The Zone of Interest

♦ Visual Effects - Godzilla Minus One

♦ Original Score - Oppenheimer

♦ Original Song - “What Was I Made For?” (Barbie)

♦ Documentary Feature - 20 Days in Mariupol

♦ International Feature - The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

♦ Animated Short - War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

♦ Documentary Short - The Last Repair Shop

♦ Live-Action Short - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Awards

National Creators Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the inaugural ‘National Creators Award’ at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 8 March 2024. The award aims to honour excellence and influence across various fields such as storytelling, environmental sustainability, education, and gaming. It serves as a platform to utilise creativity to promote positive transformations. The award encompasses twenty categories.

Winners' list

♦ Nishchay - Best Creator in Gaming Category

♦ Ankit Baiyanpuria - Best Health and Fitness Creator

♦ Naman Deshmukh - Best Creator in Education Category

♦ Kabita Singh (Kabita's Kitchen) - Best Creator in Food Category

♦ RJ Raunac (Bauaa) - Most Creative Creator-Male

♦ Shraddha - Most Creative Creator-Female

♦ Jahnvi Singh - Heritage Fashion Icon Award

♦ Malhar Kalambe - Swachhta Ambassador Award

♦ Gaurav Chaudhary - Best Creator in Tech Category

♦ Kamiya Jani - Favourite Travel Creator

♦ Drew Hicks - Best International Creator

♦ Maithili Thakur - Cultural Ambassador of The Year

♦ Jaya Kishori - Best Creator for Social Change

♦ Pankti Pandey - Favourite Green Champion

♦ Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) - Disruptor of the Year

♦ Piyush Purohit - Best Nano Creator

♦ Aridaman - Best Micro Creator

♦ Aman Gupta - Celebrity Creator of the Year

♦ Lakshay Dabas - Most Impactful Agri Creator
 

Awards

Measles and Rubella Champion Award

♦ India was bestowed with the prestigious Measles and Rubella Champion Award in recognition of the country's tireless efforts to combat Measles and Rubella diseases. The award was received by the ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington.

♦ The measles and rubella partnership comprises a multi-agency planning committee, including the American Red Cross, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), UNICEF and World Health Organisation. All of these organisations are dedicated to reducing global measles deaths and preventing rubella illness.
 

Awards

Bob Jones Award

♦ America's Tiger Woods was selected to receive the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor from the United States Golf Association (USGA). Woods typically is honored for his performances on the course, where he has won 15 majors among his 82 career victories on the PGA Tour.

♦ Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019. Woods is a nine-time USGA champion, winning three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs, followed by three straight U.S. Amateurs, and then the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (2000), Bethpage Black (2002) and Torrey Pines (2008).
 

Awards

ACREX Hall of Fame National Level Awards

♦ GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) won the ACREX Hall of Fame National Level Awards competition held in New Delhi. Competing in the commercial building category for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, GHIAL emerged as the winner, surpassing India’s top corporate offices and buildings.

♦ The ACREX Hall of Fame Awards evaluated by a distinguished jury of scientists, architects, and technocrats, recognizes organizations demonstrating exceptional commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives.
 

Awards

Annual India-UK Achievers

♦ Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar and British-Indian chef Asma Khan were among the winners of the annual India-UK Achievers Honours in London. This honour recognises the achievements of Indian students and alumni who have pursued an international programme of study. 
♦ This initiative was launched by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK in partnership with the British Council in India and the UK government's Department for Business and Trade in 2023 with the aim of celebrating bilateral educational ties.
 

Awards

World EyeCons21 award

♦ LV Prasad Eye Institute founder, Dr Gullapalli N Rao was honoured with the “World EyeCons21” award at the 39th Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Dr Rao is the first and only Indian to be selected for this recognition. 

♦ He was ranked among the top 10 in this group for his exceptional contributions to shaping the world of eye care in the 21st century. This was the inaugural award initiated by the Asia Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology (APJO).

Awards

Romain Rolland Book Prize

♦ The Romain Rolland Book Prize 2024 was awarded to a Bengali translation of an originally French book about Stalin. The original book, by Jean-Daniel Baltassat, titled ‘Le Divan de Staline’ was translated to Bengali by Pankaj Kumar Chatterjee and was titled ‘Staliner Divan’ (literally meaning ‘Stalin’s Couch’ in English).

♦ This prize was instituted in 2017 by the French Institute in India, it recognises translations of French books into Indian languages, including English.

♦ The Bengali translation of the book was published by New Bharat Sahitya Kutir and the book has now gotten more fame. ‘Staliner Divan’ by Chatterjee has also become the second Bengali translation of a French book to win the Romain Rolland Book Prize. The initial recipient of the award was the translation of Kamel Daoud’s ‘Meursault, contre-enquête’ into Bengali, titled ‘Myorso Birudhyo Saksho’, skillfully translated by Trinanjan Chakraborty and published in 2022 by Patra Bharati.
 

Awards

58th Jnanpith Award

♦ Renowned Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya was named the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award. The Jnanpith selection committee announced on 17 February 2024.

♦ Sampooran Singh Kalra, popularly known as Gulzar (89) is celebrated for his works in Hindi cinema and is considered one of the finest Urdu poets of this era. Gulzar received Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in 2002, Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2013, Padma Bhushan in 2004, and at least five National Film awards for his works.

♦ Rambhadracharya (74) the founder and head of Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, is a renowned Hindu spiritual leader, educator and writer of more than 240 books and texts, including four epics. Rambhadracharya is one of the present four Jagadguru Ramanandacharyas of the Ramananda sect and has been holding this position since 1982. He received the Padma Vibhushan award in 2015. His original name was Giridhara Misra.

♦ Jnanpith Award was established in 1944, is given annually for outstanding contributions to Indian literature and is considered the highest literary honour in the country. This is the second time the award is being given for Sanskrit language and for the fifth time for Urdu language. The award carries a prize money of Rs 21 lakh, a statue of Vagdevi and a citation.
 

Awards

Lakshminarayana International Award

Pyarelal Sharma has been honoured with the Lakshminarayana International Award for his contribution to art. The award was presented to the ‘My Name Is Lakhan’ composer by musicians L Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam as part of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival. Pyarelal was announced as a recipient of the Padma Bhushan on the eve of Republic Day.
 

Awards

Highest civilian award

Former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan will be posthumously conferred with the highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’. The Union Government announced this on 9 February 2024. 

♦ Narasimha Rao was the first Congress Prime Minister outside the Gandhi family, from 1991 to 1996. He was born on 1921 June 28. It was during Rao's tenure as the PM that the famous Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG) reforms were introduced in 1991. Rao had passed away on December 23, 2004. 

♦ Charan Singh was born on 1902 December 23. He served as PM from July 28, 1979, to January 14, 1980. Singh passed away in 1987.

♦ Swaminathan is also known as the "Father of Green Revolution" in India. Swaminathan passed away on September 28, 2023. 

♦ Earlier, the Centre also awarded Bharat Ratna to BJP veteran L K Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur. 
 

Awards

Lifetime Achievement award

♦ Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president, PT Usha was conferred with the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award by Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) and Delhi Sports Journalists Association (DSJA) at the National Sports Club of India.

♦ Usha is the fifth recipient of this award after tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, badminton icon Prakash Padukone, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and iconic sprinter Milkha Singh.

♦ In her career Usha won 103 international medals for India. She also claimed four gold and seven silver medals at the Asian Games and competed across three editions of the Olympics.
 

Awards

Grammy award

♦ Prominent Indian musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain's fusion band Shakti bagged the prestigious Grammy award. They clinched the award in Best Global Music Album category for their latest album This Moment. The album This Moment was released in June last year. The album consisted of eight songs by John McLaughlin, Zakir Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, V Selvaganesh and Ganesh Rajagopalan.

♦ Meanwhile, Zakir Hussain also bagged the Grammy in Best Global Music Performance category for his contribution to Pashto alongside Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia. 

♦ Veteran Indian classical flute artist Rakesh Chaurasia managed to win dual Grammy for his collaborative album As We Speak in the Best Contemporary Instrumental and Best Global Music Performance categories. 

♦ The 66th Annual Grammy Awards 2024 event was held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
 

Awards

Bharat Ratna

♦ BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani (96) will be honoured with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. He will be the 50th recipient of the highest civilian award since its inception. Also, this is the seventh Bharat Ratna awarded by the Modi government, since assuming power in 2014. The list also includes Karpoori Thakur, Madan Mohan Malviya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika, and Nanaji Deshmukh.

♦ Advani served as the Deputy Prime Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He has been a member of both Houses of the Parliament between 1970 and 2019.
 

Awards

Gallantry awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu has approved Gallantry awards to 80 Armed Forces personnel, including 12 posthumous. These include six Kirti Chakras, including three posthumous, 16 Shaurya Chakras, including two posthumous, 53 Sena Medals, including seven posthumous, one Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) and four Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
♦ The President also approved 311 defence decorations for Armed Forces and other personnel. These include 31 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 59 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 10 Yudh Seva Medals, and 130 Vishisht Seva Medals, among others.
 

Awards

Padma Awards

The Union Government has announced the Padma Awards for the year 2024. The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri Awards. Thirty of the awardees are women and the list also includes eight persons from the category of Foreigners / NRI / PIO / OCI and nine Posthumous awardees.

♦ Former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, actor K Chiranjeevi, actress  Vyjayantimala Bali, and Bharat Natyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam have been selected for Padma Vibhushan.  Social activist Bindeshwar Pathak has been awarded  Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

♦ The first women Supreme Court Judge  M Fathima Beevi and Tamil actor Vijaykanth have been awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously. Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty, singer Usha Uthup, industrialist Sitaram Jindal, composer Pyarelal Sharma, and Foxconn Chairman Young Liu are among those who will be given Padma Bhushan.

♦ Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country is conferred in three categories - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activities, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature, and education. 

♦ 'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order, and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. 

For awardees full list click on: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1999790
 

Awards

ICC Mens T20I Cricketer of the Year

Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav clinched the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023 award on 24 January 2024. This was his second successive award in the category. Yadav enjoyed a sensational 2023 season in T20 International cricket, averaging 48.86 with a strike rate of 155.95 in 17 innings. His tally of 733 runs included two centuries and five half-centuries.
 

Awards

Polly Umrigar Award

Shubman Gill clinched the Polly Umrigar Award for the year 2022-23 at the BCCI Awards held in Hyderabad. He was also named the Best International Cricketer in the men's category. 

♦ Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, Farokh Engineer, and Colonel CK Nayadu received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

♦ Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah took home the special honour for his heroics in the 2021-2022 season.

♦ Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami were declared the winners of the Polly Umrigar Award for the 2021-21 and 2019-2020 seasons.
 

Awards

Bharat Ratna

♦ Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur will be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously. The Rashtrapati Bhavan announced this on 23 Jaanuary 2024. He served as Chief Minister from December 1970 to June 1971 and from December 1977 to April 1979. Karpoori Thakur died on February 17, 1988. 

♦ Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in the country. It has been granted to 49 individuals so far, with 17 posthumously. Instituted in 1954, this award is open to anyone, regardless of race, occupation, position, or gender.
 

Awards

Bal Puraskar awards

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) was 2024 announced on 19 January 2024. PMRBP is given to children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievements.  

♦ The awards are given to children in the age group 5 – 18 years for their excellence in seven categories for Bravery, Art & Culture, Environment, Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service and Sports that deserve national recognition. Each awardee of PMRBP is given a medal, certificate and a citation booklet.

♦ The awards will be conferred by the President of India at a ceremonial function to be held at Vigyan Bhawan on 22nd January, 2024.
PRADHAN MANTRI RASHTRIYA BAL PURASKAR-2024

Awards

Wings India Awards

Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka has been recognized as the Best Airport of the Year at the prestigious Wings India Awards 2024.

♦ The award ceremony was held in Hyderabad on 18th January 2024. 

♦ The airport was recognized with the ‘25 MPPA Traffic Award’ in the Airports category for handling more than 25 million passengers annually.
 

Awards

Swachh Survekshan 2023 awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu presented the 'Swachh Survekshan -2023 awards' at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 11 January 2024. Indore and Surat received the cleanest cities award of the country in the Cleanliness Survey-2023, in the category of more than one lakh population. Indore was received this award for the 7th consecutive time. Navi Mumbai got the third position in the same category.  in the presence of Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and other officials. 

♦ Sasvad in Maharashtra, Patan in Chhattisgarh, and Lonavala in Maharashtra bagged the top three positions in the cleanest cities in the category of population of below one lakh population.

♦ Meanwhile, Maharashtra got the first prize for cleanliness in the state category, Madhya Pradesh got second and Chhattisgarh got the award of third cleanest state. Varanasi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh clinched the top spots as the Cleanest Ganga Towns.
 

Awards

National Sports and Adventure Awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2023 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9 January 2024. 

♦ The Khel Ratna awardees get a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh, and the Arjuna and Dronacharya awardees get a Rs. 15 lakh cash prize.

♦ The National Sports Awards ceremony is usually held on August 29 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. However, it was deferred last year because of the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, which ran from September 23 to October 8.
 

Awards

Golden Globes 2024

'Oppenheimer' film director Christopher Nolan won the Best Director Award at the Golden Globes 2024. The 81st edition of the Golden Globes was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on 8 January 2024. This film bagged the Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Picture- Drama awards. 

List of winners:

Best Motion Picture (Drama) - Oppenheimer

Best Motion Picture(Musical/Comedy) - Poor Things

Best Director - Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

Best Actress (Drama) - Lily Gladstone ( Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Actor (Drama) - Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

Best Actress (Musical/Comedy) - Emma Stone (Poor Things)

Best Actor (Musical/Comedy)- Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)

Best Supporting Actor- Robert Downey Jr (Oppenheimer)

Best Supporting Actress- Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Best Animated Film - The Boy and the Heron

Best Non-English Language Film - Anatomy Of A Fall (France)

Best Original Score- Ludwig Goransson (Oppenheimer)

Best Original Song- "What Was I Made For?" (Barbie)

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement - Barbie
 

Awards

Five Lok Sabha members were selected for the Sansad Ratna Awards

♦ Five Lok Sabha members were selected for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2024. The BJP’s Sukanta Majumdar, and Sudheer Gupta; the Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde; the NCP’s Amol Ramsing Kolhe, and the Congress’ Kuldeep Rai Sharma are selected for the Sansad Ratna Awards. The awards are to be presented at a function in Delhi on 17 February. 

♦ The Sansad Ratna Awards are presented annually to the top-performing parliamentarians, based on their performance, while the Sansad Maha Ratna Awards are presented once in five years for consistency in performance during the term of the Lok Sabha.

♦ Chennai-based non-profit charitable trust Prime Point Foundation instituted these honours at the instance of former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam, who himself inaugurated the first award event in 2010 in Chennai.
 

Awards

M.S. Swaminathan Award

♦ Prof. B.R. Kamboj was honoured with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award in recognition of his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.

♦ Currently, he is the Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. 

♦ A special committee, constituted for the M.S. Swaminathan Award, selected Prof. B.R. Kamboj for his excellent achievements in the field of education, research, technology development and extension in agricultural science.

♦ Kamboj has published about 300 research papers and articles in national and international journals, books and technical magazines.

Awards

Knighthood Award

Indian origin Dr Amritpal Singh Hungin was named to the prestigious Knighthood Award. He is an Emeritus Professor of General Practice at Newcastle University. He was the founding dean of medicine at Durham University and a former president of the British Medical Association.
 

Awards

Man of the Year-2023

L.P. Hemanth K. Srinivasulu was honored with the prestigious "Man of the Year-2023" award by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 28 December 2023. The award recognizes Hemanth's outstanding contributions to trade diplomacy and global economic relations. Hemanth is the Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Trade Council. As the Director, he continues to drive initiatives for trade diplomacy, fostering relationships to promote cooperation on trade matters.
 

Awards

Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize

♦ The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was awarded to poet-critic Sukrita Paul Kumar. She got this award for her book, 'Salt & Pepper: Selected Poems'. An amount of USD 5,000, a Tagore statue and a certificate for contribution to literature was given to Kumar at the award ceremony. This prize was founded in 2018 by US-based publisher Peter Bundalo, the award is a platform for world peace, literature, art, education and human rights. It also recognises works towards human rights and world peace with the Social Achievement Prize.

♦ Last year, the prize was given to journalist-author Raj Kamal Jha for his novel 'The City and The Sea'.
 

Awards

SASTRA-Ramanujan Awards

The SASTRA-Ramanujan Awards for 2022 and 2023 were presented to Yunqing Tang and Ruixiang Zhang at the SASTRA campus in Kumbakonam on 22 December 2023. They are both mathematicians at the University of California in Berkeley. 

♦ The SASTRA-Ramanujan Awards, with a commendable cash prize of USD 10,000 and a citation, are presented annually on the birthday of the legendary Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan.

♦ The awards, instituted by SASTRA in 2005, honor individuals under the age of 32 who have made remarkable contributions to the field of mathematics.
 

Awards

CMD of the Year

♦ Pradip Kumar Das, CMD of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) was awarded 'CMD of the Year' at the 13th PSE Excellence Awards. This ceremony was hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi.  IREDA also emerged as a runner-up in four key categories: "Operational Performance Excellence", "Corporate Governance," "Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability," and "Inclusivity- Contribution of Women and Differently-Abled In". 

♦ IREDA is a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), serves as the nation’s largest pure-play green financing NBFC. 
 

Awards

2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize

♦ ISRO was awarded the 2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize by the Exploration Museum in Iceland's Husavik.

♦ ISRO got this award for its successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.

♦ The Leif Erikson Award is an annual prize given by the Exploration Museum since 2015.

♦ It is named after Leif Erikson - a Norse explorer thought to be the first European to set foot on continental America, almost four centuries before the expedition of Christopher Columbus.

♦ Chandrayaan-3 was India's third mission to the moon, and the second attempt to carry out a soft-landing on the lunar surface.

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Awards

♦ Tamil author Rajasekaran (Devibharathi), Telugu writer T. Patanjali Sastry and Malayalam litterateur E.V. Ramakrishnan were among those named for the Sahitya Akademi Awards for the year 2023.

♦ Sahitya Akademi was announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 in 24 Languages on 20 December 2023.

♦ Nine books of poetry, six novels, five short story collections, three essays and one literary study have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards this year. 

♦ Tamil author Rajasekaran has been chosen for his novel Neervazhi Padooum, Telugu writer Patanjali Sastry for his short story collection 'Rameswaram kakulu marikonni kathalu' and Malayalam litterateur EV Ramakrishnan for his literary study Malayala Novelinte Deshakalangal.

♦ The Award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs.1,00,000 towards cash content each will be presented to the awardees at the award presentation function which will be held on 12 March 2024 at Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi

Awards

National Sports Awards (NSA)

The badminton men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj was honored with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards (NSA) for the year 2023 on 20 December. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9 January 2024.

NSA 2023 Winners List:

♦ Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award winners: Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj (Badminton)

♦ Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2023:

Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery)

Aditi Gopichand Swami (archery)

Murali Sreeshankar (athletics)

Parul Chaudhary (athletics)

Mohameed Hussamuddin (boxing)

R Vaishali (chess)

Mohammed Shami (cricket)

Anush Agarwalla (equestrian)

Divyakriti Singh (equestrian dressage)

Diksha Dagar (golf)

Krishan Bahadur Pathak (hockey)

Sushila Chanu (hockey)

Pawan Kumar (kabaddi)

Ritu Negi (kabaddi)

Nasreen (kho-kho)

Pinki (lawn bowls)

Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (shooting)

Esha Singh (shooting)

Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (squash)

Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis)

Sunil Kumar (wrestling)

Antim (wrestling)

Naorem Roshibina Devi (wushu)

Sheetal Devi (para archery)

Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy (blind cricket)

Prachi Yadav (para canoeing)

♦ Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and Games 2023 (Regular Category):

Lalit Kumar (wrestling)

RB Ramesh (chess)

Mahaveer Prasad Saini (para athletics)

Shivendra Singh (hockey)

Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar (mallakhamb)

♦ Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and Games 2023 (Lifetime Category):

 Jaskirat Singh Grewal (Golf) 

 Bhaskaran E (Kabaddi)  

Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (Table Tennis)

♦ Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games 2023:

Manjusha Kanwar (badminton)

Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey)

Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi)

♦ Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023: 

Guru Nanak Dev University - Amritsar (overall winner university)

Lovely Professional University - Punjab (1st runner-up)

Kurukshetra University - Kurukshetra (2nd runner-up)

Awards

Royal Society of Chemistrys Nyholm Prize for Education

♦ Professor Savita Ladage was awarded the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm Prize for Education.

♦ She is from Mumbai’s Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

♦ She bagged this award for her contributions to chemistry education.

♦ Ladage will receive a prize of £5000, a medal, and a certificate in acknowledgment of her outstanding work.

Awards

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

♦ The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development for 2023 was jointly awarded to Daniel Barenboim and Ali Abu Awwad.

♦ They got this award for their efforts in bringing together the youth and peoples of Israel and the Arab World for a non-violent resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. 

♦ The International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development chaired by former Chief Justice of India T.S.Thakur announced this on 14 December 2023. 

♦ The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development is a prestigious award presented annually to individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of international peace, disarmament, and development.

♦ The award is named after the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, and was established in 1986 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Awards

Diwali Power of One Award

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was honoured with the ‘Diwali Power of One Award 2023’ in the UN Headquarters on 11 December 2023. This award called as ‘Oscars of Diplomacy'. 

♦ The other awardees for the year 2023 are the former permanent representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN Ambassador Mirsada Colakovic; the former permanent representative of South Korea to the UN Ambassador Kim Sook; and the 72nd UN General Assembly president and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak. 

♦ The awards are granted to selfless individuals for their help to form a peaceful and secure world for all.

♦ These awards are given by the Diwali Foundation USA. 
 

Awards

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

Veteran actor Kabir Bedi was awarded the “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” (Merito della Repubblica Italiana) on 11 December 2023. This is the prestigious civilian honour conferred by Italy. 

♦ The “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” stands as a testament to Italy’s appreciation for those who have made outstanding contributions to society, embodying the nation’s values of merit and excellence. 

♦ This award was established on March 3, 1951.
 

Awards

Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award

♦ Javed Akhtar will be felicitated with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival. He is a veteran lyricist and screenwriter. The award ceremony will take place at Rukmini Auditorium in the MGM University campus of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on January 3, 2024. Akhtar will get a Padmapani memento, citation, and monetary award of Rs.2 lakhs. The Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival, which was previously called Aurangabad International Film Festival (AIFF). This is organized annually by Nath Group, Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Mumbai, with the support of the governments of Maharashtra and India.
 

Awards

National Award

♦ Prashant Agrawal was honored with the prestigious National Award for ‘Best Personality- Empowerment of Differently-abled.’ He is the President of Narayan Seva Sansthan. The award was presented by President Draupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 5 December 2023. Prashant Agrawal’s recognition stems from his exceptional efforts in leading initiatives aimed at empowering differently-abled individuals.
 

Awards

Nansen Refugee Award

♦ Abdullahi Mire was named the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Global Laureate.

♦ He is a former Somali refugee and journalist.

♦ He has championed the right to education while putting 100,000 books in the hands of refugee children in Kenya.

♦ He will be presented with the award at a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland on 13 December 2023.

♦ The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award was established in 1954. It honours individuals, groups and organizations who go above and beyond the call of duty to protect refugees, displaced and stateless people.

♦ Four regional winners were also be named for the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award: 

♦ Elizabeth Moreno Barco (Americas): a human rights defender who advocates for communities affected by armed internal conflict in Colombia.

♦ Asia Al-Mashreqi (Middle East & North Africa): founder and chairperson of the Sustainable Development Foundation, which has assisted nearly 2 million individuals in Yemen affected by conflict.

♦ Abdullah Habib, Sahat Zia Hero, Salim Khan and Shahida Win (Asia-Pacific): four Rohingya storytellers documenting the experiences of stateless Rohingya refugees.

♦ Lena Grochowska and Władysław Grochowski (Europe): a Polish couple whose hotel chain and foundation provide shelter and training to refugees. 

Awards

Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award

♦ Renowned Hollywood actor Michael Douglas was honoured with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 28 November 2023. 

♦ Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 20 November 2023. The IFFI ended on November 28 with an award ceremony.

♦ Iranian actor Pouria Rahimi Sam bagged the Best Actor award for his role in ‘Endless Borders’. 

♦ Kannada actor Rishab Shetty was honoured with the Special Jury Award for his film Kantara.

IFFI 2023 winners list:

♦ Golden Peacock Best Film: ‘Endless Borders’

♦ Best Actor-Male: Pouria Rahimi Sam for ‘Endless Borders’

♦ Best Actor (Female): Melanie Thierry for ‘Party of Fools’

♦ Best Director: Stephan Komandarev for ‘Blaga’s Lessons’

♦ Special Jury Award: Rishab Shetty For ‘Kantara’

♦ Best Debutant Director: Reger Azad Kaya for his Syrian-Arab Republic film ‘When the Seedlings Grow’

♦ Best Web Series: ‘Panchayat Season 2’

♦ Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Douglas

Awards

GoI was awarded the Special Appreciation Medal

♦ The Ministry of Power, GoI was awarded the Special Appreciation Medal for Excellence in Display, at the India International Trade Fair 2023.

♦ This was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from November 14 - 27, 2023.

♦ The Ministry received the award for the Power Pavilion set up by it at the 42nd edition of the IITF.

♦ The Pavilion was set up under the umbrella of the Ministry of Power, with NTPC as the nodal agency and with contribution from 11 other PSUs under the Ministry. 

Awards

Booker Prize

♦ Irish writer Paul Lynch won the '2023 Booker Prize' for his novel 'Prophet Song' on 27 November 2023. The novel presents a dystopian vision of Ireland in the grips of totalitarianism, something the author describes as an attempt at radical empathy. 'Prophet Song' is his fifth novel. The author received £50,000 and a trophy.

♦ In 2022, Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize for ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida,’ whose story centres on Sri Lankan civil war. 
 

Awards

Karmaveer Chakra Award

♦ Narayanappa was selected for the Karmaveer Chakra Award (Bronze) and REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship 2023-24 instituted by the Indian Confederation of NGOs (iCONGO), in partnership with the United Nations. He is from Mallapuram village in Anantapur district.

♦ He is a marginal farmer in the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme. By adopting the ‘Any Time Money’ model, Narayanappa has achieved a significant transformation.
 

Awards

Ishwak Singh clinched the Best Actor award

♦ Ishwak Singh clinched the Best Actor award at the Stars Asian International Film Festival. He got this award for his performance in the film Berlin. 

♦ The film “Berlin” has not only gained acclaim for Ishwak Singh’s outstanding portrayal but has also enjoyed successful screenings at several film festivals, such as the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and Jio MAMI 2023.
 

Awards

Pakistans highest civilian award Nishan-e-Pakistan

♦ Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin will be conferred Pakistan’s highest civilian award ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan’. Pakistan President Arif Alvi announced this on 23 November 2023. Saifuddin is head of the Mumbai-based Dawoodi Bohra sect of Islam. The Dawoodi Bohra community is spread across over 40 countries, including a sizeable congregation in Pakistan.

♦ Nishan-e-Pakistan or the Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan is equivalent to Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan.

♦ He will be the fourth Indian to receive this award. Morarji Desai was the first Indian to be honoured with Nishan-e-Pakistan, which was conferred on him by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in 1990. Later thespian Dilip Kumar was given this award in 1998 and Kashmiri separatist leader Ali Geelani was also awarded Nishan-e-Pakistan in 2020.
 

Awards

JCB Prize for Literature

♦ Tamil writer Perumal Murugan won the JCB Prize for Literature for his book “Fire Bird”. The book was translated from Tamil by Janani Kannan and published by Penguin Random House India. “Fire Bird” was originally titled “Aalanda Patchi”.

♦ Murugan received the prize money of Rs.25 lakh along with a trophy. Translator Kannan also received an additional Rs.10 lakh for the award.
 

Awards

51st International Emmy Awards

♦ Bollywood comedian Vir Das won the International Emmy Award for his stand-up special Vir Das: Landing in the best comedy category. The 51st International Emmy Awards Gala was held at the New York Hilton Midtown on 20 November 2023.  He became the first Indian comedian to win this award. 

♦ Ekta Kapoor bagged the 'International Emmy Directorate Award' at the 51st International Emmy Awards Gala.
 

Awards

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

♦ The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2022 was jointly awarded to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Trained Nurses Association of India on 19 November 2023. This prize was established in 1986. This prize is given to people whose work have exemplified Indira’s ideals and causes.

♦ Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari presented the award to Dr. Sharad Kumar Agarwal, president, Indian Medical Association, and Professor (Dr.) Roy K. George, president, Trained Nurses Association of India.
 

Awards

Peace Award

♦ Renowned author Salman Rushdie received the inaugural ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award‘ from the Vaclav Havel Center on 14 November 2023. The Havel Center was established in 2012 as the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation and is named for the Czech playwright and dissident who became the last president of Czechoslovakia after the fall of the Communist regime in the late 1980s.  

♦ This center perpetuates Havel's legacy and focuses on advocating for human rights and free expression.
 

Awards

Indian rifle shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh

♦ Indian rifle shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar won a gold medal at the Asian Shooting Championships 2023 in Changwon, the Republic of Korea on 1 November 2023.

♦ Aishwary Pratap scored 463.5 in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event final to pick up the gold.

♦ The People’s Republic of China's Tian Jiaming bagged the silver medal with a score of 462.7 while his compatriot Du Linshu settled for the bronze medal with 450.3.

♦ India won both the mixed trap gold medals. Manisha Keer and Prithviraj Tondaiman won the gold by beating Korea 141-136.

♦ The junior mixed trap gold was won by Aadya Tripathi and Shardul Vihan with a total of 131.

Awards

British Academy Book Prize

♦ India-born author Nandini Das (49) was named the winner of the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for her book ‘Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire'. 

♦ She will be awarded GBP 25,000 (Rs.25 lakhs) as the winner. 

♦ The British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, previously known as the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize, was established in 2013.

♦ Das is a Professor of English literatre at the University of Oxford.

♦ The winning book is her debut and has been described by critics as the “true origin story of Britain and India told through England's first diplomatic mission to the Mughal courts”. 
 

Awards

Rohini Nayyar Prize

♦ Deenanath Rajput was awarded the second Rohini Nayyar Prize for his outstanding contribution to rural development on 31 October 2023. The first Rohini Nayyar prize was given to Nagaland-based Sethrichem Sangtam.

♦ Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, N K Singh presented this award to the Deenanath. The award is usually given to an individual under 40, who has done exceptional work in the development space.

♦ The prestigious award was presented in memory of the late economist-administrator Dr. Rohini Nayyar, and it came with a trophy, a citation, and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. Rohini had served as the former principal adviser at the erstwhile Planning Commission. She passed away in 2021. 
 

Awards

Ballon dOr award for the year 2023

♦ Lionel Messi has been named with the prestigious Ballon d'Or award for the year 2023.This event was held at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France. The Ballon d’Or has been Awarded by France Football magazine to men every year since 1956. 

♦ Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record seven times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021) followed by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won it five times. 

Awardees list:

Award                                                                                                               Winner

Ballon d'Or                                                                                  Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)

Ballon d'Or Feminin                                                                   Aitana Bonmatí (FC Barcelona Femení, Spain)

Kopa Trophy for the best male U-21 player                               Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)

Yachine Trophy for the best male goalkeeper                            Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa, Argentina)

Gerd Müller Trophy for the highest-scoring male striker           Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)

Sócrates Award to acknowledge humanitarian work                  Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil)

Club of the Year                                                                          Manchester City and FC Barcelona Femení
 

Awards

National medals

♦ American President Joe Biden honoured two Indian-American scientists - Dr. Ashok Gadgil and Dr. Subra Suresh with the national medals in the fields of Science and Technology.

♦ The Suresh conferred the National Medal for Science, Ashok was conferred the National Medal for Technology and Innovation.

♦ The scientists made discoveries enabling lifesaving medical treatment, helping fight the opioid epidemic, improve food security, advance accessibility and much more. 
 

Awards

Global Leadership

♦ Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has received the 'Award for Global Leadership' the highest professional distinction handed out by his alma mater, Harvard Law School on 22 October 2023. 

♦ CJI Chandrachud pursued his LLM degree from 1982 to 1983 and a Doctorate in Juridical Science form 1983 to 1986 from Harvard Law School, USA.

♦ The Harvard Law School is also celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Graduate Law Program.

♦ The CJI was announced as the recipient of the award on January 11, this year, in an online ceremony.
 

Awards

The European Union was awarded 2023 Sakharov Prize to Mahsa Amini (22).

♦ The European Union was awarded '2023 Sakharov Prize' to Mahsa Amini (22).

♦ She was a Iranian Kurdish woman.

♦ She was arrested by police in Tehran on 13 September 2022 for allegedly ignoring Iran’s strict veiling laws, and died in a Tehran hospital three days later following physical abuse while in custody.

Awards

69th National Film Awards

♦ The President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the 69th National Film Awards in various categories in New Delhi on October 17, 2023. She also conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2021 to Waheeda Rehman.

♦ Arjun won the best actor award for the Telugu film "Pushpa: The Rise", the best actress honour was shared by Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon for Hindi films "Gangubai Kathaiwadi" and "Mimi", respectively. This is the first National Award for all three actors.

♦ 'Rocketry': 'The Nambi Effect' directed by Madhavan was awarded the Best Film Award.

The full list of winners at the 69th National Film Awards:

♦ Best Feature Film: Rocketry

♦ Best Director: Nikhil Mahajan, Godavari

♦ Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: RRR

♦ Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: The Kashmir Files

♦ Best Actor: Allu Arjun, Pushpa

♦ Best Actress: Alia Bhatt, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon, Mimi

♦ Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi, Mimi

♦ Best Supporting Actress: Pallavi Joshi, The Kashmir Files

♦ Best Child Artist: Bhavin Rabari, Chhello Show

♦ Best Screenplay (Original): Shahi Kabir, Nayattu

♦ Best Screenplay (Adapted): Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Utkarshini Vashishtha, Gangubai Kathiawadi

♦ Best Dialogue Writer: Utkarshini Vashishtha & Prakash Kapadia, Gangubai Kathiawadi

♦ Best Music Director (Songs): Devi Sri Prasad, Pushpa

♦ Best Music Direction (Background Music): MM Keeravaani, RRR

♦ Best Male Playback Singer: Kaala Bhairava, RRR

♦ Best Female Playback Singer: Shreya Ghoshal, Iravin Nizhal

♦ Best Lyrics: Chandrabose, Konda Polam's Dham Dham Dham

♦ Best Hindi Film: Sardar Udham

♦ Best Kannada Film: 777 Charlie

♦ Best Malayalam Film: Home

♦ Best Gujurati Film: Chhello Show

♦ Best Tamil Film: Kadaisi Vivasayi

♦ Best Telugu Film: Uppena

♦ Best Maithili Film: Samanantar

♦ Best Mishing Film: Boomba Ride

♦ Best Marathi Film: Ekda Kaay Zala

♦ Best Bengali Film: Kalkokkho

♦ Best Assamese Film: Anur

♦ Best Meiteilon Film: Eikhoigi Yum

♦ Best Odiya Film: Pratikshya

♦ Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Meppadiyan, Vishnu Mohan

♦ Best Film on Social Issues: Anunaad - The Resonance

♦ Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: Aavasavyuham

♦ Best Children's Film: Gandhi and Co

♦ Best Audiography (Location Sound Recordist): Arun Asok & Sonu K P, Chavittu

♦ 'Best Audiography (Sound Designer): Aneesh Basu, Jhilli

♦ Best Audiography (Re-recordist of the final mixed track): Sinoy Joseph, Sardar Udham

♦ Best Choreography: Prem Rakshith, RRR

♦ Best Cinematography: Avik Mukhopadhayay, Sardar Udham

♦ Best Costume Designer: Veera Kapur Ee, Sardar Udham

♦ Best Special Effects: Srinivas Mohan, RRR

♦ Best Production Design: Dmitrii Malich and Mansi Dhruv Mehta, Sardar Udham

♦ Best Editing: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi

♦ Best Make-up: Preetisheel Singh, Gangubai Kathiawadi

♦ Best Stunt Choreography: King Soloman, RRR

♦ Special Jury Award: Shershaah, Vishnuvardhan
 

Awards

Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award

♦ Hollywood actor Michael Douglas will be conferred with the Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award at the 54th International Film Festival in Goa. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur announced this on 13th October 2023.

♦ Douglas, who made his acting debut in the late 1960s, is known for his work in movies such as Wall Street (1987), Basic Instinct (1992) and The American President (1995).

♦ The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted in 1999. This is given to artists for their exceptional contribution to the world of cinema. The 54th International Film Festival will be held from November 20-28.
 

Awards

Denis Wellstead Award

♦ Chitturi Jagapati Rao was honoured with the prestigious Denis Wellstead Award for “International Egg Person of the Year 2023” by The International Egg Commission (IEC). He is the first Asian to receive this highest award.

♦ Jagapati Rao is the Chairman of Srinivasa Farms Group and one of the founders of the National Egg Coordination Committee in India.

♦ The International Egg Commission (IEC) recognised and presented the award for his notable success and outstanding achievements across the global egg industry at the recent IEC Global Leadership Conference Lake Louise 2023.
 

Awards

Prize in Economic Sciences 2023

♦ The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 2023 was awarded to Claudia Goldin “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes.” The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on October 9 in Stockholm.  Claudia Goldin is a professor at Harvard University. She is only the third woman to win the prize.

♦ The Nobel Prize in Economics in 2022 was given to US economists Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig together with former Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke for research on banks in times of turmoil.

History: 

♦ In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established this prize in memory of Alfred Nobel. 93 individuals have been awarded from 1969 to 2023.

♦ Youngest economic sciences laureate: To date, Esther Duflo (46 years) when she was awarded in 2019.

♦ Oldest economic sciences laureate: To date, Leonid Hurwicz (90 years) when he was awarded in 2007.

♦ Female economic sciences laureates: Elinor Ostrom became the first female economic sciences laureate when awarded the prize in 2009. Esther Duflo was awarded the prize in 2019 and Claudia Goldin in 2023. 
 

Awards

Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023

♦ The Sahitya Akademi has bestowed the ‘Bal Sahitya Puraskar’ 2023 in Manipuri language to Dilip Nongmaithem for his book 'Ibemma Amasung Ngabemma'. 

♦ The book was selected on the basis of recommendations made by the Jury comprising three members – Dr. Hamom Nabachandra Singha, Dr. Khundongbam Gokulchandra Singh and Prof. Naorem Bidyasagar Singha, in accordance with the rules and procedure laid down for the purpose.

♦ The Bal Sahitya Puraskar holds a special place in the literary landscape of India. Instituted in 2010, it is specifically dedicated to honoring writers for their exceptional contributions to the field of children’s literature.
 

Awards

Dr Joyeeta Gupta received the Spinoza Prize

♦ Indian-origin professor Dr Joyeeta Gupta received the Spinoza Prize at a ceremony in the Netherlands on October 2023.

♦ This is the highest honor in Dutch science.  She got this award for her work in the field of climate.

♦ She is the Professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

♦ The Dutch Research Council (NWO) prize is worth 1.5 million euros, which Gupta intends to spend on scientific research and activities related to knowledge utilisation.

♦ The Spinoza Prize has been awarded annually since 1995 and Gupta is the twelfth UvA researcher to receive the award.
 

Awards

Nobel Peace Prize 2023

♦ The Nobel Peace Prize 2023 was awarded to Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi on 6th October 2023. Sge got this award "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all."

♦ In 1998, Narges Mohammadi was jailed by the country’s theocratic authorities for the first time while protesting the rampant imprisonment of voices critical of the administration. while she is still in prison.

History:

♦ The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 141 laureates - to 111 individuals and 30 organizations. 

♦ Youngest peace laureate: To date, Malala Yousafzai (17 years), when awarded the 2014 peace prize.

♦ Oldest peace laureate: To date, Joseph Rotblat (87 years), when he was awarded the prize in 1995.

♦ Female Nobel Peace Prize laureates: Of the 111 individuals awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 19 are women. The first time a Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a woman was in 1905, to Bertha von Suttner.
 

Awards

Nobel Prize in Literature for 2023

♦ The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2023 was awarded to the Norwegian author Jon Fosse. He got this award for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.

♦ The Swedish Academy has announced this award on October 5 in Stockholm, Sweden. Fosse was born in 1959 in the Norwegian coastal town of Haugesund.

♦ He is considered one of the most important contemporary European writers.

History:

♦ 120 individuals have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature from 1901 to 2023. It was not awarded on seven occasions: in 1914, 1918, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943.

♦ Youngest literature laureate: To date, the youngest literature laureate is Rudyard Kipling, best known for The Jungle Book, who was 41 years old when he was awarded the literature prize in 1907.

♦ Oldest literature laureate: The oldest Nobel Prize laureate in literature to date is Doris Lessing, who was 88 years old when she was awarded the Prize in 2007.

♦ 17 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was the first woman to be awarded in 1909. 
 

Awards

2023 Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize 2023 in Chemistry

♦ The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.

♦ The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners on October 4, 2023.

♦ Quantum dots have unique properties and now spread their light from television screens and LED lamps. They catalyse chemical reactions and their clear light can illuminate tumour tissue for a surgeon, the Academy said.

♦ Researchers Moungi G. Bawendi & Louis E. Brus are associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Columbia University respectively. Alexei I. Ekimov is currently working for Nanocrystals Technology Inc., New York.

♦ In 2022, American researchers Carolyn R. Bertozzi & K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing a way of “snapping molecules together” that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs.

History:

♦ The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to 194 laureates between 1901-2023. As Frederick Sanger and Barry Sharpless has been awarded twice, there are 192 individuals who have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry since 1901. It was not awarded on eight occasions: in 1916, 1917, 1919, 1924, 1933, 1940, 1941 and 1942.

♦ Youngest chemistry laureate: To date, Frédéric Joliot (35 years) was awarded the chemistry prize in 1935, together with his wife, Irène Joliot-Curie.

♦ Oldest chemistry laureate: To date, John B. Goodenough (97 years old) was awarded the chemistry prize in 2019. He is also the oldest laureate to be awarded in all prize categories.

Female Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry:

♦ Of the 192individuals awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, eight are women so far. Two of these eight women, Marie Curie and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, were awarded unshared chemistry prizes.

♦ 1911 – Marie Curie (also awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics)

♦ 1935 – Irène Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie and wife to Frédéric Joliot)

♦ 1964 – Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin

♦ 2009 – Ada Yonath

♦ 2018 – Frances H. Arnold

♦ 2020 – Emmanuelle Charpentier

♦ 2020 – Jennifer A. Doudna

♦ 2022 – Carolyn R. Bertozzi
 

Awards

Sudha Murty was conferred with the Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation

♦ Sudha Murty was conferred with the Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation (CIF) at a grand Indo-Canadian gala in Toronto.

♦ She is a renowned author, philanthropist and wife of Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murty. Sudha Murty is the first woman to get Global Indian Award.

♦ This award, which carries a worth of $50,000, is given every year to a prominent Indian who has made a major mark in his or her chosen field.

♦ The past recipients of the award include Sam Pitroda, Ratan Tata, NR Narayana Murthy, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Vedanta founder Anil Agarwal, among others.
 

Awards

2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne LHuillier

♦ The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electro dynamics in matter”.

♦ The Royal Swedish Academy of Science announced this prize on October 3, 2023.

♦ Anne L’Huillier discovered a new effect from laser light’s interaction with atoms in a gas.

♦ Pierre Agostini and Ferenc Krausz demonstrated that this effect can be used to create shorter pulses of light than were previously possible.

♦ The Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 was awarded jointly to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger

History:

♦ The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded 117 times to 225 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2023. 

♦ John Bardeen is the only laureate who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, in 1956 and 1972. 

♦ This means that a total of 224 individuals have received the Nobel Prize in Physics.
 

Awards

2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology was jointly awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman

♦ The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their research that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

♦ The prize was announced by The Royal Swedish Academy of Science on October 2, 2023.

♦ Dr. Karikó and Dr. Weissman were awarded the prize for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

♦ Between 1901 and 2022, 225 Nobel Laureates received 113 awards of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 

♦ Previously, Svante Pääbo was awarded the prize for Physiology in 2022 "for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution".

Nobel Prize History:

♦ Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist and businessman in the 19th century, founded the Nobel Prizes.

♦ His claim to fame prior to receiving the Nobel Prizes was creating dynamite by combining nitroglycerine with a substance that made the explosion more stable.

♦ He possessed more than 300 patents.
 

Awards

Ruixiang Zhang, Assistant Professorwas awarded the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize

♦ Ruixiang Zhang, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA was awarded the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for his outstanding contributions in mathematics.

♦ The annual cash prize of USD 10,000 will be given at an international conference in Number Theory during December 20 and December 22 at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam, mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s hometown.
 

Awards

Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman has been chosen as the awardee of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award

♦ Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman (85) has been chosen as the awardee of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023.

♦ It is the India's highest film honour.

♦ Rehman, known for her beauty and acting skills, has left an persisting mark on Indian cinema.

♦ She made her acting debut with the Telugu flim and she became star in Hindi film industry.

♦ Earlier, she got National Film Award for her role as a classwomen in "Reshma and Shera" (1971).

♦ She has been also recived Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
 

Awards

Dr Swati Nayak was named the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Norman E Borlaug Award

♦ An Indian scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dr Swati Nayak was named the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Norman E Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application.

♦ Nayak is the South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at the IRRI in New Delhi.

♦ The World Food Prize Foundation describing her as an "outstanding young scientist."

♦ The award is given to exceptional scientists under 40 and someone who works in the field of food and nutrition security, hunger eradication in memory of the Nobel awardee and Green Revolution's chief architect Dr Norman Borlaug.
 

Awards

The Government of India has come out with a new set of National Awards in the field of Science, Technology

♦ The Government of India has come out with a new set of National Awards in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation known as “Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP)’’.

♦ The RVP consists of four distinct categories to accommodate a wide range of contributions.

♦ The objective of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) is to recognize the notable and inspiring contribution made by the scientists, technologists, and innovators individually or in teams in various fields of science, technology and technology­ led innovation.

The Four Distinct Categories:

♦ Vigyan Ratna (VR) award will recognize lifetime achievements & contributions made in any field of science and technology.

♦ Vigyan Shri (VS) award will recognize distinguished contributions in any field of science and technology.

♦ Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB) award will recognize & encourage young scientists up to the age of 45 years who made an exceptional contribution in any field of science and technology.

♦ Vigyan Team (VT) award to be given to a team comprising of three or more scientists/researchers/innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team in any field of science and technology.
 

Awards

Rahul Mishra was conferred with the French governments Chevalier de lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres

♦ Indian fashion designer Rahul Mishra was conferred with the French government's Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) honour.

♦ Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain presented the medal to Mishra.

♦ This award is bestowed upon ''persons who have distinguished themselves by their creativity in the field of art, culture, and literature or for their contribution to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world''.
 

Awards

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards for 2022

♦ The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards for 2022 on 11th September 2023 to 12 young scientists in India.

♦ The awards are given to scientists under the age of 45 and come with a cash prize of Rs.5,00,000 and a citation.

♦ The awards are given in seven scientific disciplines – Physics, Biology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine, Chemistry and Earth Sciences.

♦ The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, instituted in the memory of the first Director General of the CSIR, are usually announced on the foundation day of the institution on September 26.

Awardees List:

Biological Sciences:

1. Dr Ashwani Kumar

2. Dr Maddika Subba Reddy

Chemical Sciences:

3. Dr Akkattu T Biju

4. Dr Debabrata Maiti

Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences:

5. Dr Vimal Mishra

Engineering Sciences:

6. Dr Dipti Ranjan Sahoo

7. Dr Rajnish Kumar

Mathematical Sciences:

8. Dr Apoorva Khare

9. Dr Neeraj Kayal

Medical Sciences:

10. Dr Dipyaman Ganguli

Physical Sciences

11. Dr Anindya Das

12. Dr Basudeb Dasgupta
 

Awards

Oncologist Ravi Kannan was named one of the four winners of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award

♦ Oncologist Ravi Kannan was named one of the four winners of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

♦ He is the Director of Assam’s Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC).

♦ Dr. Ravi Kannan's dedication to holistic healthcare, particularly in the difficult field of cancer care, has earned him this distinguished award.

♦ Ramon Magsaysay Award is also often called the Nobel Prize of Asia.

♦ The other recipients are: Rakshand (Bangladesh), Eugenio Lemos (Timor-Leste), Miriam Coronel Ferrer (Philippines).
 

Awards

Prime minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by Greek President Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou

♦ Prime minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the 'Grand Cross of the Order of Honour' by Greek President Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou in Athens.

♦ This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Greece in the last 40 years.

♦ The last high-level visit to Greece took place in September 1983 when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi travelled to the country.

♦ The Order of Honour was established in 1975.

♦ The head of goddess Athena is depicted on the front side of the Star with the inscription “ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS SHOULD BE HONOURED”.

Awards

The 69th National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Center in New Delhi

♦ The 69th National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Center in New Delhi.

♦ Allu Arjun was awarded for the Best Actor for the film Pushpa while the Best Actress Award was presented to Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon for their films Gangubai Kathiawadia and Mimi respectively.

♦ The Best Feature Film Award was presented to The Nambi Effect. 'Sardar Udham', 'RRR', 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' have won big at the National awards.

Awards

India has secured Second Rank at the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Chorzów, Poland

♦ With Four Gold and One Silver Medals, India has secured Second Rank at the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Chorzów, Poland held from the 10 to the 20 of August 2023.

♦ The United Kingdom clinched the lead with five Golds. A total of 236 students from 50 nations participated at the Olympiad, collectively earning 27 gold, 41 silver, and 50 bronze medals across all categories.

♦ Rajdeep Mishra from Kota, Rajasthan, Koduru Tejeswar from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, Md. Sahil Akhtar from Kolkata, West Bengal, Akarsh Raj Sahay from Nagpur, Maharashtra were awarded Gold medals while Sainavaneet Mukund from Bangalore, Karnataka was awarded a silver medal. 
 

Awards

2023 International Young Eco-Hero Award

♦ Five youths from India have been named among 17 teen environmental activists from across the world to receive the 2023 International Young Eco-Hero Award.

♦ They are Eiha Dixit from Meerut, Manya Harsha from Bengaluru, Nirvaan Somany and Mannat Kaur from New Delhi and Karnav Rastogi from Mumbai.

♦ This award is presented by US-based non-profit organization 'Action for Nature'.

♦ It recognises youngsters from ages eight to 16 for raising awareness of environmental issues and finding innovative solutions to tough environmental problems.

Awards

Indian-American economist Raj Chetty was awarded Harward Universitys coveted George Ledlie Prize

♦ Indian-American economist Raj Chetty was awarded Harward University's coveted George Ledlie Prize for wielding big data to break myths about who achieves the American Dream and the obstacles faced by others.

♦ Chetty is a professor of Economics at Harvard University is also director of Opportunity Insights, a group of economists based at Harvard who study inequality.

♦ He had also advised US President Joe Biden on economic issues.

♦ The award is bestowed every two years to a member of the Harvard community who has made the most valuable contribution to science, or in any way for the benefit of mankind.

Awards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award.

♦ This is given to individuals who have worked for the progress and development of the country in an extraordinary manner.

♦ This award was constituted by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983 to honour the legacy of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his death anniversary (August 1st) every year.

♦ Narendra Modi becomes the 41st recipient of this award.

Awards

Mumbais Byculla Railway station has been received the prestigious UNESCOs Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage award

♦ Mumbai's Byculla Railway station has been received the prestigious UNESCO's Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage award  in recognition of its extensive restoration efforts.

♦ It is one of the India's oldest railway station.

♦ It was commissioned in the year 1853 and this station is still in use.

Awards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour,

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded with the 'Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour', the highest of France’s civilian and military honours.

♦ Modi became the first Indian PM to receive this honour.

♦ The award was presented to Modi by President Emmanuel Macron. 

Awards

International Tennis Federation (ITF) has awarded Justine Henin

♦ The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has awarded Justine Henin its highest honour, the Philippe Chatrier Award.

♦  She won seven Grand Salm singles titles, an Olympic gold medal, and was part of Belgium's team that won the Fed cup in 2001.

♦ Henin has established a successful academy in Belgium and a charitable foundation that helps provide sporting opportunities for children with disabilities.

Awards

Indias first ever Olympic medallist in Womens boxing,

♦ India's first ever Olympic medallist in Women's boxing, Mary Kom, has become the 'Global Indian Icon of the year' award at the annual U.K.-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.

♦ She recevied the award from Indian High Commissioner to the U.K. Vikram Doraiswami. 
 

Awards

The President of India,

♦ The President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the years 2022 and 2023 to the Nursing professionals at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

♦ The National Florence Nightingale Award was instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in the year 1973 as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to the society.

♦ Tejavath Susheela from Telangana received the National Florence Nightingale Award for the year 2022 for her dedicated service.
 

Awards

Writer and activist Arundhati Roy

♦ Writer and activist Arundhati Roy was awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the French translation of her latest essay, 'Azadi'.

♦ Roy will receive a cash prize of CHF (Swiss franc) 20,000 (about Rs 18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12, 2023 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

♦ This prize has been awarded since 1975.
 

Awards

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

♦ Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phan Van Gang in New Delhi.

♦ On this occasion Rajnath Singh said that India will gift the indigenously-built in-service missile 'Corvette INS Kirpan' to Vietnam and both countries will also collaborate in defence industry cooperation, maritime security and multinational cooperation.

♦ Corvette INS Kirpan is a Khukri class missile corvette commissioned into the Navy on January 12, 1991.

♦ It has a displacement displacing capacity of close to 1,400 tonnes.
 

Awards

The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021

♦ The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021 is being conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur.

♦ Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the Government of India in 1995, on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.

♦ The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed, or gender.

♦ The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.

Awards

Reserve Bank of India

♦ Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Shaktikanta Das received the 'Governor of the Year' award at London's Central Banking Awards 2023.

♦ The Central Banking Awards 2023 awards winners were announced in March, 2023.

♦ Two top prizes went to the National Bank of Ukraine - the 2023 Central Bank of the Year, and the Reserve Bank of India's Shaktikanta Das - Governor of the Year.

♦ He has been recognised for his role during Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the subsequent fight against inflation.

♦ India is top among countries whose inflation is under control and the growth prospects bright.
 

Awards

Chennai-based lawyer and activist Lalitha Natarajan

♦ Chennai-based lawyer and activist Lalitha Natarajan has won US Department of Labor's 2023 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labour.

♦ Natarajan was presented the award by Consul General Judith Ravin at a ceremony in the US Consulate General in Chennai.

♦ The Iqbal Masih Award is a non-monetary award presented annually by the U.S. Secretary of Labor and administered by ILAB’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking.

♦ It was established by the U.S. Congress in 2008 to honor extraordinary contributions to combat child labor.

♦ The award is named after Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani child who was sold into slavery at the age of four and forced to work in a carpet factory.

Awards

Serbias Novak Djokovic won the French Open 2023

♦ Serbia's Novak Djokovic won the French Open 2023 title by defeating Norway's Casper Ruud in the final.

♦ This is Djokovic's 23rd Grand Slam men's singles title.  

♦ He goes past Rafael Nadal to become the man with the most Grand Slam titles.  

♦ He also became the first man to win all the Majors at least thrice.

Awards

Poland professional tennis player Iga Swiatek

♦ Poland professional tennis player Iga Swiatek (22) won her third French Open title by defeating Czech Karolina Muchova.

♦ This is her fourth Grand Slam title. Swiatek became the first woman to successfully defend the Roland Garros title since 2007.

♦ Swiatek is just the third woman in the Open era to win each of her first four Grand Slam finals, the Pole adding to her 2020 and 2022 titles in Paris and last year's US Open triumph.

♦ Monica Seles and Naomi Osaka are the only other players to accomplish the feat. 
 

Awards

Indian-origin scientist Joyeeta Gupta

♦ Indian-origin scientist Joyeeta Gupta has been awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest distinction in Dutch science which is also known as the ‘Dutch Nobel Prize’.

♦ She got this award for her scientific work focusing on a 'just and sustainable world'.

♦ Gupta is the 12th researcher from the University of Amsterdam to receive the award.

♦ Gupta will get 1.5 million euros.
 

Awards

Suriname conferred its highest civilian honour

♦ Suriname conferred its highest civilian honour 'The Grand Order of the Chain of Yellow Star' to President Droupadi Murmu.

♦ She is the first Indian to receive this award.

♦ Murmu received the award from the President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

♦ Murmu is being presented with special covers of stamps to mark 150 years of the arrival of Indians in Suriname by President of Suriname Chan Santokhi, in Suriname.

Awards

Dhanush Srikanth

♦ Dhanush Srikanth bagged the gold medal in the Men’s 10 m air rifle event in the ISSF Junior World Cup.

♦ This event was held in Suhl, Germany.

♦ He defeated Pontus Kallin of Sweden. Dhanush triumph marked India’s third gold medal in the ISSF WC.

♦ India also picked up a bronze in the skeet mixed team competition, when Harmehar Lally and Sanjana Sood defeated their Swedish opponents David Jonsson and Felicia Ros in a shoot-off.

Awards

Indian shooter Sainyam bagged a gold medal

♦ Indian shooter Sainyam bagged a gold medal in the women's 10m air pistol category at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2023.

♦ Korea's Kim Minseo got the silver medal.

♦ In February, Sainyam won the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the Khelo India Youth Games. 

Awards

A Goan short story writer Damodar Mauzo

♦ A Goan short story writer Damodar Mauzo received the 57th Jnanpith Award from Goa state Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.

♦ This is India’s highest literary honor. Mauzo's 25 books have been published in Konkani and one in English.

♦ Many of his books have also been translated in different languages.

♦ Mauzo's famous novel 'Karmelin' received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983.

Awards

Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov

♦ Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel were named winners of the International Booker Prize 2023 with the novel "Time Shelter".

♦ This is the first Bulgarian novel to win this prize.

♦ The £50,000 ($62,000) prize is split equally between the author and the translator.

♦ The novel focuses on a "clinic for the past" that offers experimental Alzheimer's treatment.
 

Awards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Fijis highest civilian award

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Fiji’s highest civilian award “Companion of the Order of Fiji” by Its PM Sitiveni Rabuka during his visit to the island nation.

♦ PM Modi was also conferred with “Companion of the Order of Logohu” during his recent visit to Papua New Guinea to attend the third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit. 

Awards

World Sportsman of the Year award

♦ Lionel Messi won the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.

♦ The announcement was made at a ceremony held in Paris.

♦ This is his second Laureus award.

♦ Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina scored a double by being named Sportsman and Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

♦ He is the first athlete to win the team and individual awards in the same year.

Awards

2023Pulitzer Prizes

The 2023 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced in the fields of journalism, arts, music, and literature.  The awards were announced by the administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, Marjorie Miller. There are 22 Pulitzer categories. In 21 of those categories, the winners receive a $15,000 cash award and a certificate. The Pulitzer Awards were first presented in 1917. These are the most prestigious honors in U.S. journalism.

JOURNALISM

BOOKS, DRAMA & MUSIC

Awards

Awarded an honorary MBE by King Charles III

♦ Dr M.N. Nandakumara has been awarded an honorary MBE by King Charles III for his contributions to Indian classical arts in Britain.

♦ He is a renowned Sanskrit scholar and the Executive Director of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centre in London.

♦ Nandakumara, who hails from the village of Mattur in Karnataka, has been associated with the Bhavan for 46 years.

Awards

Leipzig Book Prize

♦ Russian Poet Maria Stepanova was honoured with the prestigious Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding in the year 2023.

♦ She was recognized in Leipzig for her poetry collection titled Girls Without Clothes.

♦ The Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding is a prestigious literary award that has been awarded annually since 1994.

Awards

2023 Immigrant Achievement Award

♦ Indian-American Neeli Bendapudi will be receiving the American Immigration Council's 2023 Immigrant Achievement Award for her contributions to higher education in the US.

♦ She is the current president of Penn State University.

♦ The award is presented each year to an individual or organisation that exhibits a commitment and dedication to America’s heritage as a nation of immigrants and advocacy for humane immigration policy.

Awards

“Chevalier de la Légion dHonneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour)

♦ Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar was conferred “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain. This is France's highest civilian award.

♦ This award comes in recognition of her outstanding contribution in the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.

♦ Nadar is a chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA).

Awards

Luis Caffarelli

♦ Luis Caffarelli (74) won the 2023 Abel Prize for his seminal contributions to regularity theory for nonlinear partial differential equations including free-boundary problems and the Monge-Ampère equation.

♦ The Abel prize recognises pioneering scientific achievements in mathematics.

♦ It includes a monetary award of 7.5 million kroner (roughly $ 720,000) and a glass plaque.

Awards

RBIGovernor Shaktikanta Das was named Governor of the Year 2023

♦ Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das was named 'Governor of the Year 2023' by the International Publication Central Banking.

♦ He has been given the award for steering the financial markets through multiple crises including the pandemic and the inflation due to the war in Ukraine.

Awards

Vinod Kumar Shukla won the 2023 PEN/Nabokov Award

♦ Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla won the 2023 PEN/Nabokov Award for achievement in international literature. This is one of the most prestigious literary prizes worldwide.

♦ The PEN/Nabokov award is conferred annually to a living author whose body of work is of enduring originality and consummate craftsmanship. Shukla received the Sahitya Akademi Award for “Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi” in 1999.

Awards

D. Gukesh honoured with the Player-of-the-Year award by the ACF

♦ Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh honoured with the Player-of-the-Year award by the Asian Chess Federation (ACF).

♦ He got this for clinching the gold medal with a record-breaking score of 9/11 in the 44th Chess Olympiad at Mahabalipuram in March 2022.

♦ In the match, Gukesh became only the sixth Indian to break the 2700 Elo-rating mark, and the youngest Grandmaster from the country to be rated above 2700.
 

Awards

Hari Balakrishnan

♦ Computer scientist Hari Balakrishnan was awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize. Dr. Balakrishnan is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

♦ The prize is announced annually by the Marconi Society. Marconi Prize is considered among the world’s topmost honours in the field of information and communication technology.

Awards

Best International Film award

♦ SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ movie bagged the ‘Best International Film’ award at the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards.  

♦ This movie also won three more awards at the HCA film awards namely ‘Best Action Film’, ‘Best Stunts’, and ‘Best Original Song (Naatu Naatu)’.

Awards

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 in New Delhi.

♦ Eight eminent personalities were given Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships in the field of performing arts while 128 artists from the field of music, dance, theatre, traditional, folk and puppetry were awarded with Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards. These Akademi Awards include three joint awards.

Awards

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022

♦ The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival awards were announced on Februaru 20. 

Winners List: 

♦ Best Film - The Kashmir Files 

♦ Film Of The Year - RRR

♦ Best Director - R Balki  (Chup: Revenge of The Artist)

♦ Most Versatile Actor Of The Year - Anupam Kher  (The Kashmir Files)

♦ Best Actress - Alia Bhatt (Gangubai Kathiawadi)

♦ Best Actor - Ranbir Kapoor (Brahmastra: Part 1)

♦ Most Promising Actor: Rishab Shetty (Kantara)

Awards

Karthik Subramaniam won the prestigious National Geographics Pictures of the year

♦ Indian-origin software engineer Karthik Subramaniam won the prestigious National Geographic’s ‘Pictures of The Year' award.

♦ His photo titled “Dance of the Eagles”, which was captured at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Alaska won the prize in the contest.

♦ The photo was selected from nearly 5,000 entries across four categories: Nature, People, Places and Animals. 

Awards

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel Wins UNESCO Peace Prize 2022

♦ Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received a UNESCO peace prize for her decision to welcome more than 1.2 million migrants to Germany despite resistance at home and among European partners.

♦ Merkel showed political courage when Germany welcomed refugees in 2015-2016 who had fled conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eritrea.

Awards

Dr Peggy Mohan was bagged the Mathrubhumi Book of The Year

♦ Author Dr Peggy Mohan was bagged the ‘Mathrubhumi Book of The Year’ award at the fourth edition of Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023).

♦ Her book ‘Wanderers, Kings and Merchants,’ portraying evolution of language as the outcome of migrations, won the award that carries Rs two lakh as cash prize and a sculpture.

Awards

Former PM Manmohan Singh conferred Lifetime Achievement Honour by UK

♦ Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh was conferred a Lifetime Achievement Honour by the India-UK Achievers Honours in London for his contribution to economic and political life.

♦ The Honour, announced at an awards ceremony last week, will be handed over to Dr Singh in New Delhi by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK.
 

Awards

President of India awarded RPF/RPSF personnel with Jeevan Raksha Padak awards

The President of India Droupadi Murmu has awarded the RPF/RPSF personnel with Jeevan Raksha Padak awards to Jaipal Singh (Head Constable/ Northern Railway) Surendra Kumar (Constable/Northern Railway), and Bhuda Ram Saini (Constable/7th BN/RPSF).

Awards

Gallantry Awards

♦ President Droupadi Murmu approved 412 gallantry awards including six Kirti Chakras and 15 Shaurya Chakras on the eve of 74th Republic Day.

♦ Out of the six Kirti Chakras, four were conferred posthumously. Similarly, two Shaurya Chakras were awarded posthumously.

♦ Kirti Chakra is India's second highest peacetime gallantry award after Ashok Chakra. Shaurya Chakra is the country's third-highest peacetime gallantry award.
 

Awards

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023

♦ President Droupadi Murmu conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. 

♦ The awards have been conferred upon 11 children for their exceptional achievement in six categories - Art, Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Social Service, and Sports.  

♦ Each awardee has received a medal, a cash prize of one lakh rupees, and a certificate from the President.

Awards

The most distinguished scientist of the year 2022

♦ R Vishnu Prasad was awarded “The most distinguished scientist of the year 2022” at Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi by Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information & Broadcasting. 

♦ He is a scientist with 69 patents has been honored with the Indian Achievers Award as the most distinguished scientist of the year. 

♦ The award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions in various fields, including culture, science, sports, and innovation.
 

Awards

Golden Globe award for Naatu Naatu song

Naatu Naatu song from the RRR movie bagged the coveted Golden Globe award for Best Original Song. It became the first song from India to win this award. Music director M.M.Keeravaani receive the trophy, at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 11th January.

Awards

Award for Global Leadership

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y.Chandrachud was selected for the “Award for Global Leadership” by the Harvard Law School on 7th Center January. He got this award in recognition of his lifetime service to the legal profession in the country and around the world. The award will be presented to him at an online event on January 11.

Awards

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for the year 2021

♦ On 23rd November 2022, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India announced the National Adventure Awards called “Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award” (TNNAA) for the year 2021.

♦ The award is given in four categories namely, Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure and Life Time Achievement.

♦ The awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs. 15 lakh each.

Winners:

i) Ms. Naina Dhakad - Land Adventure

ii) Shubham Dhananjay Vanmali - Water Adventure

iii) Group Captain Kunwar Bhawani Singh Samyal - Life Time Achievement

Awards

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development

♦ On 19th November 2022, Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development of 2021 was awarded to Pratham, an NGO functioning in the field of education.

♦ The award recognises Pratham’s work in ensuring quality education for children, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Awards

The Paradise of Foodwon JCB Prize for Literature

♦ ‘The Paradise of Food’ authored by Khalid Jawed, translated by Baran Farooqi from Urdu, won the fifth JCB Prize for Literature.

♦ “The Paradise of Food” tells the story of a middle-class joint Muslim family over a span of fifty years where the narrator struggles to find a place for himself, at odds in his home and the world outside.

Awards

Responsible Tourism Global award

♦ On 9th November 2022, Kerala Tourism has bagged the prestigious Responsible Tourism Global award at the World Travel Mart held in London.

♦ The award was given for the STREET project implemented by the Responsible Tourism Mission under the Kerala Government.

♦ The 'street' initiative is a water protection and conservation project in Tourism sector implemented with public participation.

Awards

Kerala Jyothi award

♦ Kerala Jyothi award has been awarded to renowned Malayalam author and Jnanpith laureate, M T Vasudevan Nair.

♦ The award was established by the state government in the spirit of the Padma awards to recognise people who have made priceless contributions to society.

Awards

Booker Prize for fiction

♦ On 17th October 2022, Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won Britain’s Booker Prize for fiction for his work ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’, about a journalist murdered amid the country’s sectarian strife.

♦ Karunatilaka, 47, is the second Sri Lankan to win the award, following Michael Ondaatje’s victory in 1992 for ‘The English Patient’.

Awards

Nobel Prize 2022

Nobel award is awarded by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and is worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($900,357).

Medicine  or  Physiology:

♦ The Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology was awarded to Swedish geneticist Svante Pääbo. He was given the award “for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution”.     

Chemistry:

♦ Nobel prize for Chemistry was awarded to Carolyn R.Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and  K.Barry Sharpless for development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.   

Physics: 

♦ Nobel prize for physics was awarded to three scientists - Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, for their work on "entangling" behavior of quantum particles.

Peace:

♦ Nobel prize for peace 2022 has been conferred to human rights advocate Ales   Bialiatski from Belarus, Ukrainian human rights organization named Center for Civil  Liberties and Russian human rights organisation Memorial.

♦ These awardees have advocated for  human rights, democracy and peaceful  coexistence in the three neighbouring countries.

Literature:

♦ French author Annie Ernaux received Nobel Prize in Literature. 

♦ Annie Ernaux, whose works are mostly autobiographical, received the Nobel Prize  for Literature in recognition of her courage  and clinical acuity with which she exposes her life through literature.

Economic sciences:

♦ The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences 2022 is awarded to to Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, Philip H. Dybvig. 

♦ They got this for research on banks and financial crises.

Awards

2023 Break through Prizes

♦ The 2023 winners of the Breakthrough Prizes, dubbed the "Oscars of Science," were announced on 22nd September 2022.

♦ 2023 Breakthrough Prizes conferred to individuals who made key contributions in the scientific growth. The Breakthrough Prizes, created in 2010 by a group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, are the most richly endowed awards in science, disbursing more than the Nobel prizes. The Breakthrough Prizes are international awards conferred under three categories – mathematics, fundamental physics and life sciences.

2023 winners:

a. In Fundamental physics: The prize was shared by Charles Bennett, Gilles Brassard, David Deutsch and Peter Shor for their research in quantum information.

b. In Life sciences: Clifford Brangwynne and Anthony Hyman received the prize for discovering a new mechanism of cellular organization.

c. In Mathematics: Daniel Spielman of Yale University was given recognition for multiple discoveries in theoretical computer science and mathematics.

Awards

Hermann Kesten Prize

♦ Indian author and poet Meena Kandasamy has been announced as this year’s recipient of the Hermann Kesten Prize by the PEN Centre in Germany’s Darmstadt on 19 September 2022.

♦ Meena Kandasamy is a feminist and anti-caste activist whose work revolves around the issue of gender, caste, sexuality, patriarchy, and oppression by the Brahmanical system.

Awards

Ramon Magsaysay Award

♦ The 64th Edition of the Ramon Magsaysay Award was announced by its foundation.

♦ The 2022 awardees are

♦ Sotheara Chhim, Psychiatrist (Cambodia)

♦ Tadashi Hattori, Ophthalmologist (Japan)

♦ Bernadette Madrid, Pediatrician (Philippines) 

♦ Gary Bencheghib, Activist & Filmmaker (Indonesia).

About Ramon Magsaysay Award:

♦ Established in 1957
♦ Regarded  as  the  'Nobel  Peace  Prize  of  Asia'
♦ This award is named after the Ramon Magsaysay, the third president of the Philippines after his death in 1957.
♦ Award given categories: Government Service, Public Service, Community Leadership, Journalism - Literature and Creative Communication Arts, Peace and International Understanding, Emergent  Leadership.

Awards

Padma Awards 2022

President of India approved conferment of 128 Padma Awards including two duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one) this year announced officially on 25 January 2022. The Awards comprise 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri. 
‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards were announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
34 of the total awardees were women. 10 persons were from the category of Foreigners/ NRI/ PIO/ OCI and 13 were Posthumous awardees in the total awards.
∗ Padma Vibhushan conferred on Prabha Atre (Maharastra) in the field of Art.  She is a famous classical vocalist from the Kirana Gharana. 
∗ Radheshyam Khemka (UP) of Gita Press, was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for his valuable contribution in the field of literature and education. 
∗ Ghulam Nabi Azad (Jammu & Kashmir) and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee the former chief minister of West Bengal were conferred with the Padma Bhushan award in the field of Public Affairs.  
∗ Veteran actor Victor Banerjee (West Bengal), Folk singer Gurmeet Bawa (Punjab) (posthumously) and Ustad Rashid Khan (UP) an exponent of the Hindustani classical, music were also among the recipients of Padma Bhushan.
∗ Prof Vashishth Tripathi (UP) a renowned scholar of Nyay Shastra, Eminent writer Pratibha Ray (Odisha), Swami Sachidanand (Gujrat) the social reformer were selected for Padma Bhushan for their contribution in the field of Literature and Education.
∗ Dr Sanjaya Rajaram, an Indian-Mexican agricultural scientist posthumously in the field of Science and Engineering and former Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi from Rajasthan in the field of Civil Service were conferred with Padma Bhushan.
∗ Madhur Jaffrey (USA) who was recognized for bringing Indian cuisine to the Western hemisphere, Devendra Jhajharia (Rajasthan) Paralympic javelin throw medallist were also the recipients of Padma Bhushan.
∗ Neeraj Chopra (Haryana) the 2020 Olympics gold medallist in Javelin throw, Pramod Bhagat (Odisha), the Paralympics Badminton Olympic medallist, Vandana Kataria (Uttarakhand) the woman hockey player Avani Lekhara (Rajasthan) were some of the prominent sports players  conferred with Padma Shri Award.
∗ Sunkara Venkata Adinarayana Rao (Medicine - Andhra Pradesh), Sosamma Iype (Animal Husbandry - Kerala), Sonu Nigam (Art - Maharashtra) were also some of the prominent recipients of  the Padma Shri Award.