Current Affairs Dec 2015 - Awards

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News 1 - Husband-Wife duo Claude and Norma Alvares awarded with 2015 Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award.

The husband-wife duo of Claude and Norma Alvares on 18 December 2015 were honored with the 2015 Lifetime Service Award by Sanctuary Asia magazine.

On the other hand, Ashok Kumar, one of the pioneers of the fightback against wildlife crimes in India and Chairman Emeritus of the Wildlife Trust of India, was named the Sanctuary Legend.

The Wildlife Service Awards went to five personalities:

• Varad Giri, a scientist with the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru for his contribution to understand and classify little known species, including discovering new species of snakes, geckos, frogs and cecilians.

• Nandini Velho, organiser of the first Arunachal Pradesh Bird Festival.

• Param Jit Singh, a trained geologist and forest officer from Uttarakhand.

• Yash Veer Bhatnagar, director of the Snow Leopard Trust's India Program. He also conducted one of the first long-term studies on the Asiatic Ibexm and organised a path-breaking scientific exploration of Ladakh.

• The Gir Lion Protection Team.

News 2 - CII Industrial Innovation Awards 2015 conferred upon 35 companies.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 15 December 2015 conferred Industrial Innovation Awards 2015 upon 35 companies (10 start-ups and 25 other big and small companies). Delhi-based start-up Right Track Admizzionz Campuz won the top award in the start-up category, while the pharma major Zydus Cadila was adjudged the Most Innovative Company of the Year.

Special category awards:

News 3 - Sahitya Akademi awards announced for the year 2015.

Sahitya Akademi on 17 December 2015 announced the Sahitya Akademi Awards for the year 2015 in 23 languages. Poetry and short story writers dominated the awards. Sahitya Akademi Award was established in 1954.

Poets selected for the award are:

• Brajendra Kumar Brahma for Baidi Dengkhw Baidi Gab in Bodo.
• Dhian Singh for Parchhamen Di Lo in Dogri.
• Ramdarash Mishra for Aag Ki Hansi in Hindi.
• KV Tirumalesh for Akshaya Kavya in Kannada.
• Kshetri Ranjen for Ahingna Yekshilliba Mang in Manipuri.
• Ram Shankar Awasthi for Vanadevi (an epic) in Sanskrit.

Authors of Short Stories selected for the award are:

• Kula Saikia for Akashar Chhabi Aru Anyanya Galpa in Assamese.
• Man Mohan Jha for Khissa in Maithili.
• Gupta Pradhan for Samayaka Prativimbaharu in Nepali.
• Bibhuti Pattanaik for Mahishasurara Muhan in Odia.
• Maya Rahi for Mahengi Murk in Sindhi.
• Volga for Vimuktha in Telugu.

Novelists selected for award are:

• Cyrus Mistry for Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer in English.
• KR Meera for Aarachar in Malayalam.
• Jaswinder Singh for Maat Lok in Punjabi.
• Madhu Acharya ‘Ashawadi’ for Gawaad in Rajasthani.

Essayists selected for the award are:

• Rasik Shah for Antey Aarambh (Part I&II) in Gujarati.
• A Madhavan for IIakkiya Suvadugal in Tamil.

Play Writers selected for the award are:

• Uday Bhembre for Karna Parva in Konkani.
• Rabilal Tudu for Parsi Khatir in Santhali.

Authors of Books on Criticism selected for the award are:

• Bashir Bhadarwahi for Jamis Ta Kasheeri Manz Kashir Natia Adabuk Tawareekh in Kashmiri.
• Shamim Tariq for Tasawwuf Aur Bhakti Tanqeedi Aur Taqabuli Mutalea in Urdu.

Author selected for the award for a book on memoirs is:

• Arun Khopkar for Chalat Chitravyooh in Marathi.

News 4 - American University announces APJ Abdul Kalam Fellowship for Indian students.

The University of South Florida (USF) has announced a postgraduate fellowship in the name of former president, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam to support accomplished and talented Indian students looking to study abroad.

This fellowship is open to Indian students, who wish to pursue PhD in specified fields of science and engineering at USF. Fellowship holders will receive a tuition waiver amounting to $84,500 in four years, plus a stipend of $18,000 per year.

News 5 - President Pranab Mukherjee earns Garwood Award for Outstanding Global Leader in Open Innovation.

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received Garwood Award for Outstanding Global Leader in Open Innovation from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business today (December 17, 2015) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

News 6 - Renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman won 2016 Genesis Prize.

Renowned Israeli-US violinist Itzhak Perlman on 14 December 2015 was announced as the 2016 Genesis Prize Laureate for his accomplishments as a musician, teacher and advocate for people with disabilities.

Perlman will receive the award on 23 June 2016 from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony in Jerusalem.

About Genesis Prize

• The Genesis Prize, also known as the Jewish Nobel, was founded in 2012 as a 1 million US dollar award.

• It is given annually to an exceptional human being, who has attained outstanding excellence and international renown in his or her chosen field, is a role model in the community and who can inspire the next generation of Jews worldwide.

News 7 - West Bengal Government honored Bappi Lahiri and Kumar Sanu with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The West Bengal Government on 14 December 2015 honored music composer Bappi Lahiri and singer Kumar Sanu with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over the awards at the inauguration of the annual Bangla Sangeet Mela.

News 8 - Indian-origin writer J M Sali won 2015 South East Asian Write Award for Singapore.

Indian-origin Tamil writer Jamaludeen Mohamed Sali on 11 December 2015 was declared as the winner of the prestigious South East Asian Write Award for Singapore. Sali will receive the award for literary excellence on 14 December 2015 at a ceremony in Bangkok. His famous short stories and novels are Vellai Kodugal (White Lines) and Alaigal Pesuginrana (The Sound of the Waves). They are now studied by Tamil literature students in Singaporean and Indian universities.

News 9 - Apurvi Chandela, Chain Singh won Gold at 59th National Shooting Championship.

Rajasthan's Apurvi Chandela on 15 December 2015 won a Gold medal in the 10-metre Air Rifle event on the final day of the 59th National Shooting Championship in Delhi. Geetakshi claimed the Silver and Anjum won Bronze.

Army man Chain Singh won the Gold in the 50-metre Rifle 3 Positions event at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. Gagan Narang and Swapnil Kusale won Silver and Bronze respectively.

Results of different events

News 10 - Delhi Development Authority awarded with E-India Award.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) received the E-India Award for adopting technology to serve the public better and using resources efficiently through mobile applications. The award was received by VS Tomar, Director (Systems) DDA during the e-INDIA SUMMIT 2015 in Mumbai.

News 11 - Renowned violinist L Subramaniam to be honoured with ITC Sangeet Samman.

Renowned violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam will be honoured with the Sangeet Samman at the ITC Sangeet Sammelan 2015. Subramaniam has been awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Limca Book of Records in 2012. He also won the President's Award for Best Violinist, All India Radio in 1963. In 2001, the renowned violinist was honoured with the Padma Bhushan.

News 12 - Adidas India’s Pulin Kumar won prestigious INBA Award.

Pulin Kumar, Group's Senior Legal and Compliance Director of Adidas India, on 26 November 2015 was conferred with the Indian National Bar Association's (INBA) General Counsel of the year 2015 - Retail Award in New Delhi.

News 13 - Wipro won 2015 Aegis Graham Bell Award for innovation in IoT.

Global software giant, Wipro on 11 December 2015 announced that it won the 2015 Aegis Graham Bell Award for developing a solution for the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Aegis School of Business established the Aegis Graham Bell Awards as a tribute to the father of the telephony, Sir Alexander Graham Bell. The award is intended to promote innovation, entrepreneurship in the field of Telecom, Internet, Media & Edutainment (TIME) and to provide recognition for outstanding contributions in this field in India.

News 14 - Salman Rushdie honoured with Mailer Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

India-born author Salman Rushdie on 10 December 2015 was awarded the prestigious Mailer Prize for lifetime achievement. American experimental performance artist Laurie Anderson presented the award to Rushdie at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York City.

News 15 - Indian-American entrepreneur Frank Islam to be conferred with Uttar Pradesh Ratna Award.

Frank Islam, an Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, will be conferred with Uttar Pradesh Ratna Award on 4 January 2016 at the inaugural UP Pravasi Diwas in Agra. The UP Ratna Award is conferred to NRIs, who hail from the state. It is awarded to those individuals, who have made a significant contribution to the field of science, technology, culture, medicine, education, public service and commerce in foreign countries.

News 16 - Naseeruddin Shah honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at Dubai International Film Festival.

Veteran Indian actor, Naseerudin Shah on 9 December 2015 was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in Dubai.

Besides, Egyptian actor Ezzat Al Alayli, award-winning French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila and French actress Catherine Deneuve were also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival.

News 17 - India’s Kartik Sawhney and Neha Swain won 2016 Queen's Young Leaders Award.

Kartik Sawhney and Neha Swain, have won the 2016 Queen's Young Leaders award in the United Kingdom, which will be presented by the British monarch in Buckingham Palace in June 2016.Sawhney and Swain have won the prestigious award for their exceptional work in transforming the lives of others and making a lasting difference in their communities.

News 18 - Hinduja Brothers received lifetime achievement award at Asian Business Leadership Forum 2015.

Hinduja Brothers on 29 November 2015 were honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series in Dubai. It was awarded to Gopichand P Hinduja, Co-Chairman, Hinduja Group of Companies, The Hinduja Group, UK. The Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series is Asia’s most prestigious annual business leadership event series.

News 19 - Dr Abdul Kalam IGNITE award presented by President Pranab Mukherjee.

President Pranab Mukherjee presented Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE awards 2015 to a total of 40 school students. The awards were given away for 31 grass root innovations at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Award is a national competition of original technological ideas and innovations by children up to class 12 or those out of school up to the age of 17 years.

The competition is organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in association with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Honey Bee Network, other State Educational Boards and other partners every year to promote creativity and originality among children. The awards of IGNITE competition are announced every year on 15 October, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's birthday, which is celebrated as the Children's Creativity and Innovation Day by NIF.

News 20 - Tech Mahindra bags 'Forbes Top 100 Middle East - Global Meets Local 2015' Award.

Tech Mahindra has been awarded the prestigious 'Forbes Top 100 Middle East - Global Meets Local 2015' Award. This Award was presented at a special event hosted by Forbes Middle East in Dubai. Tech Mahindra is a specialist in Digital transformation, Consulting, and Business re-engineering solutions.

News 21 - Former Wicket-Keeper Syed Kirmani nominated for 2015 Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.

Former Indian Wicket-Keeper Syed Kirmani was on 24 December 2015 nominated for the 2015 Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kirmani represented India at the international level. His record includes 160 catches and 38 stumpings in tests and 27 catches and 9 stumpings in ODIs.

About Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award

• It was instituted by the BCCI in 1994 to celebrate the birth centenary of Col. Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu, the country’s first test captain.

• It honors individuals for their unparalleled contribution to Indian cricket, on and off the field.

• It comprises a trophy, citation and cheque for 25 lakhs rupees.

• The award in 2014 was received by Dilip Vengsarkar.

News 22 - Globe Soccer Awards 2015 conferred.

The Globe Soccer on 27 December 2015 presented the sixth edition of Globe Soccer Awards 2015 to the winners at a ceremony held in Dubai, UAE.

Winners of Globe Soccer Awards 2015

News 23 - CRI Pumps bags export quality excellence award.

Pump manufacturing major CRI Pumps has bagged 'Export Quality Excellence' award for the 11th time in a row. The Joint Managing Director of CRI Pumps, G Selvaraj, received the EEPC award from the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala, at an award ceremony held in Bengaluru.

News 24 - Indian Oil Corp tops in 2015 Fortune 500 companies in India list.

State-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has emerged as the country’s biggest company in terms of annual revenue as per an annual list of 2015 Fortune 500 companies in India. IOC topped the list for the sixth year consecutively with an annual revenue of Rs. 4,51,911 crores. IOC was followed by Mukesh Ambani-led private sector Reliance Industries at the second place with a revenue of Rs. 3,82,565 crores.

Here is the list of the top 10 companies −

• Indian Oil Corp (IOC)
• Reliance Industries
• Tata Motors
• State Bank of India (SBI)
• Bharat Petroleum (BPCL)
• Hindustan Petroleum
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
• Tata Steel
• Hindalco Industries
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

News 25 - Santa Claus sculpture created by Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik featured in Limca Book of Records.

Well-known sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s Santa Claus sculpture on 29 December 2015 found a place in Limca Book of World Records after he created a 45 feet high sand Santa Claus at Puri beach on 24 December 2015, which was recognised as the largest sand Santa Claus as of today by the Limca Book of World Records.

News 26 - Noted Gujarati writer Raghuveer Chaudhary selected for 51st Jnanpith award.

Eminent Gujarati littérateur, Raghuveer Chaudhary was on 29 December 2015 selected for the 51st Jnanpith award for his contribution to the Indian literature.

Chaudhary is the fourth Gujarati littérateur to bag this prestigious award after Uma Shankar Joshi (1967), Pannalal Patel (1985) and Rajendra Shah (2001).

The award includes a cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.